With her team's 8-3 nonleague win over visiting Defiance on Saturday, Clay's Brenda Radabaugh earned her 600th career victory, becoming the eighth Ohio high school softball coach to reach that milestone.
Radabaugh, 60, who is in her 32nd season as a head coach, has posted an overall 600-230 record, including 447-172 in 22-plus seasons at Clay (2001-24). Earlier, she was 153-58 overall in nine seasons at Central Catholic (1992-2000).
“It means I'm getting old,” Radabaugh said when asked about reaching the milestone. “It means I've had great players and great coaches at my back the whole time.
“I told them in the circle [after game], 'I didn't play any of the games — you guys did it all.' I've been very blessed with a lot of talented players and great assistant coaches. Kim Rector's been with me for all 24 years that I've been here.”
The Eagles (10-6) had 10 hits, and sophomore Olivia Haas pitched a complete-game five-hitter, striking out eight Bulldogs batters and walking three.
Clay sophomore Maddie Franke was 2-for-4 with a double and a home run, junior Brynn Reiter was 2-for-3 with two doubles, and junior Lindsey Jones went 3-for-4 in their coach’s milestone victory. Ayvah Cullen was 2-for-4 with a home run for Defiance.
“It's been a lot of fun times and I've learned a lot [from Radabaugh] throughout the years,” said Clay third baseman Rebekah Kolinski, the lone senior on the Eagles' roster. “She lets you have fun but you also take it serious. You know how to separate the fun and also be able to win games. Six hundred wins — I think that's crazy.”
Radabaugh's teams have won 14 league championships, including a City League crown at Central in 2000, and the other 13 at Clay (Great Lakes League 2001-03; CL 2006-07, 2009-10 and Three Rivers Athletic Conference 2013-17, 2019).
She has also guided eight teams to D-I district titles (Central 1998; Clay 1999, 2002, 2009, 2013-14, 2016, 2019). The 2009 and 2013 Eagles advanced to D-I regional finals.
“Brenda is just a fantastic person all around,” said Clay principal Jim Jurski, the school's former athletic director who also spent six years as an Eagles softball assistant. “You know where she stands all the time. She doesn't waver from her beliefs, she has a great coaching philosophy, and she really relates well to kids. “This is an accomplishment that very few people reach, and I'm so proud of Brenda and Clay softball all together. We've had two head coaches in the whole entire history of Clay softball, and that says a lot that Brenda has lasted this long with our program. It's an honor for us to watch her reach her 600th victory today.”
According to Ohio High School Athletic Association records, the state’s all-time winningest prep softball coach is Bud Weisgarber, who posted a 787-171 record at Strasburg-Franklin from 1985-2019.
At No. 2 all-time is Ohio's winningest active softball coach, Kevin Moody, who entered the 2024 season with a 657-295 record compiled at three schools — Hilliard (1986-97), Hilliard Darby (1998-2009), and Hilliard Bradley (2010-24).
Other retired coaches in the 600 club for Ohio softball coaches include Jerry Kelbley of Westerville South (636 wins), Chuck Huggins of North Robinson Colonel Crawford (633), Jim Campolo of Newark and Gahanna Lincoln (630), Laura Ford of Lima Bath (630), and Walt Snyder of Bellevue (628).
“I'm humbled to be in that category because I know they are some amazing coaches in the state of Ohio,” Radabaugh said. “I've seen some of the people on that list, and the careers they've had have been amazing.”
Might Radabaugh stick around long enough for a 700th win?
“I don't know about that,” she said. “I'm having a lot of fun, but 700 would be about six more years at least, if we have good seasons. So, I can't commit to that, but I would love to still be around at that time because it's fun.”
Radabaugh owes much of her coaching longevity to the positive experiences she has shared with her players.
“The kids are fun, and I enjoy working with them,” she said. “They always work hard, and they're just a great group of kids. It's fun to see where they start as freshmen and how much they develop as they go through the program.
“The relationships are awesome. People come back to me and still talk to me about their days playing. Those relationships with former players are really special.”
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