Akron Set for Hilltopper Spring Fling Tournament

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron women's softball squad returns to competition this weekend visiting Bowling Green, Ky., for the Hilltopper Spring Fling hosted by Western Kentucky.

WHAT'S AHEAD:
Akron will open tournament play battling Austin Peay at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, March 3. The Zips commence second-day action facing Evansville and the host Hilltoppers at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 4. Akron caps tournament play squaring off against Austin Peay and Western Kentucky at 11:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, March 5.

March 3 vs. Austin Peay | 7 p.m. ET | Live Stats
March 4 vs. Evansville | 11 a.m. ET | Live Stats
March 4 at Western Kentucky | 1:30 p.m. ET | Live Stats | Live Video
March 5 vs. Austin Peay | 11 a.m. ET | Live Stats
March 5 vs. Western Kentucky | 1:30 p.m. ET | Live Stats | Live Video

SCOUTING AKRON:
Akron is in its 47th season of intercollegiate competition in 2023. Under the direction of first-year head coach Craig Nicholson, the Zips returned 18 players from the Zips' 2022 squad and have added six newcomers to the 2023 roster.

Freshman INF Brooke Sivek (Boerne, Texas) leads the offensive exploits for the Zips batting .364 on the strength of team-high marks in at-bats (33), runs (8), hits (12), stolen bases (2), while junior Kalli Macintosh-Houlder (Mississauga, Ontario) is hitting a team-best .368. Additionally, sophomore INF Alexis Campbell (Indianapolis, Ind.) owns a team-high 11 RBI.

The pitching trio of freshman Haley Croyle (Hubbard, Ohio), redshirt senior P Alexa DiFeo (Akron, Ohio) and redshirt senior P Olivia Otani (Canton, Ohio) have combined to toss 56.1 innings en route to posting 28, 13 and two strikeouts, respectively.

SCOUTING AUSTIN PEAY:
Austin Peay enters play against Akron at 3-6 on the year following a 10-5 victory over Northern Iowa on Wednesday, Feb. 22. Gabi Aplag owns team-best .360 batting average and paces the Governors in doubles (2) and RBI (5), while ranking second in hits (9) and third in total bases (13). In the circle, the duo of Jordan Benefiel and Samantha Miener have combined to pitch 49.0 innings and maintain 3.29 and 11.16 ERA's, respectively, en route to striking out 41 batters.

SCOUTING EVANSVILLE:
Evansville comes into play versus Akron at 13-1 on the year following a 10-9 victory past Bowling Green on Sunday, Feb. 26. Jenna Nink boasts a team-best .458 batting average. On the mound, the quartet of Megan Brenton, Mikayla Jolly, Erin Kieffman and Sydney Weatheford maintain 0.61, 2.13, 2.91 and 6.32 ERA's, respectively, having combined to toss 77.1 innings and strike 54 batters.

SCOUTING WESTERN KENTUCKY:
Western Kentucky enters play against Akron at 9-6 on the campaign following posting a 6-1 victory over Illinois State on Sunday, Feb. 26. TJ Webster owns team-best .425 batting average. In the circle, Kelsie Houchens and Katie Gardner maintain 2.53 and 5.20 ERA's, respectively, having combined to toss 77.0 innings en route to striking out 55 batters.

SERIES HISTORY:
Akron is set to meet Austin Peay for the second and third times in program history and first since 1988 with the Zips leading the series with the Governors, 1-0. Akron has encountered Evansville two times previously with the Zips owning a 2-0 series edge. Akron is meeting Western Kentucky for the sixth and seventh times overall with the Zips trailing the series, 3-2.

AKRON NOTES:
• The Zips have been a member of the Mid-American Conference for the past 30 years after joining the league in 1993 from the North Star Conference.
• Akron's softball roster in 2023 is compiled of 24 student-athletes from across the United States with seven different states and one Canadian Province represented. The Zips roster consists of 14 players from Ohio, three from California, two from Texas and one each from Indiana, Pennsylvania, Washington and Wisconsin.
• The 2023 season marks the 47th season of intercollegiate competition for the Akron softball program.

UP NEXT:
Akron travels to Nashville, Tenn., to compete in the Lady Bison Classic hosted by Lipscomb, March 10-12.

Akron Set for Hilltopper Spring Fling Tournament

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Players Mentioned

Alexis Campbell

Haley Croyle

Alexa DiFeo

Kalli Macintosh-Houlder

Olivia Otani

Brooke Sivek

The University of Akron Athletics