History
The NSU softball team is one of the most successful teams at the university. They won 6 NAIA national championships while in the Florida Sun Conference. They have since moved up to the NCAA and Division II. They are in the Sunshine State Conference and have not had the same success as when in the NAIA, but they have been improving each year. 2006, was the changing year for the team. It was their first official season after their probationary years. In 2006, Head Coach Lesa Bonee’s fourth season at the helm of the Sharks, NSU began the year 5–0 before ending the year with a 22–28 overall record. NSU would finish the year in sixth place in the Sunshine State Conference, two spots better than the previous season. Junior utility player Katie Veltri starred for the Sharks, leading the team in batting average (.384), slugging percentage (.543), on-base percentage (.424), hits (58), RBI (31), doubles (13), home runs (3) and total bases (82). At season’s end, Veltri was named to the All-Sunshine State Conference Second Team, as well as the NFCA All-South Region Second Team. Junior 2B Callie Binkley was named an All-SSC Honorable Mention after hitting .314 with 30 RBI and 18 stolen bases. The Sharks went 8–16 in SSC play, including conference series victories over the University of Tampa and Florida Tech. Junior Adrian Tuttle was NSU’s workhorse in the pitcher’s circle, going 13–14 with a 3.03 ERA and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 2.02. Freshmen Valen Eberhard, Tranell Mesa and Katie Pepper all made significant contributions for the Sharks, giving NSU Softball a solid foundation going into 2007.
The Sunshine State Conference is a college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division II level. All of its member institutions are located in the state of Florida, which is popularly known as the Sunshine State.
Jenny Louise Topping is an American, former collegiate four-time first team All-American, medal winning Olympian, retired professional All-Star softball player. Topping played college softball at Washington and Cal State Fullerton primarily as a catcher. She is best known for being a member of the United States women's national softball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics that won a gold medal. She also played professionally in the National Pro Fastpitch for the Akron Racers.
The Nova Southeastern Sharks are the athletic teams that represent Nova Southeastern University, located in Davie, Florida, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the NCAA Division II ranks, primarily competing in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) since the 2002–03 academic year. The Sharks previously competed in the Florida Sun Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1990–91 to 2001–02.
Natasha Renee Watley is an American, former collegiate four-time first-team All-American, two-time medal winning Olympian, retired seven-time pro All-Star softball player. Watley played college softball at UCLA, and helped the Bruins win a national championship. She represented the United States women's national softball team at the 2004 Summer Olympics and won a gold medal, and again at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and won a silver medal.
The NSU Sharks Women's Volleyball team represents Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. They currently compete in the Sunshine State Conference.
The NSU Sharks Women's Crew team represents Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. They currently compete in the Sunshine State Conference.
Caitlin Faith Lowe-Nagy is the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats softball team. Lowe is a former collegiate four-time first team All-American and medal winning Olympian. She played college softball for Arizona and led her team in back-to-back Women's College World Series championships in 2006 and 2007. She won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Lowe played with National Pro Fastpitch's USSSA Pride for six seasons, winning three titles and being named 2012 Player of the Year, before officially retiring in 2015.
The NSU Sharks Women's Soccer team represents Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. They currently compete in the Sunshine State Conference.
The NSU Sharks Women's Golf team represents Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. They currently compete in the Sunshine State Conference.
The NSU Sharks Men's Basketball team represents Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Florida. They currently compete in the Sunshine State Conference.
Tammy Kay Williams is an American, former collegiate four-time All-American, four-time professional All-Star softball player and coach. She played her natural position at shortstop from 2006 to 2009 at Northwestern, as well as the Team USA and Chicago Bandits softball team. She owns Northwestern' softball team all-time career records in batting average, home runs, hits and total bases. She helped lead the Wildcats to a national runner up finish in the 2006 Women's College World Series. Williams was drafted tenth overall by the Chicago Bandits in the 2009 NPF Draft, winning two Cowles Cup championships in 2011 and 2015. She later worked as a sports broadcaster for the Big Ten and an assistant softball coach at Northern Illinois.
Kaitlin Elizabeth Cochran is an American, former collegiate four-time first team All-American, retired softball player. She attended Rosary High School and Arizona State University from 2006 to 2009, where she won the 2008 Women's College World Series title. Also with United States women's national softball team, she won four World Cup of Softball crowns. She holds various records for the Sun Devils in the Pac-12 Conference. She was drafted first overall in the National Pro Fastpitch but elected not to play. She is also one of nine NCAA Division I players to bat .400 with 200 RBIs, 50 home runs and an .800 slugging percentage for a career.
Sierra Joy Romero is a Mexican American professional softball player. She formerly was a volunteer assistant softball coach for the Oregon Ducks softball team. She played college softball for Michigan from 2013 to 2016, where she set numerous records and was a four-time All-American. She holds the Big Ten Conference career Triple Crown, along with the total bases and slugging percentage records, simultaneously leading all of the NCAA Division I in runs scored and grand slams. She was the inaugural winner of both the espnW Softball Player of the Year in 2015 and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Player of the Year in 2016, when she also took home the Honda Sports Award Softball Player of the Year and USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year awards. She is one of nine NCAA players to hit .400 with 200 RBIs, 50 home runs and an .800 slugging percentage for her career and was named the #5 Greatest College Softball Player.
The St. Thomas Bobcats are the athletic teams that represent St. Thomas University, located in Miami Gardens, Florida, in intercollegiate sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), primarily competing in the Sun Conference since the 1990–91 academic year. The Bobcats previously competed in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) of the NCAA Division II ranks from 1975–76 to 1986–87.
Lauren Nicole Chamberlain is an American retired softball infielder. Chamberlain played college softball for the Oklahoma Sooners softball from 2012 to 2015. A collegiate All-American, she was part of the 2013 Women's College World Series championship team. She is the NCAA Division I career leader in slugging percentage. She also holds the school and Big 12 Conference career lead in RBIs, walks, total bases and runs. She was drafted #1 and played professional softball for the USSSA Pride of National Pro Fastpitch from 2015 to 2018, winning a title in her final season in 2018.
Jocelyn Aloha Pumehana Alo is an American professional softball player for the Oklahoma City Spark of the Women's Professional Fastpitch (WPF). She played college softball player for the Oklahoma Sooners. As a freshman in 2018, she was named NFCA National Freshman of the Year, and named USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022. She is the NCAA Division I career leader in home runs. Alo was drafted first overall by the Smash It Vipers in the inaugural WPF draft.
Jayda Coleman is an American college softball player for the Oklahoma Sooners. She also represented the United States at the 2019 U-19 Women's Softball World Cup and USA Softball International Cup.
Amanda Lorenz is an American professional softball player for the USSSA Pride and current volunteer assistant softball coach for the Florida Gators. She played college softball for the Florida Gators, where she was named NFCA National Freshman of the Year in 2016.
Tatyana Forbes is an American former college softball player and current member of Mexico women's national softball team. She represented Team Mexico at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Suzannah Lillian Brookshire-González is an American former collegiate softball player. She played for three universities from 2017 to 2021, the San Jose State Spartans, Sacramento State Hornets and the Long Beach State 49ers. Brookeshire was a power hitter joining an elite NCAA Division I club with her career 62 home runs and 201 RBIs. She represented Team Mexico at the 2020 Summer Olympics where they placed fourth in their first appearance.
