The University of Akron Athletics
Wednesday, May 7
Firestone Stadium | Akron, Ohio
12 PM
University of Akron
vs
Ball State
MAC Tournament Preview: No. 5 seeded Akron Zips to compete in postseason for first time since 2017
May 06 | Softball
AKRON, Ohio – The Akron Zips will compete at the 2025 Mid-American Conference Softball Championships for the first time since 2017. The filth seeded Zips are scheduled to play the fourth seeded Ball State Cardinals on Wednesday, May 7 at 12:00 p.m.
WHAT'S AHEAD
Akron closed out regular season play with a 15-9 MAC record and 28-23 overall as four Zips earned All-MAC accolades. Meagan Lee and Sophia Wygast earned First Team All-MAC honors, while Madie Jamrog and Andrea Day were named to the All-MAC Freshman Team. Akron ended the regular season with a 2-0 series sweep over rival Kent State and 8-4 in the last dozen games.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can follow the series against No. 5 Ball State on ESPN+ or via live stats (All Games). In addition, fans can follow the entire 2025 MAC Softball Championship on the MAC tournament central page. (https://getsomemaction.com/tournaments/?id=242)
May 7 vs No. 5 Ball State | 12 PM | LIVE STATS | ESPN+
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
Akron trails: 26-49
MAC Games: 23-47
MAC Tourney: 2-3
At UA: 9-26
At BSU: 15-20
Ball State claimed the season series 2-1 against Akron, winning game one (6-1) and game three (7-4), while Akron defeated the Cardinals 12-4 in game two.
SCOUTING BALL STATE (31-16, 16-9)
The Cardinals enter the series with an 31-16 overall record and 16-9 in MAC play to earn the No. 4 seed in the MAC postseason tournament. Ball State ended regular season play 7-5, falling in five of their last eight games.
The Cardinals has four players batting above .300 as MAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year McKayla Timmons (.430) leads the way. Timmons has 128 at bats with team-high 55 hits, including a team-high 15 homeruns, 12 doubles and two triples for 53 RBIs and 54 runs scored. Maia Pietrzak (.362) is second in average but leads the team in at bats (152), hits (55) and runs scored (59). Ella Whitney (.313) and Kara Gunter (.311) round out the top-4 hitters. Whitney is 45-for-144 with 47 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 11 doubles and nine homeruns, while Gunter is 47-for-151 with 41 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 11 doubles and three homeruns. Whitney also leads BSU in the circle with 28 appearances and 25 starts. On the season, she has struck out 78 batters, with 52 walks and owns a 2.97 ERA.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE (28-23, 15-9 MAC)
Under third-year head coach Craig Nicholson leads the Akron in its 49th season of intercollegiate competition, posting a 28-23 overall record and 15-9 in league play. The Zips return 18 players from the 2024 squad and added seven newcomers to the 2025 roster.
The Zips have four players batting above .300 as Meagan Lee (.402) leads the way with 68 hits in 169 at bats. Sophia Wygast (.361) follows with 53 hits, and team-highs in homeruns (8) and RBI (38). Brooke Sivek (.325) and Lily Sullivan (.318) round out the top hitters. Sivek has 54 hits and a team-high 36 runs scored, while Sullivan has 49 hits with nine doubles and one homerun, generating a 23 RBI.
FOUR ZIPS EARN ALL-MAC HONORS
Four players on The University of Akron softball team earned All-League honors when the Mid-American Conference unveiled its 2025 award winners in a vote of the league coaches released on Tuesday (May 6).
Earning First Team All-MAC accolades were junior outfielder Meagan Lee (Leander, Texas) and sophomore infielder Sophia Wygast (Toledo, Ohio), while redshirt freshman pitcher Madie Jamrog (Holland, Mich.) and freshman outfielder Andrea Day (Hilliard, Ohio) were named to the All-MAC Freshman Team.
Lee started all 51 games and finished regular season play with a .402 batting average, .474 on-base percentage and a .467 slugging percentage. She scattered a team-high 68 hits in 169 at bats with eight extra-base hits, including five doubles and three triples. She generated 18 RBIs and scored 36 runs. Lee drew 23 free passes and touched a total of 79 bases while only striking out six times. In the field, Lee owns a .962 fielding percentage in leftfield with 101 putouts, one assist and only four errors.
In league play, Lee distributed 36 hits in 81 at bats for a .444 batting average. She posted a .505 on-base percentage and .543 slugging percentage with 10 walks, four doubles and two triples. Lee scored 22 runs in conference play and produced 10 RBI.
Wygast played all 51 games and completed the 2025 regular season campaign with a .361 batting average, .464 on-base percentage and a .578 slugging percentage. She pounded out 53 hits in 147 at bats with 16 extra-base hits, including a team-high eight homeruns and eight doubles for a team-high 38 RBIs. She scored 16 runs, touched 85 total bases and drew 31 free passes. In the field, Wygast owns a .990 fielding percentage at first base with 276 putouts, 11 assists and only three errors.
In league play, Wygast distributed 30 hits in 67 at bats for a .448 batting average. She posted a .548 on-base percentage and .821 slugging percentage with 16 walks, seven doubles and six homeruns. Wygast produced a team-best 22 RBI and scored nine runs in conference play.
In her first year of action, Jamrog cracked the starting rotation in the circle with 25 appearances, including 17 starts. She hurled seven complete games and owns a 2.96 ERA with one shut out and one save. In 111.1 innings, Jamrog allowed 47 earned runs, 130 hits and 22 walks, limiting opponents to a .290 batting average with a team-high 61 strikeouts.
In league play, Jamrog posted a .361 ERA in 11 appearances and nine starts with four complete games. In 54.1 innings of work, she allowed 28 earned runs, 71 hits with 30 strikeouts and limited opponents to .307 batting average.
In her first collegiate season, Day played in 45 games with 42 starting appearances. She recorded a .286 batting average, .366 on-base percentage and a .405 slugging percentage. She pounded out 36 hits in 126 at bats with 12 extra-base hits, including a second-best 10 doubles, one triple and one homerun. She generated 26 RBIs and scored 22 runs, touching 51 total bases. Day was perfect in the outfield with 88 putouts and two assists.
In league play, Day distributed 21 hits in 66 at bats for a .318 batting average. She posted a .382 on-base percentage and .439 slugging percentage with eight doubles and eight walks for 14 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
WHAT'S AHEAD
Akron closed out regular season play with a 15-9 MAC record and 28-23 overall as four Zips earned All-MAC accolades. Meagan Lee and Sophia Wygast earned First Team All-MAC honors, while Madie Jamrog and Andrea Day were named to the All-MAC Freshman Team. Akron ended the regular season with a 2-0 series sweep over rival Kent State and 8-4 in the last dozen games.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Fans can follow the series against No. 5 Ball State on ESPN+ or via live stats (All Games). In addition, fans can follow the entire 2025 MAC Softball Championship on the MAC tournament central page. (https://getsomemaction.com/tournaments/?id=242)
May 7 vs No. 5 Ball State | 12 PM | LIVE STATS | ESPN+
A LOOK AT THE SERIES
Akron trails: 26-49
MAC Games: 23-47
MAC Tourney: 2-3
At UA: 9-26
At BSU: 15-20
Ball State claimed the season series 2-1 against Akron, winning game one (6-1) and game three (7-4), while Akron defeated the Cardinals 12-4 in game two.
SCOUTING BALL STATE (31-16, 16-9)
The Cardinals enter the series with an 31-16 overall record and 16-9 in MAC play to earn the No. 4 seed in the MAC postseason tournament. Ball State ended regular season play 7-5, falling in five of their last eight games.
The Cardinals has four players batting above .300 as MAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year McKayla Timmons (.430) leads the way. Timmons has 128 at bats with team-high 55 hits, including a team-high 15 homeruns, 12 doubles and two triples for 53 RBIs and 54 runs scored. Maia Pietrzak (.362) is second in average but leads the team in at bats (152), hits (55) and runs scored (59). Ella Whitney (.313) and Kara Gunter (.311) round out the top-4 hitters. Whitney is 45-for-144 with 47 RBIs, 23 runs scored, 11 doubles and nine homeruns, while Gunter is 47-for-151 with 41 RBIs, 25 runs scored, 11 doubles and three homeruns. Whitney also leads BSU in the circle with 28 appearances and 25 starts. On the season, she has struck out 78 batters, with 52 walks and owns a 2.97 ERA.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE (28-23, 15-9 MAC)
Under third-year head coach Craig Nicholson leads the Akron in its 49th season of intercollegiate competition, posting a 28-23 overall record and 15-9 in league play. The Zips return 18 players from the 2024 squad and added seven newcomers to the 2025 roster.
The Zips have four players batting above .300 as Meagan Lee (.402) leads the way with 68 hits in 169 at bats. Sophia Wygast (.361) follows with 53 hits, and team-highs in homeruns (8) and RBI (38). Brooke Sivek (.325) and Lily Sullivan (.318) round out the top hitters. Sivek has 54 hits and a team-high 36 runs scored, while Sullivan has 49 hits with nine doubles and one homerun, generating a 23 RBI.
FOUR ZIPS EARN ALL-MAC HONORS
Four players on The University of Akron softball team earned All-League honors when the Mid-American Conference unveiled its 2025 award winners in a vote of the league coaches released on Tuesday (May 6).
Earning First Team All-MAC accolades were junior outfielder Meagan Lee (Leander, Texas) and sophomore infielder Sophia Wygast (Toledo, Ohio), while redshirt freshman pitcher Madie Jamrog (Holland, Mich.) and freshman outfielder Andrea Day (Hilliard, Ohio) were named to the All-MAC Freshman Team.
Lee started all 51 games and finished regular season play with a .402 batting average, .474 on-base percentage and a .467 slugging percentage. She scattered a team-high 68 hits in 169 at bats with eight extra-base hits, including five doubles and three triples. She generated 18 RBIs and scored 36 runs. Lee drew 23 free passes and touched a total of 79 bases while only striking out six times. In the field, Lee owns a .962 fielding percentage in leftfield with 101 putouts, one assist and only four errors.
In league play, Lee distributed 36 hits in 81 at bats for a .444 batting average. She posted a .505 on-base percentage and .543 slugging percentage with 10 walks, four doubles and two triples. Lee scored 22 runs in conference play and produced 10 RBI.
Wygast played all 51 games and completed the 2025 regular season campaign with a .361 batting average, .464 on-base percentage and a .578 slugging percentage. She pounded out 53 hits in 147 at bats with 16 extra-base hits, including a team-high eight homeruns and eight doubles for a team-high 38 RBIs. She scored 16 runs, touched 85 total bases and drew 31 free passes. In the field, Wygast owns a .990 fielding percentage at first base with 276 putouts, 11 assists and only three errors.
In league play, Wygast distributed 30 hits in 67 at bats for a .448 batting average. She posted a .548 on-base percentage and .821 slugging percentage with 16 walks, seven doubles and six homeruns. Wygast produced a team-best 22 RBI and scored nine runs in conference play.
In her first year of action, Jamrog cracked the starting rotation in the circle with 25 appearances, including 17 starts. She hurled seven complete games and owns a 2.96 ERA with one shut out and one save. In 111.1 innings, Jamrog allowed 47 earned runs, 130 hits and 22 walks, limiting opponents to a .290 batting average with a team-high 61 strikeouts.
In league play, Jamrog posted a .361 ERA in 11 appearances and nine starts with four complete games. In 54.1 innings of work, she allowed 28 earned runs, 71 hits with 30 strikeouts and limited opponents to .307 batting average.
In her first collegiate season, Day played in 45 games with 42 starting appearances. She recorded a .286 batting average, .366 on-base percentage and a .405 slugging percentage. She pounded out 36 hits in 126 at bats with 12 extra-base hits, including a second-best 10 doubles, one triple and one homerun. She generated 26 RBIs and scored 22 runs, touching 51 total bases. Day was perfect in the outfield with 88 putouts and two assists.
In league play, Day distributed 21 hits in 66 at bats for a .318 batting average. She posted a .382 on-base percentage and .439 slugging percentage with eight doubles and eight walks for 14 RBIs and 13 runs scored.
Players Mentioned
3B/OF
/ Softball
P/UTL
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UTL
/ Softball
INF
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