by CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 7, 2022 – The incredible season that keeps on giving adds another chapter to its historical story on Tuesday, as the NJCAA announced the 2022 NJCAA Division III Softball All-America Teams, including Toni Shawnee (Quapaw/Hopi) and Cinthia Ramirez from the Monroe College Express Softball team.
Shawnee and Ramirez both made the Second Team, making them the first-ever Express softball student-athletes to be named NJCAA All-Americans. Also previously named to the 2022 NJCAA Region 15 Division III Softball All-Region Team, Shawnee and Ramirez leave another lasting mark on an already program-defining season.
Shawnee set a new standard inside the circle for the Express softball program this season. She set new records in essentially every pitching category for the Express. Shawnee finished with 126.1 innings pitched this season to go with a 2.33 ERA (9th in NJCAA), 1.12 WHIP and a 14-6 overall record. She tossed 13 complete games and a pair of shutouts. Shawnee struck out 140 batters this year (13th in NJCAA), and also set the Express’ single-game record with 13 strikeouts in her debut against Gaston College in early March. Shawnee earned four postseason victories for the Express, accumulating a 2.46 ERA across the Region 15, Northeast District and NJCAA championships. She closed out the season with a complete-game shutout of No. 6 Middlesex College in the seventh-place game at the NJCAA Div. III Softball Championship.
The Express had a tremendously successful 2022 season. They finished with a 27-16 overall record, an unprecedented 24-win improvement from the 2021 campaign. The Express won their first-ever Region 15 Championship with a series victory over then No. 5-ranked Suffolk County Community College. They then defeated Butler County in two games in the Northeast District Championship, the first in program history, to earn the team’s first chance at the NJCAA Div. III Softball Championship. The Express finished seventh at the NJCAA Championships after earning their first tournament win over Middlesex.
