11/13/2026 11:16:00 AM | Softball
OXFORD, Ohio – The Miami University softball program received an $8,000 grant last week from the MIAMI Women Giving Circle as part of the organization's annual 'Hawk Tank' event. Senior pitcher Alex Caouette pitched the RedHawks' project as part of 19 presentations on Nov. 5, with the softball grant being one of nine ultimately awarded funding. Caouette's three-minute pitch was entitled 'Beyond the Diamond: Women Leading the Future of Sports Technology and Analytics.'
The grant will help bring WIN Reality Smart Park technology to Miami Softball, a difference-maker both in competition as well as in the way it can help Miami students interested in pursuing careers in sports analytics in the future.
"Getting the opportunity to stand in front of a multitude of influential women and give our pitch was truly an unforgettable experience," said Caouette. "I am so proud to have been able to represent women in sports and data analytics.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to have made my mark on the program in a way that will last longer than me and my career on the field."
Smart Park is an advanced, on-field camera system that captures detailed data during practices and games. The technology tracks 55 game metrics, 88 ball metrics, and 12 biomechanics metrics per pitch. It also includes an automated ball-and-strike system that can be incorporated in daily practice.
Miami Softball is expected to become the first program in the MAC to have this cutting-edge technological system, allowing the RedHawks to better develop student-athletes, make more informed coaching decisions, enhance recruiting and continue competing with the top programs in the country.
The team will partner with Miami's SLAM (Sport Leadership and Management) program to create hands-on opportunities for students interested in sports analytics. Approximately 500 students each year in the freshman analytics course will have the opportunity to connect what they are learning in the classroom to real-world applications in college athletics. The partnership hopes to identify female students interested in pursuing careers in analytics and provide them with opportunities to work directly with the softball program, allow them to gain practical experience analyzing data and making recommendations that can impact the team.
The Giving Circle grant will help fund the installation of the camera system and equipment, while the softball team's partnership with SLAM will help support the annual subscription.
"We are so thankful to the MIAMI Women Giving Circle and are incredibly excited because this project represents so much more than an investment in softball. It is an opportunity to elevate women's athletics at Miami while creating meaningful educational and professional experiences for students," said head coach Mandy Gardner-Colegate.
For more information on the 2026 Giving Circle projects, click here.
The grant will help bring WIN Reality Smart Park technology to Miami Softball, a difference-maker both in competition as well as in the way it can help Miami students interested in pursuing careers in sports analytics in the future.
"Getting the opportunity to stand in front of a multitude of influential women and give our pitch was truly an unforgettable experience," said Caouette. "I am so proud to have been able to represent women in sports and data analytics.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to have made my mark on the program in a way that will last longer than me and my career on the field."
Smart Park is an advanced, on-field camera system that captures detailed data during practices and games. The technology tracks 55 game metrics, 88 ball metrics, and 12 biomechanics metrics per pitch. It also includes an automated ball-and-strike system that can be incorporated in daily practice.
Miami Softball is expected to become the first program in the MAC to have this cutting-edge technological system, allowing the RedHawks to better develop student-athletes, make more informed coaching decisions, enhance recruiting and continue competing with the top programs in the country.
The team will partner with Miami's SLAM (Sport Leadership and Management) program to create hands-on opportunities for students interested in sports analytics. Approximately 500 students each year in the freshman analytics course will have the opportunity to connect what they are learning in the classroom to real-world applications in college athletics. The partnership hopes to identify female students interested in pursuing careers in analytics and provide them with opportunities to work directly with the softball program, allow them to gain practical experience analyzing data and making recommendations that can impact the team.
The Giving Circle grant will help fund the installation of the camera system and equipment, while the softball team's partnership with SLAM will help support the annual subscription.
"We are so thankful to the MIAMI Women Giving Circle and are incredibly excited because this project represents so much more than an investment in softball. It is an opportunity to elevate women's athletics at Miami while creating meaningful educational and professional experiences for students," said head coach Mandy Gardner-Colegate.
For more information on the 2026 Giving Circle projects, click here.
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