The University of Akron Athletics
Friday, February 28
Richmond, Ky.
11:00 AM
University of Akron
vs
UIC
Zips are Back in Action at Eastern Kentucky
February 27 | Softball
AKRON, Ohio – The Akron softball team is back in action, this time in Richmond, Ky. as Eastern Kentucky hosts a four-team showdown at Gertrude Hood Field.
WHAT'S AHEAD
Akron opens the five-game tournament with Illinois Chicago (UIC) at 11 a.m. and Dayton at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, followed by a pair of games on Saturday (March 1) against Dayton (12:30 p.m.) and Eastern Kentucky (5:30 p.m.). The final game of weekend play is against Eastern Kentucky at 1 p.m. on ESPN+, Sunday, March 2.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can follow all five games via live stats. Sunday's game against Eastern Kentucky will be streamed on ESPN+
Feb. 28 vs Illinois Chicago | 11 a.m. | Live Stats
Feb. 28 vs Dayton | 4 p.m. | Live Stats
March 1 vs Dayton| 12:30 p.m. | Live Stats
March 1 vs Eastern Kentucky | 5:30 p.m. | Live Stats
March 2 vs Eastern Kentucky | 1 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
vs Illinois Chicago (4-10) - Illinois Chicago Leads 5-8
First Meetings (3-0): W, Akron 4 – Illinois Chicago 0 (5/13/88) | Akron, Ohio
W, Akron 11 – Illinois Chicago 0 (5/14/88) | Akron, Ohio
W, Akron 6 – Illinois Chicago 0 (5/15/88) | Akron, Ohio
Last Meetings (0-2): L, Akron 3 – Illinois Chicago 5 (3/7/20) | Richmond, Ky.
L, Akron 3 – Illinois Chicago 5 (3/8/20) | Richmond, Ky.
vs Dayton (5-4) - Dayton leads 16-18
First Meetings (1-1): W, Akron 12 – Dayton 9 (4/26/80) | Dayton, Ohio
L, Akron 9 – Dayton 10 (4/26/80) | Dayton, Ohio
Last Meetings (2-0): W, Akron 1 – Dayton 0 (4/10/24) | Dayton, Ohio
W, Akron 8 – Dayton 4 (4/10/24) | Dayton, Ohio
vs Eastern Kentucky (8-5) - EKU leads 1-7
First Meeting (1-0): W, Akron 6 – EKU 5 (3/9/24) | Knoxville, Tenn.
Last Meeting (0-1): L, Akron 0 – EKU 8 (3/9/96) | Richmond, Ky.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE (8-6)
Under third-year head coach Craig Nicholson Akron is 8-6 overall in its 49th season of intercollegiate competition. The Zips return 18 players from the 2024 squad and added seven newcomers to the 2025 roster.
Akron opened the season at the Spartan Classic and posted a 4-1 opening weekend record including the season opener over Monmouth, 7-1. The Zips dropped game two against USC Upstate (10-7). The Zips ended the tournament on a three-game winning streak, defeating Monmouth (11-2), Upstate (2-0) and Bowling Green (7-2). Next, the Zips traveled to Texas for nine games, posting a 3-2 record at the Tarleton State Tournament with wins over South Dakota State (2-1) and Tarleton State twice (7-3 & 9-8). Akron fell to Houston Christian (2-1) and Austin Peay (8-3). Akron also battled Incarnet Word (L, 0-3), Michigan State (W, 2-1), Omaha (L, 11-0) and Sam Houston (1-0).
The Zips have five players batting above .300 as Brooke Sivek leads the way with a .390 average. Sivek is 16-for-41 at the plate with one triple, one RBI and 18 total bases touched. Lily Sullivan also distributed 16 hits in 45 at bats for the third best average (.356). She has three doubles a homerun and seven RBI. Meagan Lee is second in average at .357 with 15 hits, including a triple and four RBI. The final two players batting above .300 are Sydney Selker (.353) and Alexis Campbell (.324) with 12 hits each. Selker has three doubles, a homerun and eight RBI, while Campbell has a double, homerun and five RBI.
Lee Earns MAC Pitcher of the Week
Maddelynn Lee (Osseo, Mich.) was recognized by the Mid-American Conference as its MAC Pitcher of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday (Feb. 11). Lee Pitcher of the Week. Lee made her collegiate debut in the circle for the Zips and earned a pair of wins on opening weekend, including a 7-1 season opening win. For the weekend, she recoded a 0.58 earned run average in 12 innings of work. She faced 44 batters and allowed only one earned run on seven hits while limiting the opponents to a .167 (7-of-42) batting average. Lee collected seven strikeouts and one walk. In the 7-1 victory over Monmouth, Lee threw five complete innings with five strikeouts, allowing only three hits in 19 at-bats. She limited the Hawks to a .150 batting average and one run. Lee followed that performance with a complete game shutout effort, defeating USC Upstate 2-0. Lee registered a pair of strikeouts and allowed four hits in 23 at-bats. In the 2-0 win over USC Upstate, Lee threw a complete game shutout with a pair of strikeouts while allowing four hits in 23 at-bats with one free pass.
Walters Earns MAC Pitcher of the Week
For the second consecutive week an Akron pitcher claimed the Mid-American Conference top honor as sophomore Macy Walters was named MAC Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Walters had an impressive weekend in the circle for the Zips as she started and went the distance in a pair of games which both led to wins for Akron. In addition, Walters earned a save in her third appearance and the Zips final outing at the Whataburger Invitational hosted by Tarleton State. She posted a 1.95 ERA in 14.1 innings pitched. Walters allowed 11 hits and four runs, all earned while striking out four batters. Walters registered wins over South Dakota State (2-1) and Tarleton State (7-3). Walters earned the save in a 9-8 win over Tarleton State. Opponents only hit .224 average against Walters.
WHAT'S AHEAD
Akron opens the five-game tournament with Illinois Chicago (UIC) at 11 a.m. and Dayton at 4 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 28, followed by a pair of games on Saturday (March 1) against Dayton (12:30 p.m.) and Eastern Kentucky (5:30 p.m.). The final game of weekend play is against Eastern Kentucky at 1 p.m. on ESPN+, Sunday, March 2.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can follow all five games via live stats. Sunday's game against Eastern Kentucky will be streamed on ESPN+
Feb. 28 vs Illinois Chicago | 11 a.m. | Live Stats
Feb. 28 vs Dayton | 4 p.m. | Live Stats
March 1 vs Dayton| 12:30 p.m. | Live Stats
March 1 vs Eastern Kentucky | 5:30 p.m. | Live Stats
March 2 vs Eastern Kentucky | 1 p.m. | Live Stats | ESPN+
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
vs Illinois Chicago (4-10) - Illinois Chicago Leads 5-8
First Meetings (3-0): W, Akron 4 – Illinois Chicago 0 (5/13/88) | Akron, Ohio
W, Akron 11 – Illinois Chicago 0 (5/14/88) | Akron, Ohio
W, Akron 6 – Illinois Chicago 0 (5/15/88) | Akron, Ohio
Last Meetings (0-2): L, Akron 3 – Illinois Chicago 5 (3/7/20) | Richmond, Ky.
L, Akron 3 – Illinois Chicago 5 (3/8/20) | Richmond, Ky.
vs Dayton (5-4) - Dayton leads 16-18
First Meetings (1-1): W, Akron 12 – Dayton 9 (4/26/80) | Dayton, Ohio
L, Akron 9 – Dayton 10 (4/26/80) | Dayton, Ohio
Last Meetings (2-0): W, Akron 1 – Dayton 0 (4/10/24) | Dayton, Ohio
W, Akron 8 – Dayton 4 (4/10/24) | Dayton, Ohio
vs Eastern Kentucky (8-5) - EKU leads 1-7
First Meeting (1-0): W, Akron 6 – EKU 5 (3/9/24) | Knoxville, Tenn.
Last Meeting (0-1): L, Akron 0 – EKU 8 (3/9/96) | Richmond, Ky.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE (8-6)
Under third-year head coach Craig Nicholson Akron is 8-6 overall in its 49th season of intercollegiate competition. The Zips return 18 players from the 2024 squad and added seven newcomers to the 2025 roster.
Akron opened the season at the Spartan Classic and posted a 4-1 opening weekend record including the season opener over Monmouth, 7-1. The Zips dropped game two against USC Upstate (10-7). The Zips ended the tournament on a three-game winning streak, defeating Monmouth (11-2), Upstate (2-0) and Bowling Green (7-2). Next, the Zips traveled to Texas for nine games, posting a 3-2 record at the Tarleton State Tournament with wins over South Dakota State (2-1) and Tarleton State twice (7-3 & 9-8). Akron fell to Houston Christian (2-1) and Austin Peay (8-3). Akron also battled Incarnet Word (L, 0-3), Michigan State (W, 2-1), Omaha (L, 11-0) and Sam Houston (1-0).
The Zips have five players batting above .300 as Brooke Sivek leads the way with a .390 average. Sivek is 16-for-41 at the plate with one triple, one RBI and 18 total bases touched. Lily Sullivan also distributed 16 hits in 45 at bats for the third best average (.356). She has three doubles a homerun and seven RBI. Meagan Lee is second in average at .357 with 15 hits, including a triple and four RBI. The final two players batting above .300 are Sydney Selker (.353) and Alexis Campbell (.324) with 12 hits each. Selker has three doubles, a homerun and eight RBI, while Campbell has a double, homerun and five RBI.
Lee Earns MAC Pitcher of the Week
Maddelynn Lee (Osseo, Mich.) was recognized by the Mid-American Conference as its MAC Pitcher of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday (Feb. 11). Lee Pitcher of the Week. Lee made her collegiate debut in the circle for the Zips and earned a pair of wins on opening weekend, including a 7-1 season opening win. For the weekend, she recoded a 0.58 earned run average in 12 innings of work. She faced 44 batters and allowed only one earned run on seven hits while limiting the opponents to a .167 (7-of-42) batting average. Lee collected seven strikeouts and one walk. In the 7-1 victory over Monmouth, Lee threw five complete innings with five strikeouts, allowing only three hits in 19 at-bats. She limited the Hawks to a .150 batting average and one run. Lee followed that performance with a complete game shutout effort, defeating USC Upstate 2-0. Lee registered a pair of strikeouts and allowed four hits in 23 at-bats. In the 2-0 win over USC Upstate, Lee threw a complete game shutout with a pair of strikeouts while allowing four hits in 23 at-bats with one free pass.
Walters Earns MAC Pitcher of the Week
For the second consecutive week an Akron pitcher claimed the Mid-American Conference top honor as sophomore Macy Walters was named MAC Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Walters had an impressive weekend in the circle for the Zips as she started and went the distance in a pair of games which both led to wins for Akron. In addition, Walters earned a save in her third appearance and the Zips final outing at the Whataburger Invitational hosted by Tarleton State. She posted a 1.95 ERA in 14.1 innings pitched. Walters allowed 11 hits and four runs, all earned while striking out four batters. Walters registered wins over South Dakota State (2-1) and Tarleton State (7-3). Walters earned the save in a 9-8 win over Tarleton State. Opponents only hit .224 average against Walters.
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P/OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
P
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