On the field and off, these three people have contributed greatly to the Buckeyes’ softball success this year.
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about Ohio State heroes. Whether they are the biggest names in Buckeye athletic history, or underappreciated icons; perhaps even players who made major impacts off the field. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Buckeye Heroes” articles here.
Ohio State softball is gearing up for the NCAA Tournament, earning the No. 2 seed in the Knoxville Regional.
To earn its spot, the team has had its share of heroic moments throughout its stellar season, so in honor of Buckeye Heroes week at Land-Grant Holy Land, here are three heroes whose names you should know for their contributions to their team’s spot in the postseason.
Sophomore catcher Jasmyn Burns
Jasmyn Burns from Menifee, California, has been an absolute powerhouse for the Buckeyes this season, leading the team with 23 home runs, 70 RBI, and a .467 batting average. Her outstanding contributions to Ohio State’s offense earned her a unanimous first-team all-Big Ten spot and one of 25 finalist spots for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award.
Burns also boasts five multi-hit games for the Buckeyes, second only to Kami Kortokrax this season.
This was the moment Jasmyn Burns broke the @OhioStateSB single-season RBI record
Oh yeah… and it was a GRAND SLAM against rival Michigan #B1GSoftball pic.twitter.com/uDnu7ZPTnB
— Big Ten Softball (@B1Gsoftball) April 20, 2025
Senior infielder Kami Kortokrax
Kortokrax, an Ohio native, has been a consistent standout for the Buckeyes throughout her collegiate career, earning her All-Big Ten honors three times throughout her time at OSU, including first-team All-Big Ten spots in 2023 and 2024, and a second-team All-Big Ten spot this season.
This season, she had six multi-hit games and batted .284 with six home runs, 16 RBI, and a .422 on-base percentage. But Kortokrax is notable not just for her on-the-field contributions but for her outstanding sportsmanship, for which she was named the Buckeyes’ Sportsmanship Honoree.
Bottom 5th | Kami Kortokrax drops a single into right for her 200th career hit!
Indiana 12, OSU 4 | #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/bbmWK2LQIz
— Ohio State Softball (@OhioStateSB) April 1, 2025
Head Coach Kirin Kumar
In her first year as head coach at Ohio State, Kirin Kumar led the team to a 43-12-1 record, series wins over six out of eight Big Ten opponents, and the Buckeyes’ first-ever sweep of Michigan.
Kumar came to OSU from Miami University (Ohio), where she led the team to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. She has a history of building high-powered offenses, something there has been no shortage of with this year’s Buckeyes. Under her leadership, the 2025 Buckeyes boast one of the best offenses in the country, leading the nation in home runs (137), slugging percentage (.707), runs scored (473), runs scored per game (8.44), and walks (268).
These three Buckeye heroes, along with the rest of the Ohio State softball program, will now try to keep the heroics going as they face North Carolina in the Knoxville Regional this Friday at 4 p.m. ET.
The winner of Friday’s game will go on to play the winner of Tennessee or Miami (Ohio).