Madi Reeves didn’t have to pinch herself to know it was real, but she did make a mental note.
On March 1, the Yorkville product and freshman pitcher was summoned from the bullpen by Miami of Ohio coach Kirin Kumar for her fourth appearance in only the third week of her college career.
Powerhouse Oklahoma, on a 67-game winning streak in the opener of its brand-new stadium, took a four-run lead with a one-out rally in the sixth after trailing the Redhawks for four-plus innings.
“Yeah, Oklahoma, that was kind of big,” Reeves said, recalling the highlights of an outstanding season for her and the team. “I never thought I’d be there, just out of Yorkville and playing in the first game of that new stadium that cost $48 million.
“We had the first home run, scored the first run, made the first double play and had some other firsts.”
It didn’t include the first win, however, even if Reeves was up to her task, giving up just one hit in a scoreless outing that lasted two-thirds of an inning.
Her performance came in front of an overflow crowd of 4,450 at Love’s Field, named for the chain of Oklahoma-based truck stops which ponied up $12 million for the rights. It’s the largest campus stadium in the country and includes an indoor practice facility among many amenities.
Miami of Ohio hit three homers in the top of the seventh to force a 7-7 tie, but Oklahoma walked off with a 9-7 victory. The Redhawks were not deterred, though, picking up steam offensively in a record-setting season that featured a 23-game winning streak.
In the end, Miami of Ohio (49-9, 26-1) won its fourth straight Mid-American Conference title and third straight conference tournament title while making a fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance under Kumar, who has since left to take the job at Ohio State.
“I learned a lot from 2K,” Reeves said, using the players’ nickname for Kumar. “But I’m happy for her. We wanted to do things Miami softball had never done before.
“We set plenty of records and did a lot to be proud of.”
The offense led the nation in scoring with 8.7 runs a game and in home runs with 160, one short of the all-time record set in 2021 by Oklahoma. Lane Tech grad Karli Spaid, a senior third baseman, led the nation with 36 homers, one short of the NCAA single-season record.
While the home runs dominated the headlines, Reeves (22-4) did her part for the pitching staff. The MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year worked 163 innings and finished with a 4.03 ERA.
Reeves, who ended up with 129 strikeouts, threw a no-hitter against Bowling Green.
“It’s comforting when they put five and six runs up so often in the first few innings,” Reeves said. “Even if we were down, you knew they were capable of coming from behind.”
Reeves said pitching coach Courtney Vierstra, who followed Kumar to Ohio State, had her focus on drills to increase her spin rate to get even more movement on her pitches.
“Focusing on spin rate, I probably didn’t throw as hard,” Reeves said.
Miami of Ohio will face changes, losing eight seniors to graduation and three players to the transfer portal, including two freshmen who have joined Kumar at Ohio State.
Reeves decided to stay put, noting she’s close with several players who remain. And she’s happy with her situation.
“That’s part of the game,” she said of the portal. “If I have an issue come up, it’s good to have that available, I guess.”
In late June, Miami of Ohio named Iowa assistant Mandy Gardner-Colegate as its new head coach. Reeves said Gardner-Colegate has reached out individually to each player.
“I’ll probably meet up with her later this summer because she’ll be doing some recruiting in the Chicago area,” Reeves said.
Gardner-Colegate pitched in high school and played infield for two years at Michigan before moving to Maryland for her final two years. She was the pitching coach in stops at San Diego and Grand Canyon as well as Iowa, where she also was the recruiting coordinator.
“I like that she’s had that background,” Reeves said. “At this level, you have to analyze a little more and you do a lot of the work on your own.
“She said spin is big but she also likes to do more with velocity, too.”
She will find a willing study in Reeves, who plans to pursue a coaching career herself.
