The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ohio
MAC Leading Akron Travels to Ohio
April 23 | Softball
WHATS AHEAD
The Mid-American Conference leading Akron softball team heads to Athens, Ohio, to battle the Bobcats in a conference series starting Friday, April 24.
HOW TO FOLLOW
April 24 (GM1) at Ohio | 2 PM | Video | Stats
April 24 (GM2) at Ohio | 4 PM | Video | Stats
April 25 at Ohio | 1 PM | Video | Stats
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 27-21 overall and own a league-best 17-4 record in MAC play. Akron is 9-2 at home, 13-8 on the road and 5-11 in neutral site games.
The Zips have five players batting near .300 or better led by Meagan Lee (.411) with 65 hits in 158 at-bats. Lee has scored 42 runs, collected 17 RBI and 17 walks. Sophia Wygast follows with a .355 batting average on 54-for-152 with a team-high 52 RBI, while recording nine doubles and a team-high 10 home runs. Lily Sullivan (.322), Haley Glass (.320) and Katie Cantrell (.302) round out the group. Sullivan is 47-for-146, Glass is 31-for-97, while Cantrell is 39-for-129. The trio have recorded 29, 26 and 26 RBI , respectively. Sullivan leads the team in doubles with 11, while Glass has seven home runs and five doubles. Cantrell had nine doubles and three home runs.
In the circle, Madie Jamrog (12-6) and Macy Walters (12-9) provide a one-two punch. Jamrog owns a 3.53 ERA with 127.0 innings pitched in 23 appearances and 19 starts. Opponents hit .299 against Jamrog with 156 hits for 64 earned runs (79 total) with 69 strikeouts and 39 walks.
Walters owns a 4.24 ERA with 125.1 innings pitched in 28 appearances and 22 starts. Opponents hit .294 against Walters with 146 hits for 76 earned runs (86 total) with 55 strikeouts and 58 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 swept Buffalo 5-2, 9-2 and 12-4 (5 inn). Akron recently went 2-1 against UMass, winning 3-2 in game 1, falling 5-4 in game 2 and winning 2-0 in game three.
School                              MAC – Overall - Streak
Akron                                 17-4     27-21     W2
Northern Illinois                 14-5     21-13     L1
Miami                                 14-7     33-14     W1
Ohio                                    14-7     32-15     W5
Central Michigan                 13-7     22-18     W1
Western Michigan                12-9     23-21     L1
Toledo                                  9-12     13-31     L3
Buffalo                                   8-13     22-28     L1
Kent State                             7-14     19-25     W2
Massachusetts                      7-14     16-26     L1
Bowling Green                      5-15     17-24     L3
Ball State                              4-17     17-25     L1
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)
