New Era Diamond Girl Signs with Mercyhurst

 Bunker signs National Letter of Intent to play for Mercyhurst
NORTH TONAWANDA, N.Y- Shaina Bunker signs a ceremonial letter of intent to play softball at Mercyhurst College, flanked by her parents Julie and Doug, and Greg Witman, standing, left, and Jim Kisher, at the high school Tuesday.

The reigning Tonawanda News Softball Player of the Year signed her National Letter of Intent to play for Division-II Mercyhurst College in 2012.

“It’s going to be very exciting,” said Bunker, who was joined by her father, Doug, and mother, Julie, alongside NT Director of Athletics Greg Witman and school principal Jim Fisher in the school library where the ceremonial signing took place. The Lady Jacks starting catcher put up outstanding numbers as a junior, batting .625 with a .739 on base percentage and a .904 slugging percentage.

She also drove in 21 RBIs with eight doubles and three-game winning hits, while drawing 14 walks.

“Every time she walks to the plate she thinks she’s going to get a hit,” NT coach Larry Lash said. “It was just a matter of where she was going to hit it. And I think all great hitters have that confidence when they get up there.”

Bunker also excelled behind the plate, back-stopping the Lady Jacks with a .939 fielding percentage, only allowing one passed ball all season to earn 2009 first-team All-Niagara Frontier League recognition.

Shaina plays travel softball for the New Era Diamond Girls and is coached by Jim Smith and Frank Simmeth