Miami Ohio University Athletics
NCAA Game Notes: RedHawks to Face Kentucky on Friday
5/17/2023 1:30:00 PM | Softball
MIAMI VS. NCAA REGIONAL FIELD: For the third straight season, the Miami softball team will be competing in the NCAA Tournament and facing off against some familiar opponents.
vs. Kentucky: 1-6 all-time (1-1 in 2022)
vs. Northwestern: 0-1 all-time (0-1 in 2022)
vs. Eastern Illinois: 4-1 all-time (1-1 in 2020)
HAWKS AND THE NCAA TOURNAMENT: This weekend the Miami RedHawks make their seventh NCAA Tournament appearance, all coming in the last 19 years. Miami takes on Kentucky at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, May 19 on the first day of the Evanston Regional. The game will be aired on SEC Network.Â
2022 - Blacksburg, Vir.
5/20 lost to Kentucky, 15-1
5/21 def. Saint Francis, 4-0
5/21 lost to Virginia Tech, 5-4
2021 – Lexington, Ky.
5/21 lost to Notre Dame, 3-2
5/22 lost to Northwestern, 7-1
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
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HAWKS AND KUMAR: Since the arrival of head coach Kirin Kumar, a former Virginia Tech assistant coach, the RedHawks have had unprecedented success. After a 46-10 (36-2 MAC) record in 2021 (Kumar's first year), the RedHawks wrapped up the 2022 campaign with a 39-15-1 record (24-5 MAC). They followed it up this year with a 34-18 (21-8 MAC) record. The combined 119-43-1 overall and 81-15 MAC record is the best three-year stretch in program history.
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WE'RE GOING STREAKING: The RedHawks are 23-5 since March 29.
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GRADUATING CHAMPIONS: Miami Athletics preaches "Graduating Champions," -- expecting its teams to graduate and win a championship during their time at Miami. The softball program has taken that to a whole new level. The last time a team other than Miami captured a softball regular season championship was back in 2018 and this current RedHawks program finished the fall semester (spring has yet to be announced) with a 3.47 GPA.
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BOMBS AWAY: Miami ranks among the Top 10 in the nation in three offensive team statistical categories.
Home Runs Per Game (1.69, 3rd)
Total Home Runs (91, 3rd)
Slugging Percentage (.582, 2nd)
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AMONG THE NATION'S BEST: Allie Cummins (52), Karli Spaid (66), and Jenna Golembiewski can be found throughout the NCAA Leaders. Cummins and Spaid rank first and second all-time on Miami's career home run leaders, and Golembiewski is climbing the standings.
• Home Runs (21, 4th)
• Home Runs Per Game (.39, 4th)
• Runs Batted In (58, T-11th)
• Runs Batted In Per Game (1.07, T-18th)
• Runs Scored Per Game (.98, 24th)
• Slugging Percentage (.792, 21st)
• Total Bases (137, 7th)
Allie CumminsÂ
• Home Runs (17, T-18th)
• Home Runs Per Game (.31, 26th)
• On Base Percentage (.500, T-33rd)
• Slugging Percentage (.741, 34th)
• Walks Per Game (.96, 2nd)
Jenna Golembiewski
• Home Runs (17, T-18th)
• Home Runs Per Game (.35, 12th)
• Slugging Percentage (.821, 16th)
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OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION: Below are just a few offensive notes that are almost hard to imagine.
- Miami ranks 18th in the nation in scoring with 6.07 runs per game in 2023.
- Five different hitters have at least 25 RBI and four RedHawks have 10-plus home runs this season.
- Six different hitters have an on-base percentage north of .400.
- Miami has outscored its opponents 334-212 in 2023.
- Miami has recorded double-digit hits in 18 contests this season and has at least one home run in all but 15 games this year.
- The RedHawks have scored at least six runs in 29 contests this season and are 26-3 in those games.
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ACE OF SPAID: Junior infielder Karli Spaid already owns several career school records and is on pace to claim many more. Spaid is already Miami's career home run leader with 66. Miami's all-time batting average leader, Halle Popson finished her career with a .351 batting average. Spaid enters the weekend with a .393 career batting average. She holds the career RBI record with 177 and the career runs scored with 176.
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YOUNG TALENT: Sophomore outfielder Jenna Golembiewski had a breakout 2023 season. She is tied for 17th in the country in home runs (17). She is tied for 11th in home runs per game (.35). She also ranks 13th nationally in slugging percentage (842). She leads Miami in OPS this season (1.245). For her efforts she was named MAC Player of the Year.
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PITCHER PERFECT: It's not just about offense with the RedHawks in 2023. Brianna Pratt enters the NCAA Tournament with a career 81-30 record and an ERA of 2.89. Her win total ranks third all-time at Miami and her 631 career strikeouts ranks her fourth in the Miami Record book. She also has a career-high 30 wins this season and is tied for first nationally in wins.
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All-MIAMI TEAM:Â The Mid-American Conference announced its All-MAC teams last week, but maybe it should have been called the All-Miami Teams. Six different RedHawks earned conference honors: Allie Cummins, Brianna Pratt (MAC Pitcher of the Year), Karli Spaid, Riley Coyne, and Jenna Golembiewski (MAC Player of the Year) were named first-team All-MAC, while Holly Blaska earned second-team all-conference accolades.
MAC TOURNAMENT RECAP:Â Miami went 3-0 over the weekend to capture the 2023 MAC Tournament. After opening the week with a 8-4 win over Ball State, the RedHawks captured another 8-4 victory, this time over Ohio. They then dominated Ohio in the Championship game, picking up a 6-1 win. Karli Spaid (MVP), Riley Coyne, Holly Blaska and Allie Cummins were named to the All-Tournament Team.
AROUND THE HORN:Â Below are 1-2 tidbits for Miami's expected lineup.
Allie Cummins
• Has played in 190 career games at catcher and outfield.
• Has a career .356 batting average, second-best in school history.
Holly Blaska
• Had career-high in RBI (41) in 2023.
• First-team All-MAC in 2021 and second-team All-MAC in 2022 and 2023.
Karli Spaid
• Miami all-time home run record holder with 66.
• Number four in the country in home runs per game (.39).
Riley Coyne
• Has 14 home runs in 153 at bats this year.
• First-team All-MAC and MAC All-Tournament Team in 2023.
Jenna Golembiewski
• Has 17 home runs in 123 at bats.
• MAC Player of the Year in 2023.
Chloe Parks
• Committed just five errors all season from her second base position.
• Leads Miami in triples on the season with four.
Kate Kobayashi
• Transferred from Virginia Tech for the 2022 season.
• Has secured a 1.001 OPS in 2023.
Adriana Barlow
• Played in and started every game of the season.
• Recorded two doubles in a single game twice this in 2023 (against Murray State and Western Michigan)
Maddi Banks
• Transferred from Ole Miss.
• Has 33 hits on the season in 110 at bats.
Brianna Pratt
• Has an .750 (30-10) winning percentage in 2023.
• Went 3-0 with a 2.33 ERA in the MAC Tournament. She threw 21.0 innings, allowing just seven earned runs, while striking out seven. In all, she allowed 23 hits in the three games and just five extra base hits throughout the weekend.
