Zips Travel to UMass For Conference Action

Friday, April 17

Amherst, MA

2 PM

University of Akron

UMass

Action Photos of Akron Softball vs Buffalo 4-11-26 GM1

April 16 | Softball

WHATS AHEAD
The Akron softball team heads to Amherst, Mass., to battle the Minutewomen of Massachusetts for a three-game series starting on Friday, April 17.

ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Under head coach Craig Nicholson, Akron enters the 30th season of intercollegiate competition in 2026. The Zips return 17 players from the 2025 squad and added six newcomers to the 2026 roster. Akron returns four All-MAC honorees. Earning First Team All-MAC accolades were outfielder Meagan Lee and infielder Sophia Wygast, while redshirt pitcher Madie Jamrog and outfielder Andrea Day were named to the All-MAC Freshman Team.

The Zips are 24-20 overall and own a league-best 15-3 record in MAC play. Akron is 9-2 at home, 10-7 on the road and 5-11 in neutral site games. The Zips have four players batting near .300 or better led by Meagan Lee (.392) with 56 hits in 143 at-bats. Lee has scored 36 runs, collected 15 RBI and 15 walks. Sophia Wygast follows with a .356 batting average on 48-for-135 with a team-high 48 RBI, while recording eight doubles and a team-high 10 home runs. Lily Sullivan (.341) and Haley Glass (.329) round out the group. Sullivan is 45-for-132 and Glass is 28-for-85 with 27 and 25 RBI, respectively. Sullivan holds the team-high in doubles (10), while Glass has six home runs and five doubles.

In the Circle, Madie Jamrog (10-5) and Macy Walters (12-9) provide a one-two punch. Jamrog owns a 3.69 ERA with 108.0 innings pitched in 20 appearances and 17 starts. Opponents hit .306 against Jamrog with 138 hits for 57 earned runs (72 total) with 61 strikeouts and 34 walks.

Walters owns a 4.30 ERA with 123.2 innings pitched in 26 appearances and 21 starts. Opponents hit .297 against Walters with 146 hits for 76 earned runs (86 total) with 54 strikeouts and 55 walks.

MAC STANDINGS
Zips softball was picked to finish fourth in the Preseason MAC Coaches' Poll, but quickly shot up the leaderboard with an opening weekend sweep Ball State by scores of (18-6, 5-3 and 1-0), Akron then mover to 5-1 in the standings with a 2-1 performance against Miami (4-3, 11-3 and 7-8). The Zips dropped the third series of the year at Western Michigan (2-1), winning the first game 5-2 and falling by walk-offs the following day, 4-3 and 4-1. The Zips hosted Toledo and swept the Rockets 3-0 by scores of 9-1 (5 inn), 9-6 and 10-9. Akron swept Kent State 13-5, 4-2 and 20-6, and recently swept Buffalo 5-2, 9-2 and 12-4 (5 inn).

School                               MAC – Overall - Streak
Akron                                 15-3     24-20     W1
Northern Illinois                 12-5     19-12     W1
Miami                                 12-6     31-12     W5
Central Michigan                11-6     20-17     L1
Ohio                                    11-7     29-15     W2
Western Michigan                10-8     21-19     W3
Toledo                                   8-10    12-28     L3
Buffalo                                   7-11     20-25     W2
Kent State                             7-11     17-22     L6
Massachusetts                     6-12     15-24     W1
Bowling Green                     5-13     17-22     L1
Ball State                             3-15     16-23     W1

2026 MAC Softball Preseason Coaches' Poll(First Place Votes)
1. Miami – 116 points (8)
2. Ohio – 108 points (1)
3. Ball State – 98 points (2)
4. Akron – 93 points (1)
5. Central Michigan – 77 points
6. Toledo – 72 points
7. Northern Illinois – 71 points
8. Western Michigan – 41 points
9. Buffalo – 40 points
10. Bowling Green – 34 points
11. Massachusetts – 23 points
12. Kent State – 19 points
MAC Tournament Champion: Miami (5), Ohio (5), Akron (1), Ball State (1)