The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) released its 2022 Academic All-America® softball teams on Tuesday and Lake Forest College's Josie Klein was a first team honoree.
Klein graduated from Lake Forest College last month with a 3.90 cumulative grade point average. The double major in economics and psychology appeared on the Dean's List throughout her collegiate career, earned multiple academic scholarships as well as the Warren A. Peterson Memorial Award in Economics, was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athlete Honor Society last year, and will be named Academic All-Midwest Confernce for the fourth time next month.
On the field, the center fielder finished the 2022 season ranked 33rd in the nation in slugging percentage (.798), 36th in on-base percentage (.534), and 54th in batting average (.460). Her 57 base hits and 99 total bases are new school records and she also led the team with seven home runs, six triples, nine doubles, 21 walks, 10 stolen bases, 42 runs scored, and 36 RBI.
On April 8, Klein was among 50 players to appear on the 2022 Schutt Sports/National Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III National Player and Pitcher of the Year awards list and she was named First Team All-MWC and the MWC Position Player of the Year a month later. She also earned Second Team All-Region accolades from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.
Klein helped lead Lake Forest to a 24-15 overall record and the Foresters claimed the 2022 MWC title with a 15-6 record in league play. She is the softball team's first Academic All-America® selection since Melissa Wegner in 2006 and the only first team honoree in program history.