Miami softball’s Holly Merritt is always striving for more

The Miami University RedHawks softball team has found itself in a great spot as the Mid-American Conference (MAC) tournament nears. Although the team has faced numerous challenges, the RedHawks currently sit at the top of the MAC with a 15-4 conference record.

The team currently has a 26-19 overall record and is still in contention for the MAC tournament, despite all of the major changes during the offseason.

The 2024-25 RedHawks roster contrasts from the previous year with several key changes. This year’s team only boasts two returning position player starters, joined by five freshmen and five transfer players.

First-year infielder Holly Merritt, who began her collegiate career against the University of Maryland Terrapins in Miami’s first of two games on Feb. 7, is an important addition to the team.

Merritt holds impressive stats in multiple categories so far in her debut season. She has four home runs (the fifth-most on the team), 156 putouts (the second-most on the team) and seven double plays (the most on the team).

Merritt, originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, started playing softball when she was 4-years-old. She and her sister both played, and she joined her first travel team when she was 6.

“My parents sacrificed so much to get me where I am now,” Merritt said. “Now I want to do everything that I can to show them that it was all worth it. That all the hours we spent in the car and money used on equipment was all worth it.”

Merritt’s recruiting process differed from most, as she played on two travel teams simultaneously. Originally, this allowed her to get as much exposure as possible. During this time, Merritt received a phone call from the former coaching staff at Miami. After one visit to campus, she knew where she wanted to be for the next four years.

“The former coaches at Miami reached out to me and were very eager to talk to me,” Merritt said. “When I got to campus, I fell in love with it. I loved the school, the people I met and the coaches. They were all amazing.”

Former head coach Kirin Kumar left Miami to coach The Ohio State University Buckeyes following the 2024 season. However, Merritt decided to stick with Miami under new head coach Mandy Gardner-Colegate.

As Gardner-Colegate has gotten to know Merritt over the past few months, she describes her as someone who is “always striving for more.”

“She loves the game of softball and loves to compete,” Gardner-Colegate said. “She’s really hard on herself, even when she’s doing well. She can just flat out play.”

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The RedHawks used the preseason to acclimate to the new coaching staff and roster. Getting to know each other on and off the field proved to be effective, but several players, including Merritt, also battled injuries during the offseason.

Even though she missed several games in the fall, Merritt feels that having the ability to power through adversity proved to be beneficial once the regular season began.

“In the fall, we only had so many games to play and a lot of us, including myself, were injured, so we couldn’t play,” Merritt said. “That’s what a lot of our preseason was, and we played really hard, really good teams. Most of it was figuring out how to play with everyone else.”

Having the opportunity to fight adversity and build their team culture so early in the season turned out to be a great opportunity for the RedHawks to face those challenges early. It also influenced the team’s main message going into the season-opener in February.

“We have to just focus on playing ourselves,” Gardner-Colegate said. “There’s an opponent on the other side, but we don’t need to worry about them. We just have to focus on what we can do to be successful.”

The RedHawks left their first invitational with a 1-4 record, but Gardner-Colegate emphasized that despite the slow start, Miami showcased multiple positives, including the roster’s hitting power, that would boost the team once MAC-play began.

Merritt showcased this when she hit the team’s first homerun – and her first collegiate homer – of the year on Feb. 7 against the Arizona State University Sun Devils.

“Being a freshman, and this being my first one, everybody was just so excited,” Merrett said. “It really kind of cemented that I belong here.”

Merritt has since added another three home runs as well as 18 RBIs. As the team’s starting first baseman, she also ranks second on the roster with 156 putouts and leads Miami with seven double plays.

Gardner-Colegate credits Merritt for saving the team in several big games.

“She has a great presence in the box, great presence at first as well,” Gardner-Colegate said. “She’s defensively saved us in some games, and then she’s come up in big moments hitting for us as well. She’s just very mature, very poised and really fun to coach.”

Returning second-year infielder Erin Pinter echoed Gardner-Colegate’s sentiments and discussed the importance of a player such as Merritt for the team.

“Having a lefty-first baseman and great power-hitter who sees the ball really well is very important,” Pinter said. “She’s really impactful and just an uplifting presence. She’s done a great job gelling and fitting in with the team culture at Miami.”

As the RedHawks enter the home stretch of the 2025 season, Merritt said she keeps her focus on her main goal: making it to the NCAA tournament's Super Regionals.

Miami won its third-straight MAC tournament last season, but the RedHawks’ season came to a halt in the first round of the NCAA tournament. In the program's history, Miami has never advanced past the regional round of the national competition.

“That’s something we’ve never done,” Merrett said. “They always got stuck right there in regionals, so that's what we’re all trying to do, and I feel like I can be a part of that.”

Nine games remain in the regular season, which gives Merritt time to recover from an injury that has kept her out since March 29. The team hopes to have her back against the Ohio University Bobcats on April 18 and 19..

“She has this presence and this confidence about her,” Gardner-Colegate said, “and having a power lefty like that with such a pretty swing… It’s tough for pitchers to throw to lefty power hitters, so she’s kind of like a pitcher’s nightmare. We’re just excited to get her back.”

Burbrikn@miamioh.edu