Central Methodist University officially dedicated the softball field to the Reardon family during an emotional ceremony on Saturday morning during homecoming.

Head Coach Pat Reardon began coaching the Lady Eagles in 1993 and soon transformed the program into a perennial contender in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. In 2005, Pat’s father, Gene Reardon, joined the coaching staff, and the team has been in the national spotlight ever since.

This year, Pat enters his 34th season as the head coach of the Eagles softball team, boasting a career record of 1,028-581-2 and ranking as the third-winningest active coach in the NAIA. He is also the winningest coach in conference history and is one of only four NAIA softball coaches to have ever reached 1,000 career victories.

A 13-time Heart of America Athletic Conference Softball Coach of the Year honoree, Reardon has guided Central Methodist to 40-plus wins in seven of the last nine seasons. For their efforts, he and his staff have been named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association NAIA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year eight times.

Since taking over the program in 1993, Reardon has led the team to 11 Heart Regular Season Championships, eight Heart Tournament Championships, and five trips to the NAIA World Series (2012, 2015, 2023, 2024, and 2025). He has coached 47 All-Americans and numerous Heart All-Conference selections.

Turning the team into an NAIA powerhouse did not happen overnight. It took 16 seasons to win a conference championship, and ever since, CMU has been a dominant team, with two trips to the College Softball World Series. Reardon said the turning point came when his father, Gene, became the team’s assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in 2006. That led to the team bringing aboard DI transfer Chelsea Fuemmeler in 2008, who led CMU to its first-ever Heart of America Athletic Conference championship.

“The dual combination of Pat and Gene over the past 20 years has been unmatched both in the conference and the NAIA with overall success, consistency, and stability,” said Central Methodist Athletic Director Jeff Sherman.

“What an honor has been given to the Reardon family. It is a true honor from the Central Methodist community,” Gene said.

While Pat and Gene are the faces of the family that was bestowed the honor on Saturday, the entire Reardon family has been a force behind the team’s success. Pat’s mother, Melody, has become the team’s de facto seamstress, credited with repairing more than 300 uniforms so far. Pat’s wife, Leslie, a former Lady Eagle herself, has shared her husband with the team for more than three decades. Pat’s daughter, Addyson, played softball at CMU and helped coach. His son, Avery, helps on scouting trips. Even Pat’s brother, who lives in Alaska, helps with scouting in our nation’s most northern state.

“My mom has certainly been a part of this. Sewing up pants and doing different things. My wife putting up with the coach’s life. It’s not easy. My daughter played here and coached with me. My son goes on the road with me recruiting. And my dad’s been here for 20 years,” Pat told this newspaper shortly before the ceremony. “This doesn’t happen very often. The biggest part for me today, I think, is going to be seeing some former players, friends, and family that came back. My brother came in from Alaska.”

Cox Softball Complex was packed on Saturday with family members, Central faculty, and many former players. When it came time for the reveal, current players removed the tarps along the first and third base lines, unveiling the name “Reardon Family Field.”

“The name has actually been on there for a couple of weeks, so I see it when I walk onto the field. It’s been very humbling,” Pat said.

One of Central’s former standouts, Katie Dove, a 2009 CMU graduate, returned to Central with a heartfelt congratulations for the Reardons. She recalled her time playing at Central, when the Lady Eagles finished 37-16 overall and 16-4 in the Heart her senior season.

“Grandma Mel is the honorary grandma to many athletes who came through this program,” Dove said. She then outlined many of the names Gene goes by: Grampa Gene, Geners, and Unc.

She recalled how Pat’s children, Addyson and Avery Reardon, “grew up in the ballpark, hanging out in the dugout during games, cheering the girls on, and more importantly, cheering on their daddy throughout his many successes.”

Dove thanked Pat’s wife, Leslie, “for sharing Pat with us. For allowing him to spend hours at the field every day, time on the road recruiting, time he spends on the phone with former athletes calling him for advice. A huge part of Pat’s success is a testament to her support.”

She described Pat as so much more than just a coach. “While you are one of the most competitive coaches I’ve ever played for, what makes you most proud are multiple academic honors each season, invitations to your athletes’ weddings, tearing up every senior night. You’ve created an environment everyone wants to be a part of.”

Those academic honors have piled up alongside Pat’s more than 1,000 career coaching victories. CMU President Roger Drake praised the team’s success both in the classroom and on the field.

“The Reardons recruit varsity and reserve athletes who make our campus a better place. Yes, their players win on the field. They also leave here among our top graduates,” Drake said. “The Reardon family, the whole family, has created a legacy here with Central Methodist University softball.”

Current CMU starting infielder Joley Crider thanked the Reardons for making Central feel like home. A native of Eagle, Idaho, she was the team’s primary third baseman as a freshman in 2023, and she also drove in 43 runs in 54 games started that year.

Under the Reardons’ leadership, Central has remained a powerhouse. The team has won a minimum of 42 games per season since returning to regularly scheduled play following the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Last season, Central posted 52 wins, sweeping Heart play with a perfect 24-0 record and advancing to the NAIA World Series.

When the Lady Eagles return this spring, they will compete on Reardon Family Field for more than just wins. They will play to honor a legacy of excellence that has earned national recognition and the admiration of both current and former players, as well as opponents.