2025 NFCA Softball All-America Teams

On Wednesday evening, Joni Russell capped a career that set a new standard for pitching excellence in Hillsdale College softball history with another set of historic firsts.

Russell was one of just four full-time pitchers in the entirety of NCAA Division II competition to be named a first team All-American for the 2025 season as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association announced its annual awards for Division II softball.

The honor marks the first time in the over 45-year history of Hillsdale College softball that the Chargers have produced a first team All-American, and with the honor, Russell also becomes the only player in Chargers softball history to be named an All-American in two separate seasons, with this year's honor adding to her third team NFCA All-American award won as a sophomore in 2023.

Russell finished a record-setting career at Hillsdale with her best season as a senior to earn the first team honor, guiding Hillsdale to its most wins in a single season in 34 years, the program's fourth G-MAC Tournament title and sixth NCAA DII Midwest Regional bid, and, with three NCAA Tournament victories, the deepest run in the regional in program history. On top of the All-American honor from the NFCA, Russell also was voted as the D2CCA Midwest Region Pitcher of the Year and a first team All-Region player to both the NFCA and D2CCA, as well as earning her fourth first-team All-G-MAC honor and her second G-MAC Pitcher of the Year award in 2025. Russell's earned her achievements by ranking among NCAA DII's best pitchers throughout the 2025 campaign, leading the country in the regular season with a 0.60 ERA and still ranking fourth in the nation with a 0.86 average at the conclusion of the regional postseason round despite battling through G-MAC Tournament and Midwest Regional games against tough opponents.
 
The Cable, Ohio native finished her senior season with a 23-4 record, 240 strikeouts and 11 shutouts in 26 starts, dominating the competition. Three of her four losses came in extra innings and all four by two or less runs, with three of the four coming against NCAA Tournament teams and two against Super Regional qualifiers. Russell went a perfect 16-0 against G-MAC opponents on the season, finishing a standout career in conference play with utter domination of her league competition whenever she stepped in the circle in 2025.
 
Russell graduates with Hillsdale's career records in strikeouts (899), wins (73), innings pitched (662) and shutouts (28), as well as the Chargers' single-season records in strikeouts (268), innings pitched (192.1) and shutouts (11) and the program's single-game record-holder for strikeouts (19). She also set G-MAC records for career strikeouts, shutouts, ERA (1.26), opponent batting average against (.192) and Ks per 7 innings (9.51). She is one of only two pitchers in program history to earn All-American honors, and the only pitcher to earn a first team nod and multiple All-American honors in her career.

Awards season isn't over just yet, as the D2CCA will announce its All-America team tomorrow at noon, and the CSC will announce Academic All-American honors later in June, with Russell a strong contender to finish her career with even more recognition. Regardless, she's already cemented in stone a legacy as one of the program's all-time greats.

Photo by Tiffany Treppa