GREENWOOD, Ind. – Missouri State softball had five student-athletes named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, the organization announced today.
 
Mackenzie Chacon earns CSC Academic All-District honors for the third time in her career, while Chloe Merced and McKenzie Vaughan earn the recognition for the second time. Emily Gerardy and Makenzi Swick each make the team for the first time in their careers.
 
Chacon is a three-time Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete, a four-time NFCA Scholar-Athlete and now racks up her third CSC Academic All-District nod. The lefty pitcher is also a three-time member of the MVC Honor Roll and is a two-time recipient of the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award. Chacon recently graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Speech-Language Pathology.
 
The Oologah, Okla., native was one of a trio of pitcher's to lead the Missouri State pitching staff. Chacon owned the second-most wins with six on the season, owning a 5.04 ERA in 84.2 innings of work. She amassed 43 strikeouts and threw two complete games on the year.
 
Merced earns a spot on the CSC Academic All-District Team for the second consecutive season. The senior outfielder is also a three-time member of the MVC Honor Roll and has been named an NFCA Scholar-Athlete three times in her career. Merced earned MVC Scholar-Athlete honors in 2024 and collected the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award for the 2023-24 academic year. She recently graduated Cum Laude with a degree in Exercise & Movement Science.
 
The Springfield, Mo., native batted .242 in her final season with 30 hits, 22 RBI, 13 walks and six home runs. For her career, she appeared in 169 games and made 82 starts. Across her four seasons, Merced tallied a .251 batting average, 38 RBI, 21 walks and stole 21 bases on 25 attempts.
 
Vaughan is a two-time first-team MVC Scholar-Athlete, a three-time member of the MVC Honor Roll and received the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award in 2023-24. The two-way standout has also been named an NFCA Scholar-Athlete four times and now she earns the second CSC Academic All-District Team honor of her career. Vaughan recently graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Exercise and Movement Science.
 
The Bella Vista, Ark., native wrapped up her career with an impressive senior campaign. Vaughan led the Bears with 42 RBI, 22 walks, 15 home runs, a .290 batting average, a 3.73 ERA and 11 wins in the circle. She broke Missouri State's career home run record with her 32nd career homer on April 26 against Belmont, and ends her career with the new top mark set at 34.
 
Gerardy earns the first CSC Academic All-District Team nod of her career as a sophomore. The 2025 MVC All-Defensive Team member was named to the MVC Honor Roll a season ago and is a two-time NFCA Scholar-Athlete. Gerardy has also been on the MSU Athletic Director's Honor Roll in all four semesters of her career. She owns a 3.63 GPA as she pursues a degree in Marketing.
 
The Omaha, Neb., native played in all but one game this season and earned 50 starts. Gerardy batted .232 with 29 hits, 18 runs, nine RBI, five walks and five stolen bases.
 
Swick recently earned the first MVC Scholar-Athlete Team honor of her career and now earns a spot on the CSC Academic All-District Team for the first time. The right-handed junior has previously been named to the MVC Honor Roll twice and earned NFCA Scholar-Athlete recognition three times in her career, in addition to earning the MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award in 2023-24. Swick owns a 3.86 GPA as she pursues a degree in Biology.
 
The Stillwater, Okla., native led the Missouri State pitching staff with 53 strikeouts in 2025. She also owned a 4.00 earned run average and tossed a team-high 113.2 innings on the season.
 
Nominees must have competed in 90 percent or started in at least 66 percent of the institution's contests, or - for pitchers - pitched at least 35 innings or made 17 appearances, must be at least a sophomore in academic and athletic standing and must carry at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale).