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Miami well-represented on MAC softball award lists  Brianna Pratt gets a high-five from Riley Coyne (MVSmith/file) CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference announced Wednesday morning the regular season award winners for the 2023 season. Along with the All-MAC First and Second teams, the conference office also announced the All-Freshman team and individual awards as voted on by the 11 head coaches of the MAC. Two Miami players were among the special awards: Brianna Pratt was voted Pitcher of the Year. Jenna Golembiewski was named Player of the Year. Both those players were among five RedHawks earned All-MAC First Team honors. Joining the pair were catcher Riley Coyne, outfielder Allie Cummins and third base player Karli Spaid. Holly Blaska earned All-MAC Second Team honors. Click Read More for the complete lists . . .
Hosting RedHawks seek third straight MAC Tourney title  By MIKE SMITH
The Miami RedHawks open MAC Softball Tournament play Thursday, taking on Ball State at 3:30 p.m. at the Miami Softball Complex. It's a battle of No. 1 versus No. 4 as the top-seeded RedHawks open a three-day battle for the Mid-American Conference title and NCAA tourney berth. Ohio (No. 2) faces Central Michigan (No. 3) in the 1 p.m. contest. All tourney games are scheduled to be shown on ESPN+. Miami finished the MAC season with . . . Spartans receiver transferring to Miami  Cade McDowell (MSU Athletics) FROM THE WEB
Rivals.com is reporting that Michigan State wide receiver Cade McDonald is transferring to the Miami RedHawks program. The 5-11, 195-pound senior was originally a walk-on at MSU. He played in 11 games last season, catching three balls for a total of 31 yards and also played on special teams. McDonald has two years of eligibility remaining. The addition of McDonald would give Miami's roster two former Spartans. Former MSU safety Michael Dowell joined MU prior to the 2022 season and was Miami's third-leading tackler (97 total stops, five tackles for loss, two sacks, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recover). Top-seeded RedHawks host MAC softball tourney Full story to come. Click icon below for tourney schedule. Miami adds McVay to prestigious plaza of coaching greats  Sean McVay statue (MVSmith) By MIKE SMITH
Miami University's Cradle of Coaches Plaza added another resident Saturday with the unveiling of a Sean McVay statue. McVay is the 10th coach to be immortalized in the plaza, joining Ara Parseghian, Paul Brown, Weeb Ewbank, John Harbaugh, John Pont, Carm Cozza, Bo Schebechler, Red Blaik and Paul Dietzel. All distinguished themselves in coaching at the collegiate or professional level. Some played at Miami. Some coached at the school. Some did both. In McVay's case, he was a student-athlete who played on three MAC East Championship teams (2004, 2005, 2007). He graduated from Miami with a degree in health and sports studies (2008). His grandfather and uncle also lettered at MU. The grandfather, John, carved out . . . RedHawks finish regular season with DH split  Shortstop Adriana Barlow makes a play. (MVSmith/file) STAFF REPORT
KENT, OH -- The Miami RedHawks split a pair with Kent State Saturday, taking the opener 4-1 before dropping the second game in a 10-8 slugfest. It was the final day of regular season action for MU, with the results leaving Miami at 21-7 in conference play (34-18 overall) . Kent State moved to 13-14 MAC (20-29 overall) Elsewhere, Ohio also split a pair in its series with Buffalo. Each team won by a 5-3 count. The Bobcats, now 20-7 MAC, have one more chance to tie MU. They meet Ohio Sunday in Athens. However, Miami won . . . Miami HRs power RedHawks past Flashes  KENT STATE, OH -- Miami continued its recent home run barrage Friday as the RedHawks smashed four homers in a 9-4 win over Kent State. Three of the home runs left the yard and came in the first two innings. Karli Spaid added an inside-the-park homer in the seventh, scampering around the bases on a blast off the wall.
It was MU's fourth straight win and eighth victory in the last nine games. The surging RedHawks (20-7 MAC, 32-17 overall) have now won 13 of their last 14 MAC outings. Brianna Pratt (26-10) went the distance, allowing . . . Bats stay hot as RedHawks down Chips 7-2.  In addition to a good day at the plate, Allie Cummins was able to run down this deep fly ball. (MVSmith) By MIKE SMITH
OXFORD, OH -- As fans left the Miami Softball Complex Sunday, an announcer reminded all that the RedHawks had just played their last regular season home game of 2023. While such an event might be cause for some extra sentimentality and/or motivation for many teams, Miami head coach Kirin Kumar soon after observed it was “just another day at the office” for her squad. Given the way MU has played for most of the last month, “another day at the office” could be bad news for opponents. And so it was for Central Michigan. As it had in Saturday’s second game (an 8-0 MU win), Miami pounded out 10 hits again Sunday. Three of the knocks were homers. Allie Cummins and Jenna Golembiewski combined . . . RedHawks sweep CMU, move into first place  Holly Blaska pulls in a fly ball. (MVSmith) The Miami RedHawks shook off an ugly midweek loss to knock off MAC-leader Central Michigan twice Saturday at the Miami Softball Complex. Miami came from behind to take the first game 4-2, and the RedHawks followed with a 8-0 shutout.
With the victories, MU broke the Chippewas' 11-game winnning streak and replaced CMU atop the Mid-American Conference standings. Those two teams will close out their series with a Sunday game starting at noon. The visiting Chippewas struck first Saturday, plating two first inning runs in the opener. However, those turned out to be CMU's only runs on the day. "Bad things are going to happen," Miami head coach Kirin Kumar said of the Chippewas early damage. It's how you respond to it. . . . (We) did it offensively and defensively." Miami scored single runs in . . . RedHawks take 2-of-3 at Ball State Host Chippewas in big series this weekend MUNCIE, IN -- After shutting out Ball State 6-0 Tuesday, the Miami RedHawks split a twin-bill with BSU Wednesday. Miami took the first game 4-3 as Brianna Pratt picked up her 22nd win against 10 losses. Ball State then came back with a vengance, scoring seven first inning runs and going on to register a 10-0, five-inning victory. With the series win, Miami moved to 16-7 in conference play. Ball State dropped to 15-11. The RedHawks are now tied with Ohio (16-7) for second place. Miami will meet first place Central Michigan (17-6) in a big series, starting with two games (1 p.m., 3 p.m.) Saturday, April 29. The Chippewas are currently riding an 11-game win streak. Click Read More for standings and recaps
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Editor-Publisher Mike SmithMike grew up in Mid-American Conference football and basketball territory and returned there after military service. He has been covering MAC football and men's basketball for much of the last several decades. 
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