MARSHALL, Texas – Amongst the elite in NCAA Division III athletics for academics, East Texas Baptist University's Mary Frances has been named a College Sports Communicators Academic All-American for softball as a second team selection. She becomes ETBU's first student-athlete to earn three CSC Academic All-American awards in her career.
Along with the CSC Academic All-American award, Ellis,
Hannah Benavides,
Avery Holland,
Emma Bell, and
Haylie Stum were named All-District. It is the second time for Benavides to be on the CSC All-District team, as Holland, Bell, and Stum gain their first award.
Ellis has been voted to all three academic teams in her career, earning third-team honors in 2023, first-team honors in 2024, and second-team honors this year. She is the only ETBU softball player to earn the CSC award three consecutive years. Ashton Brey (2011, 2012) is the only other softball student-athlete to be a CSC All-American twice.
Here is a short bio on Ellis:
Mary Frances Ellis has been a servant-leader since she stepped on East Texas Baptist University's campus. The two-time College Sports Communicators Academic All-American has served her team, ETBU, and the East Texas Area, maintained a 4.0 grade point average, and excelled on the field, winning the 2024 NCAA Division III National Championship.
Ellis, from Elysian Fields, Texas, came to ETBU in the fall of 2021 and made an immediate impact as a leader. In four years, she has served locally at Mission Marshall, Hallsville ISD, Marshall ISD, the Starr Family Home, and Operation Christmas Child while being a Pen Pal to children in India, going on a mission trip to Australia, and helping Team Impact. Averaging 18 hours of community service per year, Ellis has logged 24 hours of service this year, helping at the Hallsville ISD Morning High Fives program and writing letters to her Pen Pal. At her home church, she volunteers each year to help with VBS and the youth group. On the softball team, she has held leadership positions in the servant-leadership group, Key Holder group (two years), organizational group, performance group, and spiritual leadership group.
The classroom has been a place of success for Ellis, who has a 4.0 grade point average as a finance/accounting major. She has earned two College Sports Communicators Academic All-American awards, making the first team in 2024 and third team in 2023, and is a three-time CSC Academic All-District selection. She is the second player in program history to earn two CSC Academic All-American awards and the third player named a first-team selection. The four-time ASC All-Academic team member was the ASC's Softball Distinguished Scholar-Athlete award winner in 2024 and is a two-time NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete. The three-time ETBU President's List member is a part of the ETBU Presidential Scholar Society, having the highest GPA in both the ETBU School of Business and School of Accounting/Finance.
ETBU College Sports Communicators Academic All-Americans
Mary Frances Ellis (2025, 2nd team, 2024, 1st team; 2023, 3rd team)
Hannah Benavides (2024, 2nd team)
Ashley Croft (2023, 3rd team)
Hannah Garcia (2021, 1st team)
Morgan Arst (2018, 3rd team)
Jayme Perez (2017, 1st team)
Lacy Liles (2014, 2nd team)
Lya Swaner (2013, 3rd team)
Ashton Brey (2011, 2012, 2nd team)
Christy Shipley (2007, 2nd team)
ETBU CSC All-District awardees
2025:
Hannah Benavides,
Mary Frances Ellis*,
Avery Holland,
Emma Bell,
Haylie Stum
2024:
Hannah Benavides*,
Delanie Loya,
Mary Frances Ellis*
2023:
Ashley Croft,*
Allison Damiani,
Corley Carpenter,
Mary Frances Ellis*,
Hannah Kelley
2022: Marin Musicant
2021:
Hannah Garcia*, Presyle Cox, Dani Solis
2020 Beatriz Lara
2019: MacKenzie Anderson
2018: Morgan Arst*, Linzie Lewis
2017: Lacey Lindsey, Jayme Perez*
2015: Shelby Parker
2014: Lacy Liles*
2013: Lya Swaner*
2012: Ashton Brey*
2011: Ashton Brey*
2007: Christy Shipley*
