FORT MYERS, Fla. – The No. 11 Florida SouthWestern State College softball team went 2-1 on the final day of the Florida College System Activities Association State Tournament (FCSAA) at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla. on Sunday (May 1) to secure the program's first berth to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I National Tournament in St. George, Utah (May 18-21, 2016 at Canyons Complex). The Buccaneers, who won three straight elimination games at the State Tournament, are also the District H Champions and FCSAA runner-ups.

Pitcher Courtney Gettins, catcher Molly Roark, second baseman Marta Fuentes, shortstop Mikayla Werahiko, and first baseman Hollianne Dohrn all made the FCSAA All-Tournament team for the Bucs (52-14).

In game one of the final day of the FCSAA State Tournament, the Purple and Aqua won a hard-fought game over Northwest Florida State College, 1-0. Courtney Gettins pitched an absolute gem and picked up the win. Gettins, who had a no-hitter through 6.1 innings, pitched a complete game one-hitter and struck out five batters. The Bucs scored the lone run of the game in the bottom of the second inning. Stepping into the batter's box with one out, Hollianne Dohrn doubled to left field. After a foul out gave FSW their second out of the inning, Mikayla Werahiko singled to left field scoring Dohrn from second base.

In game two, the Bucs defeated Seminole State College of Florida, 3-2. Marta Fuentes went 3-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base and Kayla Rangiawha went 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the FSW offense. Gettins pitched another complete game, allowing nine hits and three runs, while striking out five.

Heading to the bottom of the seventh inning, FSW held a 3-0 lead. Gettins rung up the leadoff batter for Seminole for the first out of the inning. After back-to-back singles and a wild pitch gave Seminole runners on second and third (one out), Brook Sapp singled to right field to clear the bases and make the score 3-2. Another single and a walk loaded the bases for the Raiders, but Gettins wasn't rattled. The Hawkes Bay, New Zealand native got Seminole to fly out and ground out to second base to lock up the win for the Bucs. The victory punched FSW's ticket to the NJCAA National Tournament and put the Bucs in the FCSAA State Championship game against defending State and National Champs Chipola.

Playing their third game of the day, FSW fell to Chipola, 6-2, in the title game.

The Bucs will now wait to find out their seed for the NJCAA National Tournament, a 16-team double-elimination event. Seeding will take place on Sunday, May 15th at the latest conference call of the sectional directors and will be on the basis of the following (in no particular order):

• Regional placement the previous year at the national tournament
• Strength of region/district
• National poll
• Overall record vs NJCAA Division I opponents

For more information on Buccaneer Athletics follow @FSWBucs on Twitter or log on to FSWBucs.com.

ICYMI...

SEE YOU IN UTAH | No. 11 Softball Punches Ticket To NJCAA D1 National Tournament...https://t.co/6MjDi0e6x9 pic.twitter.com/cHzGM3gKXx

— FSW Bucs (@FSWBucs) May 2, 2016

Congrats to the District G champs @FSWBucs. We'll see you at the DI Softball Championship in Utah! pic.twitter.com/1tIX20W85M

— NJCAA (@NJCAA) May 1, 2016

#FSWSoftball is going to @NJCAA Nationals in UTAH pic.twitter.com/JT1WKqLtCw

— FSW Bucs (@FSWBucs) May 1, 2016

#FSWSoftball @NJCAA District H Champs!!! @robertiamurri and Asst Coach Karla Powell with the championship plaque pic.twitter.com/j4YlyVb2am

— FSW Bucs (@FSWBucs) May 1, 2016

#FSWSoftball lands 5️⃣ on @TheFCSAA All-Tournament Team

Courtney Gettins @mollyroark12 @marta_fuentes34
Mikayla Werahiko@Oneandonlyhld

— FSW Bucs (@FSWBucs) May 1, 2016

These ladies are headed to the @NJCAA D1 NATIONAL TOURNAMENT!!! pic.twitter.com/MYxakoCooG

— FSW Bucs (@FSWBucs) May 1, 2016

#FSWSoftball wins 3-2!!!! Your Bucs are going to the @NJCAA D1 National Tournament!!!! pic.twitter.com/L1uo6ehGJF

— FSW Bucs (@FSWBucs) May 1, 2016

Softball: Florida SouthWestern wins over Seminole State 3-2. FSW advances to national t-ment. FSW/Chipola up next for state championship

— FCSAA (@TheFCSAA) May 1, 2016

GAME! Gettins tosses a 1-hit shutout as #FSWSoftball defeats NW Florida St 1-0!!! pic.twitter.com/BntXrtQmb3

— FSW Bucs (@FSWBucs) May 1, 2016

FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN
The Florida SouthWestern State College athletic program is a member of the Florida College System Athletic Association (FCSAA) and the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). The Buccaneers are one of 25 schools in the NJCAA Region 8 and are one of six schools in the Suncoast Conference. Florida SouthWestern State College currently supports four intercollegiate athletic programs (Baseball, Softball, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball), with Volleyball coming in the fall of 2017.

Baseball and Softball began their regular season competition in 2016 at the City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. Located on the Thomas Edison (Lee) Campus in Fort Myers will be the brand new Suncoast Credit Union Arena (set to be completed by fall 2016), where FSW's men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams will compete.

THE NJCAA
The movement to form a unique sports association dedicated to America's two-year colleges arose in 1937 when several track and field coaches gathered in Fresno, California. A year later, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rejected a petition from 13 two-year colleges in California to grant their teams and athletes permission to compete at the NCAA Track & Field Championships.

In the spring of 1938, following the NCAA's rejection, those same 13 two-year colleges gathered again in Fresno to organize and form an association that would promote and supervise a national athletics program exclusively for junior and community colleges…and the rest is history.

On May 14, 1938, the first constitution of the National Junior College Athletic Association was accepted by its charter members and the organization held its first national championship event a year later in May 1939.

The NJCAA has played a vital role in collegiate athletics for the past eight decades and continues to be the leader in championing academic and athletic opportunities for student-athletes. This section of the association's website is dedicated to celebrating the NJCAA's rich history and tradition as the national governing body of two-year college athletics.

For more information on the NJCAA log on to www.NJCAA.org. 

THE FCSAA
The Florida College System Activities Association, Incorporated (FCSAA) is a statewide non‑profit corporation regulating, coordinating, and promoting intercollegiate activities in: Athletics, Brain Bowl, Forensics, Music, Student Government, Student Publications, and Theatre.

Membership in the Florida College System Activities Association is open to any of the 28 colleges in the Florida College System. Each member institution is represented in the policy‑making deliberations of the Association through that institution's President or other designated representative. The institutional representatives constitute the FCSAA Presidents Assembly, the ultimate authority in FCSAA.

For more information on the FCSAA log on to www.TheFCSAA.com.  

NJCAA REGION 8 & THE SUNCOAST CONFERENCE
Member colleges of the NJCAA are allotted to a specific NJCAA Region upon membership to the association. Unlike other collegiate organizations that defer to conference affiliation, the NJCAA guarantees each member college's membership within the regional structure of the association. In most cases, region assignment is based upon geographic location of the college. 

The region structure of the NJCAA is the primary method used by all sponsored sports of the association in determining qualification for national championship tournaments. In certain sports, two or more regions are partnered to form a competition 'district', which is then used for national championship qualification. The organization of districts varies per sport and is formulated every two years under the authority of the association's board of directors. 

FSW is in Region 8 and is joined by ASA College Miami (Region 8 only; non-FCSAA member), Broward College, Chipola College, College of Central Florida, Daytona State College, Eastern Florida State College, Florida State College at Jacksonville, Gulf Coast State College, Hillsborough Community College, Indian River State College, Lake-Sumter State College, Miami Dade College, Northwest Florida State College, Palm Beach State College, Pasco-Hernando State College, Pensacola State College, Polk State College, Santa Fe College, Seminole State College of Florida, South Florida State College, St. Johns River State College, St. Petersburg College, State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota and Tallahassee Community College.

The Bucs are also in the Suncoast Conference with Hillsborough Community College, Polk State College, South Florida State College, St. Petersburg College and State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota.

For more information on Region 8 log on to www.TheFCSAASports.com.