Buckeyes Add Karli Spaid to Coaching Staff
7/18/2025 1:51:00 PM | Softball
finished her collegiate career with 103 home runs under Kirin Kumar at Miami University
COLUMBUS, Ohio – One of the best home run hitters in college softball history will be reunited with her head coach, as Karli Spaid has joined the Ohio State softball program as an assistant coach, Kirin Kumar announced today.
Spaid, who spent the 2025 season as a graduate assistant coach at Tennessee, led the nation in home runs with 36 as a senior, becoming just the second player in Division I softball history to hit 100 career homers under Kumar's tutelage at Miami. She was a top-10 finalist for USA Softball's National Player of the Year, won MAC Player of the Year and was named a First-Team All-American by Softball America and D1Softball.
"Karli's accolades speak for themselves," said Kumar. "And for as good a player as she was, she's an even better person. I'm thrilled that she'll now have the chance to share her wisdom and experience with our players. I can't wait to have her be a part of our staff."
Spaid produced a .407 batting average and led the nation with a 1.102 slugging percentage in the 2024 season, driving in 78 runs. She was named an Academic All-American and was selected as Miami's Female Athlete of the Year. Spaid helped the RedHawks claim MAC regular-season and tournament titles, advance to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth year in a row and earn the first national Top-25 ranking in program history.
A four-time First-Team All-MAC selection and a four-time First-Team All-Region pick, Spaid was the MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player in 2023 and again in 2024. Spaid ranks first in Miami history in career batting average (.395), runs scored (253), hits (274), home runs (103) and RBI (258). Her .924 slugging percentage is the fifth-best mark in NCAA history. During Spaid's four-year career, Miami won 174 games overall and was 107-16 in MAC play.
Following her career at Miami, Spaid was the seventh overall selection in the Athletes Unlimited draft. She earned her bachelor's degree in Sport Leadership and Management from Miami and had her jersey No. 7 retired last fall.
