ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Four standout student-athletes from the College of Saint Benedict softball program – Cat Smetana, Bryn Ruhberg, Olivia Wallace and Ellie Peterson – have been named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team for their exceptional performance on the field and in the classroom.

The 2025 Academic All-District® Softball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the diamond and in the classroom. Student-athletes must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes softball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA.

For the second time in three seasons, CSB softball has had four All-District honorees. In each of the past three years, the Bennies have had three or more all-district selections. In total, St. Ben's has 25 all-district honorees which involves 18 student-athletes. Smetana and Peterson earned their second straight all-district honor while Ruhberg and Wallace were honored for the first time.

This group of standouts helped the Bennies finish 26-14, including 17-5 in the MIAC for second place. They advanced to the MIAC Playoff Championship before falling to champion Saint Mary's, 5-3. 

Cat Smetana | Junior | Infielder | Lake Elmo, Minn.

Smetana recently earned her second NFCA all-region nod (2023) following a breakout season. An economics major, she has also earned two first-team All-MIAC honors and an honorable mention recognition. The two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree was named Academic All-MIAC in 2024. In 2025, the standout junior hit .380, ranking ninth in the MIAC, while also placing 12th in slugging percentage (.562) and 14th in OPS (.969). She drove in 40 runs (3rd, MIAC) and recorded 13 doubles (6th, MIAC). She finished with a team-high 15 multi-hit games, including eight of three hits or more and one game of four hits (Carleton, April 16, 2025). Additionally, Smetana, who had an eight-game hitting streak, recorded a team-high 10 multi-RBI games, including three games of three or more RBI with a season-high five RBI (Carleton, April 16, 2025). In the field, she was exceptional, posting a .986 fielding percentage with 276 putouts and 11 assists. Over her career, Smetana owns a .367 batting average (14^th all-time at CSB), .540 slugging with 123 hits, 28 doubles (10^th all-time at CSB), six home runs, and 68 RBI, alongside a career .993 fielding mark with 638 putouts. She was also named MIAC Offensive Player of the Week in 2025.


Bryn Ruhberg | Junior | Catcher/Outfield | Lino Lakes, Minn.

Ruhberg was recently named all-region by the NFCA and to the All-MIAC team. A political science major, Ruhburg earned her first CSC Academic All-District honor and was Academic All-MIAC in 2024. She led CSB with a .383 batting average (8th, MIAC) and in the MIAC ranked second in slugging percentage (.670), third in on-base percentage (.504), and third in OPS (1.174). She added five home runs (5th MIAC), 35 RBI (5th, MIAC), and led the MIAC with 15 hit-by-pitches. Playing both catcher and outfield, Ruhberg hit.488 with a .837 slugging percentage in 22 games behind the plate, while batting .295 in 17 games in the outfield. This season, Ruhberg had 11 multi-hit games and nine multi-RBI games, including two games with four RBI. Additionally, she had a streak of 17 games in which she reached base. Ruhberg finished the season with a .973 fielding percentage, 93 putouts, and 16 assists. Over her three-year career, the junior standout has a .323 average, five home runs, 19 doubles, and 54 RBI, and holds the school record for being hit by a pitch 26 times. Ruhberg was also honored as a MIAC Offensive Player of the Week in 2025.

Ellie Peterson | Junior | Pitcher | St. Anthony Village, Minn.

A three-time All-MIAC honoree, Peterson earned her second straight CSC Academic All-District honor and was Academic All-MIAC in 2024. The standout junior finished with a team-high 12 wins (12-7), which was fifth in the league and had 13 complete games, three shutouts, 21 starts and 25 appearances while compiling an ERA of 3.17 and a 1.31 WHIP. An exercise science and Hispanic studies major, Peterson recorded 73 strikeouts (8^th, MIAC) in 130.1 innings (3^rd, MIAC) in 2025. With a .251 opponents' batting average, she was fifth in the MIAC. For her career, Peterson has a 2.88 ERA in 360 career innings and nine shutouts, as she ranks sixth all-time at CSB in both categories. With 40 career wins, she is fifth in school history and her 70 appearances is seventh all-time at CSB. With 60 starts she is fifth in school history. In addition, Peterson has 36 complete games for seventh all-time in program history.


Olivia Wallace | Junior | Pitcher | Maple Grove, Minn.
Wallace, a biology major, earned her first CSC Academic All-District honor and was named All-MIAC. An Academic All-MIAC honoree in 2024, she had an

11-5 record and finished fourth in the MIAC with a 2.16 ERA in 2025. She recorded a 1.40 WHIP with 15 starts in 22 appearances, recording eight complete games and three shutouts. In 97.1 innings, she recorded 55 strikeouts and also had a team-high two saves. In her career, Wallace has a 2.97 ERA with 16 wins, 56 appearances, 16 complete games, 34 starts, 212.1 innings with 118 strikeouts. Wallace also earned MIAC Pitcher of the Week in 2025.