Ohio Wesleyan University Women's Softball

Cassie Cunningham is in her 20th season as head softball coach at Ohio Wesleyan University. The Battling Bishops went 11-27 during the 2025 season, finishing sixth in the North Coast Athletic Conference standings. The 2023 Bishops placed third in the NCAC standings and made their first NCAC tournament appearance since the 2016 season. In 2016, the Bishops went 16-21, finished fourth in the NCAC standings, defeated conference champion DePauw in the NCAC tournament, and went on to a third-place tournament finish. The 2014 Bishops compiled a 23-18 record, finishing fourth in the NCAC, and went on to finish third in the NCAC tournament. In 2011, the Bishops finished with a 23-14 record, finishing 1 game out in the NCAC championship race. Cunningham was named NCAC Coach of the Year by her colleagues, the second time she has received that honor. The 2010 Bishops shared the NCAC championship, the Battling Bishops' first conference crown since 2005, and posted an overall record of 24-15. Ohio Wesleyan's 24 victories matched the second-highest season total in school history. In 2009, the Battling Bishops tied for fourth place in the NCAC and upended conference champion Denison in the NCAC tournament before finishing with a record of 24-16-1. The 2008 Bishops finished second in the NCAC title chase, one game away from Ohio Wesleyan’s third conference championship. Cunningham was named NCAC Coach of the Year in recognition of the Bishops’ accomplishments. In 2007, her first season as a collegiate head coach, Cunningham inherited a roster with only 11 healthy players and guided the Bishops to a competitive 14-17-1 finish. Cunningham came to Ohio Wesleyan from Capital University, where she was an assistant coach for 6 seasons. While at Capital, Cunningham worked primarily with the Crusader outfielders, short game and baserunning. She helped guide Capital to an Ohio Athletic Conference championship and an NCAA Division III Central Regional runner-up finish in 2002, accomplishments that earned the Capital staff recognition as the National Fastpitch Coaches Association Regional Coaching Staff of the Year that season. Cunningham is a 2000 graduate of Capital, where she enjoyed a stellar playing career. She earned both All-America and Academic All-America® honors, receiving All-America laurels during all 4 seasons and earning first-team Academic All-America® honors her senior year. A centerfielder while at Capital, Cunningham set a Crusader season record with her .542 batting average in 1998, and her career batting average of .488 also set a Capital record. She also set Capital season and career records for at bats, hits, runs and stolen bases. She is a native of Hilliard, Ohio. Cunningham's Career Coaching Record Year School Record Pct 2007 Ohio Wesleyan 14-17-1 .453 2008 Ohio Wesleyan 17-21-0 .447 2009 Ohio Wesleyan 24-16-1 .598 2010 Ohio Wesleyan 24-15-0 .615 2011 Ohio Wesleyan 23-14-0 .622 2012 Ohio Wesleyan 14-22-0 .389 2013 Ohio Wesleyan 14-21-0 .382 2014 Ohio Wesleyan 23-18-0 .561 2015 Ohio Wesleyan 15-21-0 .417 2016 Ohio Wesleyan 16-21-0 .432 2017 Ohio Wesleyan 17-18-1 .486 2018 Ohio Wesleyan 16-14-0 .533 2019 Ohio Wesleyan 11-27-0 .289 2020 Ohio Wesleyan 5- 5-0 .500 2021 Ohio Wesleyan 6-12-0 .333 2022 Ohio Wesleyan 11-21-0 .344 2023 Ohio Wesleyan 14-20-0 .412 2024 Ohio Wesleyan 18-15-1 .544 2025 Ohio Wesleyan 11-27-0 .289 Career 19 years 292-345-4 .459

Richard Hawes is in his 35th season as head men's and women's swimming & diving coach at Ohio Wesleyan University. The Battling Bishop women's team tied for 30th place at the 2013 NCAA Division III championship meet. Under Hawes' guidance, the Bishop men's team has placed in top 20 at the NCAA Division III championship meet 3 times. Ohio Wesleyan finished 17th at the 1995 Division III meet after finishing eighth in 1994 and tying for 13th place in 1993. In his first season at the Bishop helm, Hawes piloted the men's team to a fifth-place North Coast Athletic Conference finish and the women's team to a sixth-place finish with only 9 swimmers on the roster.  In 2019-20, the Bishop women's team placed sixth and the men's team placed seventh in the NCAC. Hawes has coached 23 All-Americans and 14 All-America relay teams at Ohio Wesleyan. His teams also have performed well in the classroom, with both men's and women's teams receiving CSCAA academic team honors for 32 consecutive semesters. The Ohio Wesleyan men's team ranked second among NCAA Division III teams in overall grade point average in 2008-09, while the Bishop women's team was tied for seventh place. Hawes came to Ohio Wesleyan after 4 years as an assistant coach at Illinois State University. While with the Redbirds, he worked primarily with sprint and middle distance swimmers while assisting with on-deck coaching, designing workouts and recruiting student-athletes. A 1982 Illinois State graduate, Hawes received his bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in chemistry before returning to ISU in 1987 to complete a second bachelor's degree in biology education with a minor in coaching. He was a 4-year letterman as a sprint freestyler for the Redbird swimming team and assisted head coach Steve Paska while earning his education and master's degrees. Hawes received his master's degree in exercise physiology and coaching from Illinois State in 1991. A professor emeritus of physical education at Ohio Wesleyan, Hawes taught exercise physiology. During a 2004 sabbatical from teaching, he worked one semester at the Australian Institute of Sport, developing a 3-D video analysis system for above- and below-water stroke and race analysis for the AIS biomechanics department. He also worked with the AIS biomechanics team at the 2004 Australian Olympic swimming trials. Hawes founded and serves as head coach for the Delaware (Ohio) Racing Club, a United States Swimming program for competitive age group swimmers. He has coached one age group state champion and one nationally ranked top-16 age group swimmer. A native of Mount Prospect, Illinois, Hawes began his coaching career at the River Trails Park District during his high school days.  

Alexis Harvey is in her fifth season as an assistant softball coach at Ohio Wesleyan University. Harvey came to Ohio Wesleyan from Miamisburg High School, where she was assistant varsity and head junior varsity coach.  She served 2 stints with the Vikings, first during the 2017-18 academic year before she became head coach at Waynesville High School during the 2019 and 2020 seasons, then returning to Miamisburg during the summer of 2020. She also has head coaching experience with the Miami Valley Xpress '07, and co-head coaching experience with the Ohio Edge 16u College Exposure Select team. She began her coaching career as an assistant with the Freedom Elite 18u Select team. Harvey is a 2016 graduate of Wright State University, majoring in history. She is a native of West Carrollton, Ohio.  

Beth Reed is in her seventh season as a member of the Ohio Wesleyan swimming & diving coaching staff. Reed graduated from Ohio Wesleyan in December, 2018.  After graduating, she coached age-group swimmers with the Buckeye Swim Club. A 2-year letterwinner for the Battling Bishops, she helped Bishop relay teams set school records in the 200 freestyle relay and 400 freestyle relay and recorded 5 top-20 finishes at North Coast Athletic Conference championship meets.  She majored in exercise science. Reed is a native of Delaware, Ohio.