FORT MYERS, Fla. – The No. 11 Florida SouthWestern State College softball team will throw out the first pitch at the Fort Myers Miracle game on Thursday, May 12. The Miracle host the Bradenton Marauders at Hammond Stadium at the CenturyLink Sports Complex in a contest slated for a 7:05 p.m. start.
Pitcher Courtney Gettins, catcher Molly Roark, first baseman Hollianne Dorhn, second baseman Marta Fuentes and shortstop Mikayla Werahiko, who were all named to the All-Tournament team at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 8/FCSAA State Softball Tournament at Historic Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla. on May 1, will throw out the first pitches using official NJCAA softballs. They will be joined on the field by their teammates, FSW head coach Robert Iamurri and assistant coach Karla Powell.
Tickets range from $7.50 to $11. For Miracle ticket information call (239) 768-4210 or purchase tickets on-line by clicking HERE. On gameday, visit the Ticket Office at Hammond Stadium at the CenturyLink Sports Complex beginning one and a half hours prior to the game. The Ticket Office will remain open through the 5th inning.
The Purple and Aqua (52-14) secured the program’s first-ever Suncoast Conference Championship, with a 19-1 mark in conference play, won the District H Championship and locked up the program's first berth to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I National Tournament by finishing as the runner-ups at the FCSAA State Tournament.
The Bucs currently have 264 stolen bases, which leads the nation at every level (NCAA DI, NCAA DII, NCAA DIII, NJCAA, NAIA). Through games played on May 5, the Buccaneers lead the NJCAA in stolen bases and are third in triples (32), but they also rank in the top 55 nationally in multiple categories, including hits (19th, 614), runs (20th, 447), RBIs (25th, 382), home runs (t-50th, 40), doubles (52nd, 83) and batting average (53rd, .340). During the regular season, FSW led the Suncoast Conference in triples and stolen bases, while also finishing in the top 5 in hits (2nd), runs (3rd), doubles (4th) and RBIs (4th).
The Bucs are still awaiting word on their seed for the NJCAA National Tournament, a 16-team double-elimination event in St. George, Utah (May 18-21, 2016 at Canyons Complex). 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.
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.