OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma City University coach Phil McSpadden stands on the verge of becoming college softball's all-time leader in wins. 

Entering the Stars' 1 p.m. doubleheader Friday at Mid-America Christian, McSpadden owns a record of 1,858-404 (.821 winning percentage) in his 36th year as OCU head coach. Mike Candrea holds the most victories of any college softball coach with a record of 1,859-505-2 in 40 years. 

Candrea directed Arizona to a 1,674-436-2 mark in 36 years with eight NCAA championships and Central Arizona to a 185-69 record with two NJCAA titles in five seasons. Candrea finished his career in 2021. Carol Hutchins from Michigan surpassed Candrea as the NCAA win leader in 2022, when she completed her career with 1,707 wins in 38 years. 

McSpadden has led Oklahoma City to 11 national championships, with the latest national title coming June 1, 2022 against Mobile (Ala.) with a 3-0 triumph in Columbus, Ga. OCU has taken national titles in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2016, 2017 and 2022 and finished as national runner-up in 1993, 1999, 2010, 2012 and 2019 in 31 trips to the NAIA Softball World Series under McSpadden. 

The Stars handed McSpadden his 1,850th win Feb. 25 at Ann Lacy Stadium 4-1 over Friends (Kan.). McSpadden scooped up career win No. 1,800 on Feb. 19, 2022 in Chickasha, Okla., against McPherson (Kan.) 9-0. McSpadden has become a four-time hall of famer with that distinction coming from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association, NAIA, Oklahoma Fastpitch Coaches Association and OCU Athletics. 

"You don't win a national championship in August, you don't win one in September, but you have a chance to start working right now towards some success you are going to have in May and June," McSpadden said. "It's a process that never ends. God gave me some abilities, and my gift to God is what I'm going to do with them, and so I'm going to work on that craft every day and try to be the best athlete slash softball player I can be. That's all part of that process, and that's what college athletics is all about." 

OCU enters the twin bill Friday at Allen Field with a 15-5 record. The Stars own the No. 6 ranking in the latest NAIA rankings and were the top-ranked team in the preseason top 25. Shelbey Cornelson, who was the 2022 NAIA Softball World Series most valuable player, has forged an 8-2 record with a 2.05 earned run average and 82 strikeouts in 68.1 innings pitched. Analise Rayburn, a freshman from Yukon, Okla., studying business administration, tops the Stars with a .404 batting average and four home runs, while Kamryn Garvie, a junior university studies major from Edmond, Okla., has driven in a team-best 21 runs. 

"Coach McSpadden has been a coach I have looked up to for years and most importantly as a person and friend," Science & Arts coach Jadyn Wallis said. "To have the success that he has continued to have in his career is something coaches in our profession dream of. He works hard for his program, and you see that hard work in his teams. I'm very proud of Coach McSpadden." 

McSpadden surpassed Margie Wright, who was the NCAA career win leader, on April 10, 2015 at Ann Lacy Stadium with a doubleheader sweep of Southwestern Assemblies of God (Texas) with his 1,458th career victory. 

"Phil is a good friend who we can talk about the game of softball," Mid-America Christian coach Robert Wakefield said. "It has been an honor to get to coach against him and learn from him about the college game. I'd like to congratulate Phil on the fantastic career he has put together at OCU." 

On Feb. 25, 1988, McSpadden took OCU to victory 14-4 over North Texas in Denton, Texas in his college coaching debut. Stephanie Teehee posted a 2-for-4 outing with a run scored and three RBIs. Teehee knocked in the first run of the McSpadden era by bringing home Cathy Hayes on a grounder. Teehee collected the win, working all five innings with five strikeouts. Hayes added three runs scored and two runs driven in. 

"During my four years at OCU with Coach McSpadden I learned more about the game in general than in my whole lifetime," said Lily (LaVelle) Long, who became 2012 NAIA pitcher of the year with Oklahoma City. "He was a great teacher on how to be mentally tough and how to react in every situation the game threw at us. He knew how to bring a team together in just the right moment. He wasn't just a coach, he was a friend and a teacher. He could push you to another level you didn't know you had. He taught us to be students of the game instead of just playing. He drove us to hold ourselves to high expectations and accountable as a team. He taught us how to think, react and learn about how to do better. He taught us tradition and how we should play and respect the game."