FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. – The Nova Southeastern Softball team made history this past season. Becoming the first team in program history to win a regional championship and earn a World Series berth, not to mention, the Sharks also eclipsed 40 wins for the first time since 2010.
The Sharks started the season hot, winning 10 of their first 13 games, scoring five or more runs in 10 of those matches.
NSU carried that momentum throughout the rest of the season, ending the regular season on a 10-game winning streak. The Sharks finished with a 38-13 overall record, and a 22-8 record in conference play, ranking them third in the conference.
A couple days later, NSU made a return to the NCAA Tournament, earning the No. 3 seed in the South Region Tournament.
Nova Southeastern kicked off postseason play with a 10-inning thriller against West Alabama, where they secured a 3-2 victory. NSU then defeated Auburn Montgomery in back-to-back games, securing a spot in the NCAA South Super Regional against the No. 1-seeded Tampa Spartans.
The Sharks dream season would continue, defeating the Spartans in a three-game series and claiming the program’s first Regional Championship and an appearance at their first NCAA Division II Softball Championship.
A week later, NSU dropped their World Series Opener against Central Oklahoma. The Sharks returned in the elimination game against East Stroudsburg and battled till the end but unfortunately fell short, ending their historic season.
Alexis Smith and Alyssa Drogemuller have been leading the charge for NSU all season long. Smith earned All-American honors to go along with several awards this past season. The Tampa native also tabbed a spot on the All-SSC First Team, All-SSC Defensive Team, and All-South Region Fiirst Team. Offensively, she led Nova Southeastern in over eight major offensive categories, while also rewriting NSU record books along the way, breaking the single-season triples record (14), career triples record (17), and the single-season runs scored record (64). Drogemuller has been the Sharks ace, accumulating an impressive 24-9 record and a 1.75 ERA. The junior also added an All-American honor to her shelf, to go along with an All-SSC Second Team selection, and a spot on the All-South Region First Team. The Mokena native had 25 complete games, and 72 strikeouts in 219.2 innings pitched.
Ryleigh Langwell, Kerstyn Shaw, and Tia Williams also earned All-SSC honors for their impressive performances this past season.
Although the Sharks dream season didn’t end how they envisioned. Nova Southeastern still made history and left their mark on NSU softball for years to come. Don’t count these Sharks out just yet!
To stay up-to-date on Sharks Softball, be sure to follow on Instagram and Twitter at @NSU_Softball.
