The University of Akron Athletics
Friday, March 14
Akron, Ohio
3:00 PM
University of Akron
vs
Ball State
Photo by: Toby Rhodes
Zips Host Ball State in MAC/Home Opening Weekend
March 13 | Softball
AKRON, Ohio – Akron softball opens play at Lee R. Jackson Field on this weekend, hosting Mid-American Conference foe Ball State for the league opening doubleheader on Friday, March 14 at 1 p.m.
WHAT'S AHEAD
The Zips open MAC play against Ball State on home opening weekend with a doubleheader on Friday, March 14 (1 & 3 p.m.) and the series finale scheduled for Saturday, March 15 (1 p.m.).
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can follow Friday's games on ESPN+ and live stats. Saturday's game will be available on live stats only.
March 14 vs Ball State | 1 p.m. | LIVE STATS | ESPN+
March 14 vs Ball State | 3 p.m. | LIVE STATS | ESPN+
March 15 vs Ball State | 1 p.m. | LIVE STATS
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
Akron trails: 25-47
MAC Games: 22-45
MAC Tourney: 2-3
At UA: 8-24
At BSU: 15-20
SCOUTING BALL STATE (13-6)
Ball State opens MAC play with a 13-6 overall record. The Cardinals offense is led by McKayla Timmons with a .510 batting average, including 25 hits on 49 at bats with 18 walks, six homeruns, four doubles and one triple. She drove-in 23 runs and scored 25 times. Timmons is one of five players batting over .300 as Hayley Urban (.333), Maia Pietrzak (.328), Kara Gunter (.321) and Ella Whitney (.300). Whitney also leads BSU in the circle with 11 appearances and 10 starts. On the season, she has struck out 27 batters, with 19 walks and owns a 1.62 ERA.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE (12-11)
Under third-year head coach Craig Nicholson Akron is 12-11 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 Incarnate Word (L, 0-3), Michigan State (W, 2-1), Omaha (L, 11-0) and Sam Houston (1-0). The Zips followed with a win over UIC (W, 9-0), split with Dayton (L, 7-4 & W, 8-4) and pair of losses against EKU (7-4 & 4-0). The last time out, Akron split the Racers Classic falling 3-2 and 9-2 to Cleveland State and Murray State and turned around a swept the final day with 9-1 and 4-3 wins over Cleveland State and Murray State.
The Zips have five players batting above .300 as Brooke Sivek and Meagan Lee lead the way with a .348 and .347 averages, respectively. Sivek is 24-for-69 at the plate with a triple, double and three RBI, while Lee owns a team-best 25 hits in 72 at bats with a triple, double and six RBI. Alexis Campbell is third in average at .338 with 23 hits, including a triple, two doubles and 14 RBI. The final two players batting above .300 are Lily Sullivan (.319) and Sophia Wygast (.304) with 23 and 21 hits each, respectively. Sullivan has a homerun, six doubles and 12 RBI, while Wygast has two homeruns, a double and 14 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
The Zips open MAC play against Ball State on home opening weekend with a doubleheader on Friday, March 14 (1 & 3 p.m.) and the series finale scheduled for Saturday, March 15 (1 p.m.).
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can follow Friday's games on ESPN+ and live stats. Saturday's game will be available on live stats only.
March 14 vs Ball State | 1 p.m. | LIVE STATS | ESPN+
March 14 vs Ball State | 3 p.m. | LIVE STATS | ESPN+
March 15 vs Ball State | 1 p.m. | LIVE STATS
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
Akron trails: 25-47
MAC Games: 22-45
MAC Tourney: 2-3
At UA: 8-24
At BSU: 15-20
SCOUTING BALL STATE (13-6)
Ball State opens MAC play with a 13-6 overall record. The Cardinals offense is led by McKayla Timmons with a .510 batting average, including 25 hits on 49 at bats with 18 walks, six homeruns, four doubles and one triple. She drove-in 23 runs and scored 25 times. Timmons is one of five players batting over .300 as Hayley Urban (.333), Maia Pietrzak (.328), Kara Gunter (.321) and Ella Whitney (.300). Whitney also leads BSU in the circle with 11 appearances and 10 starts. On the season, she has struck out 27 batters, with 19 walks and owns a 1.62 ERA.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE (12-11)
Under third-year head coach Craig Nicholson Akron is 12-11 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 Incarnate Word (L, 0-3), Michigan State (W, 2-1), Omaha (L, 11-0) and Sam Houston (1-0). The Zips followed with a win over UIC (W, 9-0), split with Dayton (L, 7-4 & W, 8-4) and pair of losses against EKU (7-4 & 4-0). The last time out, Akron split the Racers Classic falling 3-2 and 9-2 to Cleveland State and Murray State and turned around a swept the final day with 9-1 and 4-3 wins over Cleveland State and Murray State.
The Zips have five players batting above .300 as Brooke Sivek and Meagan Lee lead the way with a .348 and .347 averages, respectively. Sivek is 24-for-69 at the plate with a triple, double and three RBI, while Lee owns a team-best 25 hits in 72 at bats with a triple, double and six RBI. Alexis Campbell is third in average at .338 with 23 hits, including a triple, two doubles and 14 RBI. The final two players batting above .300 are Lily Sullivan (.319) and Sophia Wygast (.304) with 23 and 21 hits each, respectively. Sullivan has a homerun, six doubles and 12 RBI, while Wygast has two homeruns, a double and 14 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
INF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
INF
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