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Karli Spaid’s rise to the top

<p>Senior softball player Karli Spaid steps up to bat at a Miami University softball game. </p>

Senior softball player Karli Spaid steps up to bat at a Miami University softball game.

Karli Spaid, a current Miami University women’s softball player, has just reached No. 2 in the overall NCAA rankings for most home runs hit in a college career.

Spaid, a Chicago native and current senior sports leadership and management major, began playing softball at a young age before discovering the Miami program.

“I went on a visit and instantly fell in love with the campus and the team culture,” Spaid said. “Everything about the softball program here was great, so it was kind of a no-brainer.”

For head coach Kirin Kumar, having her on the team for four years has been nothing short of rewarding, watching Spaid grow throughout her career and lead the team in several ways.

“Watching her mature from freshman year to her senior year and seeing the leader she has turned out to be is probably the most enjoyable thing,” Kumar said. “Karli has her way of doing it where she is always amped up and loud all the time.”

Spaid has broken numerous records at Miami, including career batting average, runs, home runs and RBIs.

Currently, Spaid has 253 career hits, owning the Mid-American Conference record. Her performances continue to be recognized not just among Miami athletics, but nationally.

“We knew it was there, she's been doing this the last three years,” Kumar said. “We got put on the stage when we played Oklahoma and I am extremely proud that she can show the entire country not only what she can do, but what her team behind her can do.”

Beyond her successes, however, lies a team that helped shape not only the player she has become, but also the woman she has become.

“It's a different group of [women] every single year but every year is special in itself,” Spaid said. “Everyone genuinely supports each other and cares about how other people are doing and I feel like that's rare because you are still competing against the people on your team for a spot every single day.”

Beyond graduation, Spaid plans to continue her academic and athletic career at the University of Tennessee with hopes of playing professional ball or coaching in the future.

The softball team currently stands in first place in the MAC Conference with a 38-7 overall record for the season and 19-1 in the MAC heading into the last few games.

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Regular season play for the RedHawks will conclude on May 5 before the MAC tournament begins on May 8.

lubyhj@miamioh.edu

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