Miami Softball's Historic Weekend in Oklahoma Was a Big Hit

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Karli Spaid couldn't stop screaming.

Leading into last Friday afternoon's game at No. 1 Oklahoma, much of the discussion in the Sooner State revolved around who would hit the first-ever home run at OU's brand-new $48 million stadium.

Karli Spaid at Oklahoma — *(photo by Terry Cloyd)*

In fact, when three-time defending national champion coach Patty Gasso was asked about which slugger might earn the historic honor, she was adamant: "We're keeping the ball…there's some things we need to hold on to."

Only one small problem: For Oklahoma to make history at the plate in its new softball palace, the Sooners had to get through the top of the first inning.

And with one swing of the bat from Spaid, well…

BOOM…er, about that.

"I took that cut, and immediately off the bat it felt so good. I knew it was gone," Spaid smiled. "Rounding the bases, I think my mouth was probably wide open the entire time!"

To further amplify a moment Spaid and the softball world will remember forever, the senior's two-run blast to right-center broke the Mid-American Conference career record, giving Spaid her 76th home run.

How much history could a single weekend in Oklahoma hold for Miami Softball?

The RedHawks were just getting started.

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Miami Softball at Oklahoma — *(photo by Terry Cloyd)*

While the standing-room-only crowd of 4,450 was still buzzing from the pregame festivities, the national anthem flyover and Spaid's stunning home run, Holly Blaska stepped to the plate next.

Déjà vu.

Back-to-back.

Just like that, Miami led 3-0.

"I have never heard a stadium so quiet," head coach Kirin Kumar said later.

And although Oklahoma would rally to take a 7-3 lead after six innings in pursuit of a 68th straight victory, Miami wouldn't go quietly.

In the seventh, Allie Cummins, Jenna Golembiewski and Spaid hit consecutive home runs to erase a four-run deficit in a matter of minutes and guarantee themselves some quality time on the SportsCenter highlights that evening.

"I know we can hit, but Oklahoma doesn't give up home runs. They'd given up two all year," Kumar said.

Kirin Kumar at Oklahoma — "I told the team to soak it all in. No matter what happens.
And so I did too." -Kumar (photo by Terry Cloyd)

In fact, Miami's five home runs against the Sooners matched the most the historic OU program has ever allowed in a single game. And despite Oklahoma pulling out a 9-7 win in the bottom of the seventh, Kumar was thrilled with how her team had performed on a massive stage.

"Our team's been doing this for three years…but I think this put Miami in front of the country in a whole different light," she said, pointing out that even when the RedHawks have played in the NCAA Tournament, national attention is typically divided between 16 different sites all playing at once.

"I think this was bigger," Kumar explained.

"Honestly, it was just such a surreal experience," Cummins added. "We wanted to go out there and show our game: what we've been doing all season and what we've been working on in practice.

"I think the biggest thing for us was just showing people what we're made of."

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The RedHawks couldn't have asked for an overall better weekend on the field of play, rebounding from the close loss to OU with four straight victories. Miami's bats stayed hot with a 12-10 win over a Louisiana program that has qualified for 24 straight NCAA Tournaments. (How good are the Ragin' Cajuns? Less than 48 hours later, they ended up being the team to snap Oklahoma's record winning streak. "We took Oklahoma to the brink and then beat the team that beat Oklahoma," said Kumar.)

From there, Miami posted three straight blowout wins, defeating Seattle 10-2 and Kansas City 16-6 before blanking Tulsa 8-0. All three games between Saturday and Sunday were decided in five innings via run rule as the RedHawks improved their season record to 13-3.

The battle against Tulsa was extra-special to Kumar, who had previously been an assistant with the Golden Hurricane for seven seasons. "My best friend is the head coach there, and the guy who was the head coach when we were assistants, John Bargfeldt, came to the game," she explained.

Miami Softball and Miami Tribe of Oklahoma — Chief Douglas Lankford receives a Miami Softball jersey
(photo by Karen Baldwin, Miami Tribe of Oklahoma)

There were some other familiar faces in attendance that afternoon in Tulsa as well.

Chief Douglas Lankford and a half-dozen members of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma made the 90-mile drive from where the Tribe is headquartered to attend Sunday's game and support the Red and White.

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The previous day, the RedHawks had visited the Tribe's headquarters, becoming Miami Athletics' first team to make the trip to Miami, Okla. since the establishment of the partnership with the Myaamia Center.

A contingent of nearly 50 people – student-athletes, coaches, families and alumni – spent five or six hours in the Miami Tribe's homeland. The RedHawks were able to tour a government building, learn about the Miami people's history, share a meal and even play some games.

"The people were so nice…and super inviting," said Spaid. "They welcomed us with open arms; we got a hug as soon as we walked in.

"It was really cool, being able to go into their place and then them come to us [the next day]."

Golembiewski echoed those sentiments: "Having the opportunity to play softball in Oklahoma but also learn more about where this university came from and the roots of that is just amazing," she said.

Miami University deputy athletic director Chauncey Winbush enjoyed being able to walk around the tribal grounds with the RedHawks as the student-athletes learned about the Myaamia culture. "There is a very important history between the Tribe and the university, and I believe for that message and that information to be shared with our student-athletes was really critical," Winbush said.

"I saw how engaged they were: They were locked in and trying to better understand that relationship. I think that's important for their growth as young people.

"We always talk about the total student-athlete experience, and there's not a lot of institutions in this country that have an opportunity to share something like that with their student body. I think they wholeheartedly took it as an amazing opportunity to learn a little more about Miami and Myaamia."

Daryl Baldwin, executive director of the Myaamia Center, agreed. "I was grateful to be at the Miami Tribe headquarters when the softball team visited, marking yet another milestone in our relationship," he said. "I remember several years ago meeting with Director of Athletics David Sayler and his staff to discuss what a relationship with athletics might look like. Since that initial meeting, honest and genuine investments from all of those in athletics who value this relationship have allowed for educational and sharing opportunities with our athletes.

"I am proud of our athletes who have embraced the true meaning of Miami beyond the institutional name."

After the meal of Indian tacos and fry bread and before playing several Myaamia games, the RedHawks presented Chief Lankford with a framed, signed No. 24 jersey.

"It was a great honor to have the Miami University women's softball team visit our Tribal Nation in Oklahoma," Lankford said later. "I believe this is the first time that a complete sports team from Miami University has ever visited. Bringing coaches, parents, and alumni made this meeting in our homeland even more meaningful."

The next day, Lankford and other representatives from the Tribe were able to watch the RedHawks wear their all-red Myaamia-branded jerseys as they competed in Tulsa. "We have played in those uniforms before, but I think for the team it meant a lot more…it makes you that much more proud to wear it," Cummins said.

"I had never seen college softball played before and I was very impressed at their athletic ability," Lankford said. "Just as importantly, I learned that they have very high GPAs, which made me appreciate these young ladies even more!

"As Chief, I visit Miami University at certain times of the year, which does not always align with softball's season, but I think my future holds some special trips to the university, because I'm definitely a Miami Softball fan now!"

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If and when the Tribe next visits Oxford to watch the RedHawks play, they'll see a team that's rewriting not only its own record books but making a dent on the national leaderboards. With a month gone in the 2024 season, Miami ranks first in the entire country in runs per game (9.8) and first in home runs per contest (3.19, far outpacing the next-closest team at 2.11).

Individually, only 14 players in Division I softball history have ever hit 80 home runs, an elite club Spaid joined Sunday morning against Kansas City. In fact, the senior from Chicago ranks fifth all-time in slugging percentage and is the nation's active career home run leader.

"I hope people saw this weekend that there's nothing 'mid-major' about us," Kumar said. "People knew we could hit, but to see it? We can hit!

"It shows you can do great things at a 'small' school," the fourth-year head coach added. "You've just got to be willing to put the work in."

That mindset will continue for the Red and White through the rest of a challenging non-conference slate (including a pair of showdowns with No. 6 Georgia this weekend) and then into MAC play, which begins March 15 at home against Western Michigan.

"It's all about taking advantage of the moments that we get in the spotlight and really just showing everybody who Miami Softball is," said Spaid. "Just playing free and playing the way that we know how to, even when there are so many eyes on us…we want to keep proving who we are."

And while it's still too early to know exactly how a potentially historic Miami Softball season may continue to unfold, there's at least a chance it could end in the same state the RedHawks just returned from.

The Women's College World Series begins May 30 in Oklahoma City.

In fact, Kumar may or may not have taken the team to check out 13,000-seat USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium as soon as the RedHawks' plane landed in Oklahoma last week.

"This is where we want to be," she told her players.

With as much history as Miami Softball made last week just a few miles down the road, don't count them out.

Find more Front Row Features at MiamiRedHawks.com/FrontRowFeatures.

Miami Softball returns to action this weekend with five games in Athens, Ga. before beginning a seven-game homestand in Oxford on March 15 as Western Michigan comes to town. The RedHawks' complete schedule is available here.

Miami at Oklahoma in first-ever game at Love's Field — *(photo by Terry Cloyd)*

Miami Softball's Historic Weekend in Oklahoma Was a Big Hit

Players Mentioned

Holly Blaska

Allie Cummins

Jenna Golembiewski

Karli Spaid

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