Rising softball star on track to break OCAA strikeout record

At just 18 years old, Shade Hansen, softball team pitcher for the Humber Hawks is setting her sights on breaking the all-time strikeout record in the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).

Hansen has already made a name for herself in a historic way in just her first season at the college.

Like many athletes, the Etobicoke native began her journey at a young age and although it wasn’t a straight path to softball stardom, Hansen stuck with it.

“I started playing baseball when I was six, but by the time I was eight, I was done. I didn’t want to do it anymore,” Hansen said.

“That’s when my sister introduced me to softball, and it clicked. I was good at it. That’s how it all started.”

Today, Hansen has not only found her passion, but has excelled at it.

She broke Presly Buchanan’s 2019 record of 54 strikeouts in a single season, a milestone she achieved without realizing it, on Sept. 21 against the Sheridan Bruins.

“I didn’t even know I broke it until someone told me. I was like, ‘Oh,’” Hansen said.

“I was super shocked, but it motivated me even more,” she said. “Now, I’m really trying to break the most number of strikeouts in the OCAA.”

It’s a feat that doesn’t seem impossible.

With five games left to play in the regular season, Hansen currently sits at 117 strikeouts, which is only 22 less than the current record held by Morgan Lowry from Fanshawe College at 139.

Even though this year has been a historic first one for Hasen, every great athlete has a strong support system to credit. For Hansen, the people who got her into the sport are the same people who keep her going through the ups and downs of a season.

“Definitely my family, especially my mom,” she said. “My parents are coming to BC for nationals, and their support means everything to me.”

In addition to her family, Hansen acknowledges the role Humber College’s athletic department has played in her development as a student-athlete.

“Humber is great at giving you outlets and resources and having people you can talk to, especially for athletes. They are great,” she says.

Coming into their first collegiate season many rookies feel the pressure to make an impression but Hansen’s ability to maintain a calm and collected approach has helped her be successful.

“My training days are chill,” Hansen said.

“I try to get all the work done and go train,” she said. “On a game day, I try not to stress and get in a good headspace. I try to remember that playing is fun.”