BLUFFTON, Ohio - Following a breakout season for the Bluffton University softball team, the Beavers have their first National Fastpitch Coaches Association honoree since 2022. Sophomore Leah Ramirez (Eida) has earned First Team NCFA All-Region honors just one day after being named HCAC Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-Heartland Conference. Ramirez is the first Beaver honored by the NFCA since Bobbi Adams in 2022 and she is the first First Team honoree since Josie McElroy back in 2017!
Ramirez was a swiss army knife for Head Coach Paige Jansen as she was able to play any infield position or serve as the DP if that is what it took to field the strongest lineup. Her bat was a key component in Bluffton's best season in over a decade. She hit .410 with 11 home runs (tied for 1st in the HCAC and 2nd all-time at Bluffton) and 41 RBI (4th in the conference and 4th all-time at Bluffton). Ramirez scored 34 times which is tied for 12th all-time at Bluffton. She tied school records with two homers and four runs scored in a single game. Slugging a whopping .752 (3rd in the HCAC and 5th all time at Bluffton), Ramirez tallied 88 total bases which are 8th all-time for a single season.
Despite finishing just her first season, Ramirez is already 10th on the career list with the 11 dingers. And once she has the requisite 150 at bats to qualify for the career lists in batting average, slugging percentage and on-base percentage, she will be in the top five for those categories as well.
The National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced that 386 student-athletes from 161 schools who comprise the 2026 NFCA Division III All-Region teams. Among the winners, there are 137 seniors, 125 juniors, 76 sophomores, 46 freshmen and two graduate students.
The awards honor student-athletes from the Association's 10 regions with selection to one of three teams. NFCA member head coaches nominate and then vote for the winners in their respective region. Coaches may nominate a maximum of eight players from their squad.
All honorees move forward to be considered for selection for the three NFCA Division III All-America squads, which will be announced May 27 on NFCA.org and the Association's social media accounts.
-BEAVERS-