Six Sharks Tabbed With All-Citrus Conference First-Team Honors

Six Miami Dade College athletes were selected to the All-Citrus Conference First-Team after the conclusion of the 2026 spring season.  

Softball players Caroline Mito, Amanda Handa, Makayla Deleon and Alyssa Densmore made the first-team squad as did baseball players Willy Mendez and Samuel Alonso.

Mito, who was also selected Citrus Conference Co-Player of The Year, posted a .536 batting average while slugging eight home runs, driving in 55 runs and stealing 39 bases. The sophomore also won the award last season. 

Handa, a right-handed pitcher, posted a 22-11 record and a 1.79 earned run average with 161 strikeouts. Deleon, a freshman left fielder, had a .379 BA, 19 RBI and 23 SB. Densmore, a second baseman, added a .328 BA, 32 RBI and 10 SB.   

The Lady Sharks finished the season with a 35-19 record.

Mendez, a center fielder, led the Sharks offense with a .354 batting average, nine home runs, 60 RBI and 44 runs scored. 

Alonso, a freshman, posted a 7-2 record on the mound with a 3.22 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 50.1 innings pitched.

The Sharks finished the season with a 39-20-1 record while qualifying for the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I Baseball World Series and finishing tied for fifth nationally. 

They were also crowned Florida College System of Activities Association state champions. 

In addition, the team’s head baseball coach Lazaro Llanes was the recipient of the 2026 Homa Thomas Sportsmanship Award.

The photos used in this article were taken by Reporter photographer Nathalie Hernandez and John Izquierdo of the Media Services Department at Kendall Campus. 

Click here to subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, The Hammerhead. For news tips, contact us at mdc.thereporter@gmail.com. 

Ninette Portero
Ninette Portero
Ninette Portero,20, is a mass communication/journalism major at Kendall Campus. Portero, who graduated from New World School of the Arts High School in 2024, will serve as Managing Editor for The Reporter during the 2026-2027 school year. She will oversee the forum section and serve as a news writer, handling breaking news and special projects. Portero aspires to be an investigative journalist.
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