The Etobicoke Sports Hall of Fame is thrilled to share that Shade Hansen from Humber College has been recognized as the Athlete of the Month for April 2024. Shade recently earned the title of Female Rookie of the Year for the 2023-24 season from the Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA).

As a starting pitcher for the Humber College Women’s Softball team, Shade made an impressive impact during her rookie season:

• 10-1 record
• Threw a league-best nine complete games.
• Record 6 shutouts.
• Struck out 10 or more batters in seven starts.
•  Had a 0.57 ERA, limiting batters to a league-low .123 batting average.

By the end of the regular season, Hansen had pitched 73.2 innings across 12 appearances, 11 of which were starts. During this time, she struck out 127 batters—just 12 shy of setting an OCAA single-season record and more than the total strikeouts from the entire pitching staff of six other OCAA teams.

Given her outstanding performance, it’s no surprise that Hansen was awarded the OCAA Pitcher of the Year and the OCAA Rookie of the Year in women’s Softball. Additionally, she earned a spot on the OCAA League First-Team All-Star Team and topped the OCAA All-Rookie Team.

Hansen’s talent helped her team earn a pair of bronze medals, including the first-ever podium finish for the Humber program at the Canadian Collegiate Softball Association National Championship, where she secured the save in the bronze medal game.

Beyond her achievements on the field, Hansen demonstrated academic excellence as well, receiving OCAA All-Academic honours. Her leadership and commitment shine both in sports and in the classroom.