MIAMI IN THE NCAA TOURNEY: This weekend, the Miami RedHawks make their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance, all coming in the last 17 years, and first since 2016. Miami takes on Notre Dame at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, May 21 in the first day of the Lexington Regional. The game will be aired on ESPN3. 

2016 – Ann Arbor, Mich.
5/20 def. Notre Dame, 3-2
5/21 lost to Michigan, 6-0
5/21 lost to Notre Dame, 5-0

2012 – Knoxville, Tenn.
5/18 def. Tennessee, 1-0
5/19 lost to Virginia Tech, 6-0
5/19 lost to Tennessee, 8-0 (6)

2009 – Ann Arbor, Mich.
5/15 lost to Michigan, 11-3 (6)
5/16 def. Cleveland State, 5-4
5/16 lost to Notre Dame, 5-3

2005 – Knoxville, Tenn.
5/20 lost to Tennessee, 9-0 (5)
5/21 lost to Virginia Tech, 4-1
 
MIAMI VS. THE LEXINGTON REGIONAL FIELD: Friday marks the 11th meeting between the RedHawks and Fighting Irish, with Notre Dame holding a 6-4 edge. The teams last met in the 2016 NCAA Tournament and have squared off in NCAA Tourney action three times with Notre Dame going 2-1 against Miami. 

The RedHawks own an 8-8 record against host Kentucky. The teams last met at Kentucky in 2019 with the Wildcats posting a 9-1 win in five innings. 

Miami and Northwestern have meet twice with the Wildcats posting a 2-0 record against the RedHawks. The last time the teams met was at the Georgia Tech Tournament in 1999 with Northwestern notching a 3-1 win.

BACK-TO-BACK MAC CHAMPS: With a 3-2 win in the opening game of its doubleheader against Ohio University on May 12, Miami seized its second-straight Mid-American Conference regular-season championship. The RedHawks clinched the title with five games remaining on their regular-season schedule, including the nightcap of the Ohio doubleheader. Miami also won the MAC regular-season title in 2019, the last time the league season was played with last season canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

REACHING 40: For just the second time in program history, Miami hit the 40-win mark. The RedHawks' 46 wins this season are a program record, topping the 41 amassed during the 2012 season.

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK: Head Coach Kirin Kumar may be in her first season at Miami and as a head coach, but she has made a quick impact on the program. She has led the RedHawks to their second-straight MAC regular-season title, fifth NCAA Tournament appearance and shattered Miami and MAC records along the way to a 46-8 overall record and blistering 36-2 MAC mark. Kumar owns more wins than any active first-year softball head coach.

FAST AND FURIOUS: Miami has done quick work in nearly half of its victories this season. The RedHawks have won 21 run-rule games, including 18 in five innings, and have suffered just one run-rule defeat.

STREAKING: The RedHawks strung together 20-consecutive wins from March 7 to April 18, breaking the MAC record for consecutive wins and tying the Miami record from 1978 with 20 straight wins. Miami rides an 11-game win streak into the NCAA Tournament.

DOUBLE TIME: Ranking No. 1 in the nation in doubles, Miami has broken both the Mid-American Conference and Miami records for doubles in a season with 115. Twelve different RedHawks have contributed to that record with seven recording more than 10: Allie Cummins (15), Mackenzie Moore (15), Karli Spaid (13), Holly Blaska (13), Adriana Barlow (12), Karlee Juarez (11), Riley Coyne (11). Cummins and Moore tie for 23rd among national leaders in doubles. As a team, the RedHawks rank second nationally in doubles per game (2.13).

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST: Miami ranks among the Top 10 in the nation in 10 team statistical categories.

• No. 1 Doubles (115)
• No. 2 Doubles Per Game (2.13)
• No. 2 Scoring (7.85)
• No. 3 On-Base Percentage (.437)
• No. 3 Slugging Percentage (.626)
• No. 4 Walks (202)
• No. 5 Batting Average (.345)
• No. 7 Shutouts (19)
• No. 8 Home Runs Per game (1.61)
• No. 9 W/L Percentage (.852)

AMONG THE NATION'S BEST PART II: Six Miami players—Allie Cummins, Courtney Vierstra, Karli Spaid, Adriana Barlow, Karlee Juarez, Mackenzie Moore—rank among the Top 25 nationally in a combined 18 different statistical categories.

Allie Cummins 

• Batting Average (No. 22, .441)
• Doubles (No. 23, 15)
• On Base Percentage (No. 8, .579)
• RBI (No. 3, 58)
• RBI Per Game (No. 25, 1.07)
• Slugging Percentage (No. 16, .881)
• Total Bases (No. 12, 126)
• Walks Per Game (No. 8, .91)

Courtney Vierstra 

• Hits Allowed Per Seven Innings (No. 18, 3.75)
• Shutouts (T-No. 1, 13)
• Strikeout-to-Walk Ratio (No. 19, 6.37)
• Strikeouts (No. 8, 261)
• Strikeouts Per Seven Innings (No. 9, 10.6)
• Victories (No. 3, 26)

Karli Spaid 

• Home Runs (No. 16, 17)
• Home Runs Per Game (No. 22, 0.35)
• Runs Per Game (No. 11, 1.17)
• Slugging Percentage (No. 10, .927)
• Total Bases (No. 10, 127)

Adriana Barlow 

• RBI (No. 9, 55)

Karlee Juarez 

• Sacrifice Flies (No. 12, 5)

Mackenzie Moore 

• Doubles (No. 23, 15)

FOR THE RECORD: Miami has been re-writing the record books this season. The RedHawks have broken six MAC records and are on the cusp of three others that are dependent on percentage or average:

• Most MAC Wins (36, Previous Record 27)
• Winning Streak (20, Previous Record 18)
• Runs (424, Previous Record 368)
• RBI (400, Previous Record 337)
• Doubles (115; Previous Record 100)
• Home Runs (87; Previous Record 80)
• Winning Percentage (46-8, .852; Current Record .827)
• Batting Average (.345, Current Record .322)
• Runs Per Game (Averaging 7.85, Current Record 6.69)

FOR THE RECORD PART II: In addition to the MAC records, the RedHawks also have tied or broken five program single-season records with another on the horizon:

• Wins (46; Previous Record 41)
• Stolen Bases (85; Previous Record 71)
• Hits (488; Previous Record 453)
• Win Streak (Tied record of 20 in 1978)
• Shutouts (Tied Record of 19 in 2012)
• Fewest Losses (8; Current Record 13)

FOR THE RECORD PART III: As for individual records, RedHawk players have broken (or continue to battle each other to break) four Miami single-season records with another looming.

• Runs – Allie Cummins, Karli Spaid, each with 56 (Previous Record 50); Karlee Juarez with 55
• Home Runs –Karli Spaid with 17 (Previous Record 11); Allie Cummins with 16, Adriana Barlow with 12
• RBI – Allie Cummins 58 (Previous Record 50); Adriana Barlow with 54
• Walks – Allie Cummins 49 (Previous Record 40)
• Batting Average – Allie Cummins .451 (Current Record is .446)

HOME RUN DERBY: Not only has Miami's individual single-season home run record been broken, there are three RedHawks who are in the running to own the record. Freshman Karli Spaid currently leads the way with 17 home runs, while junior Allie Cummins is close on her heels at 16. The two have been trading the top spot for the last few weeks. Not far behind is junior Adriana Barlow with 12. All three eclipsed the previous record of 11 held by three former RedHawks.

SHUTOUT SHOUT-OUT: Senior Courtney Vierstra ties for first among national leaders in shutouts, throwing 13 on the season. As a team, Miami has 19 shutouts on the season, which ties the Miami record of 19 in 2012 and ranks seventh nationally.

PITCHER PERFECT: Three times this season senior Courtney Vierstra has thrown a perfect game. Her first came on March 26 against Central Michigan in 9-0 five-inning win with seven strikeouts. The second was on April 11 at Akron in an 8-0 win with 12 strikeouts. The third was at Bowling Green on May 2 in a 9-0 five-inning win with five strikeouts. Vierstra is 26-3 in the circle this season.

WALK THIS WAY: Junior Allie Cummins broke the MAC single-season record for walks with 49 to date, eclipsing the previous record of 42.

ACE OF SPAID: Freshman infielder Karli Spaid is among a list of 15 student-athletes who remain in the running for the 2021 NFCA / Schutt Sports Division I National Freshman of the Year. Spaid is one of seven true freshmen on the list.