Mito Powering Lady Sharks Offense During Team’s Resurgent Season
The Miami Dade College softball program is in the midst of a resurgent season.
A year after losing 31 games, the Lady Sharks are showing some bite with a 26-10 record, including a 16-10 mark in conference play.
The biggest contributor has been freshman Caroline Mito, who leads the team in batting average (.470), runs batted (32), slugging percentage (.718), on base percentage (.537), hits (55), walks (16) and stolen bases (24)
Despite her voluminous statline, the shortstop prefers to remain hyper focused on her team’s turnaround.
“We’re having a great season, and I’m very happy with our performance,” Mito said. “Our team is strong and we have a lot of potential to keep winning.”
That laser focus on the game has always been there for the Brazilian-born Mito. She picked up the sport in her homeland when she was seven.
“My decision to start playing was influenced by my grandparents,” she said. “My grandfather still plays to this day, and my grandmother goes to Acel, the club I used to train at, to help with concessions during tournaments.”
As a youngster, Mito played softball for two years before shifting to baseball for six years while she played for her hometown team in Londrina. When she was 15, she returned to softball.
Mito won a bevy of accolades for her batting and fielding and back-to-back championships in 2018 and 2019.
Lady Sharks head coach Gina De Agüero, who has lived in Brazil, heard of Mito’s prowess through a friend.
“She’s been playing some really good softball,” De Agüero said. “Caroline is very humble, and just likes to come out and play ball.”
Her teammates at MDC, which includes four other Brazilian players, have noticed her on-field and off-field contributions.
“Caroline is known for her incredible skills on the softball field, and it’s very clear that she’s always had a natural talent for the game,” said Lady Sharks outfielder Mayah Bostic. “It’s not just her performance during games that make Caroline stand out, it’s also her dedication to practice and genuine kindness she shows to her teammates.”
But make no mistake about it, Mito has been dominant.
Thus far, she has had 16 multi-hit games, including six games with at least three hits. Her biggest performance was on Feb. 15 during an 8-2 win versus Chipola College. Mito collected four hits (including a double and triple), four RBI, a stolen base and scored two runs that day.
“This sport teaches me so much,” Mito said. “It’s a team sport; it requires you to have good relationships and unity because that reflects on your performance on the field.”
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