Latest news with #KirinKumar
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State softball slugger enters the transfer portal
Ohio State softball slugger enters the transfer portal I guess until you are known as a softball power, these sorts of things happen. The OSU softball team had a major turnaround this season under new head coach Kirin Kumar, finishing in a tie for fourth place in the Big Ten with an offense that led the country in several major categories. It was enough for the Buckeyes to head to the NCAA Tournament as a No. 2 seed in the Knoxville Region, where they got knocked out by host Tennessee in the championship round. The offense was led by All-American and unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten performer, Jasmyn Burns. The catcher belted 25 home runs, knocked in 75 RBIs, and batted .455 over the course of the season. She wasn't the only slugger in the lineup who had a career year, but there's no doubt that she was the most feared in the lineup. Sadly, Burns won't be back on the banks of the Olentangy next season after announcing that she will be entering the transfer portal. It'll won't be easy to replace Burns' bat in the OSU lineup, and this is clearly a big loss for a program searching for its first NCAA Super Regional appearance since 2009, but it is a sign of the times, and until Ohio State can start to win on the biggest of stages, it is a bit exepected. Now we'll see if Coach Kumar and the program can continue the momentum it clearly gained this past season as it looks to build something in Columbus.
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State softball coaching staff receives major national award
Ohio State softball coaching staff receives major national award The Ohio State softball coaching staff jumped headfirst into the job during its first year in Columbus, and it resulted in a massive turnaround. New head coach Kirin Kumar, and assistants Matthew Guemmer and Courtney Viestra steered the Buckeyes to a lead in the country in home runs, runs scored, RBIs, slugging percentage, and walks in Year 1 in Columbus and it resulted in a fourth place finish in the Big Ten, and a No. 2 seed in the Knoxville Region of the NCAA Tournament. And while OSU got knocked out of the Knoxville Region by host and No. 7 overall seed Tennessee, it was a year that could prove to be a jumping-off point for bigger things to come. Because of all the success, the trio was named the Softball America Coaching Staff of the Year on Tuesday. What's even more amazing is that it doesn't seem to be a fluke either. Coach Kumar came from Miami (OH) after leading an offensive explosion by the RedHawks as well, with the team leading in many of the same categories the year prior. Whatever Kumar and her coaching staff are doing is clearly working. It's a well-deserved honor, and there's no doubt the Ohio State brass is glad it is just the beginning of what should be a pretty amazing journey.
USA Today
18-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
The future is bright for Ohio State softball
The future is bright for Ohio State softball Ohio State's 2025 softball season may have ended in the opening regionals of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, but what the Buckeyes accomplished this year shows that they should be a threat in this sport for the foreseeable future. Like in so many college sports, the trajectory of a program is usually set, first and foremost, by the success of the head coach. And it has only been one year, but it looks like the Buckeyes have finally found a head coach who can make them elite. Kirin Kumar was named as Ohio State's head coach last June, after the program seemed to have stagnated under 13-year head coach Kelly Kovach Schoenly. The Buckeyes had reached four consecutive NCAA regional rounds earlier in Kovach Schoenly's tenure, but never a super regional and only one regional in the last five years. The reason to be optimistic about the future under Kumar isn't just that the program went from being towards the bottom of the Big Ten to reaching the NCAAs in one year. No, it's how the Buckeyes did it that show they're here to stay. Building an offensive juggernaut Ohio State led the nation in just about every major offensive category in 2025. 147 home runs, 495 total runs, and a slugging percentage over .700 are just the start. This team wsa devastating on offense all season long, only being shut out twice. While that's noteworthy on its own, what makes it even more outstanding are the players who did it. This is the same team that hit only 65 home runs last year. Kumar didn't come in and bring in massive sluggers through the transfer portal. This isn't the difference between her recruits and the roster holdovers. No. What Coach Kumar did was take a group of solid Division I softball players who had mediocre offensive numbers a year ago and turned them into an absolute powerhouse. If Kumar can teach these Buckeyes to hit this exceptionally, there's no reason to think it would stop anytime soon. And once she can promote these successes on the recruiting trail, things just build on themselves. This program, under Kumar, should be an offensive juggernaut for the long term. Winning National Championships? If year one of the Kumar reign completely revamped the offense, what else do the Buckeyes need to truly join the nation's elites? The defense was solid, but can always improve. And the pitching was very good, but not quite up there with the elites of the sport. Most of the roster will return next year, including all of the pitchers. I wouldn't expect them to become elite overnight. Then again, that's exactly what Kumar did with the offense. If Kumar can do the same with the pitching--or find one right recruit or transfer--there's no reason that this team can't be close to National Championship caliber as early as next year. Even if that's a bit too early for the program under her, expect it to come soon. If she continues with this team like in year one, the sky is the limit.
USA Today
20-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State softball now ranked in several national polls
Ohio State softball now ranked in several national polls The Ohio State softball team has had a fantastic start to the 2025 campaign. The team currently has an impressive 22-6-1 overall record and just polished off a series win over previously ranked Nebraska. The Buckeyes have won four in a row and have wins over Missouri, UCF, and Georgia. They gave No. 1 Texas all it could handle in a 4-2 loss. The Lady Bucks have one 11 of their past 13 games to put the country on notice. And now, for all of its effort, Ohio State has now shown up in the rankings as a top 25 team according to several polls. OSU is No. 25 in both the NFCA Coaches and polls, and No. 20 according to Before we celebrate, it should be noted, starred, and highlighted that it is still very early in the Big Ten season and many, many more contests to go against quality competition, but what new head coach Kirin Kumar has done at this point in the season during her first year on the job shows some incredible promise. After winning two midweek games this week, Ohio State will be back in action this weekend when it travels to East Lansing to take on Big Ten foe, Michigan State. Let's hope the team can keep things rolling and make Buckeye Nation proud.
