Pair of Three-Game MAC Series Ahead for Akron Softball

Tuesday, April 11

Buffalo, N.Y.

3:00 PM

University of Akron

Buffalo

Pair of Three-Game MAC Series Ahead for Akron Softball

April 10 | Softball

AKRON, Ohio - The University of Akron women's softball team is set to battle a pair of Mid-American Conference opponents this week as the Zips visit Buffalo for a three-game series starting on Tuesday before welcoming Bowling Green to Lee R. Jackson Field for a three-game set beginning on Saturday.

WHAT'S AHEAD:
Akron and Buffalo open their series with the Bulls with a single game on Tuesday (April 11) at 3 p.m. before playing a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday (April 12). The Zips then host Bowling Green in a twinbill at 1 p.m. on Saturday (April 15), before concluding the three-game set with a 12 p.m. tilt on Sunday (April 16).

April 11 at Buffalo | 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
April 12 at Buffalo (DH Game 1) | 1 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
April 12 at Buffalo (DH Game 2) | 3:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
April 15 vs. Bowling Green (DH Game 1) | 1 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
April 15 vs. Bowling Green (DH Game 2) | 3:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
April 16 vs. Bowling Green | 12 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video

SCOUTING AKRON:
Akron enters action against Buffalo with a 19-15 ledger on the campaign, including a 7-7 mark in the Mid-American Conference under the direction of first-year head coach Craig Nicholson. In their 47th season of intercollegiate competition in 2023, the Zips returned 18 players from the Zips' 2022 squad and added six newcomers to the 2023 roster.

Sophomore INF Alexis Campbell (Indianapolis, Ind.) leads the offensive exploits for the Zips batting a team-best .345 on the strength of team-high marks in home runs (2), RBI (23) and total bases (49). Freshman INF Brooke Sivek (Boerne, Texas) owns a team-best marks in at-bats (129), runs (25), hits (42) and stolen bases (13).

The pitching duo of freshman Haley Croyle (Hubbard, Ohio) and redshirt senior P Alexa DiFeo (Akron, Ohio) have combined to toss 191.1 innings en route to posting 87 and 62 strikeouts, respectively.

Redshirt junior Jaiden Bryant (Hilliard, Ohio) is rated 21st in the NCAA in triples (4) and 39th in triples per game (0.12), while Campbell ranks 19th in sacrifice flies (4). On the mound, DiFeo is 33rd in walks allowed per seven innings (1.08) and Croyle is 25th in saves (3).

As a team, Akron ranks first in the Mid-American Conference in ERA (2.87*), second in at-bats (948), third in strikeouts (169), fourth in doubles (45), fielding percentage (.963) and runs (151) and fifth in batting average (.276), hits (262), RBI (128) and triples (7).

Individually, Sivek is third in the MAC in hits (42), fifth in third in runs scored (25), while Campbell ranks 10th in RBI (23).

SCOUTING BUFFALO:
Buffalo enters play against Akron at 10-22 on the year, including a 4-4 mark in the Mid-American Conference. Abbey Nagel owns team-best .267 batting average and team-high marks at-bats (101), runs (13), hits (27), doubles (9) and total bases (42). In the circle, the duo of Alexis Lucyshyn and Julia Tarantino have combined to pitch 168.1 innings and maintain 2.81 and 4.56 ERA's, respectively, en route to striking out 162 batters.

SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN:
Bowling Green comes into competition against Miami on Tuesday at 8-24 on the year, including a 1-11 mark in the Mid-American Conference. Sophie Weber maintains a team-best .352 batting average, while adding team-high marks in at-bats (91), hits (32), doubles (9), home runs (3) and total bases (50). In the circle, the trio of Sydney Stepp, Hannah Davies and Scarlet Anderson have combined to pitch 143.2 innings and maintain 5.36, 5.52 and 6.13 ERA's, respectively, en route to striking out 89 batters.

SERIES HISTORY:
Akron leads the all-time series with Buffalo, 39-14, while Bowling Green owns the series advantage versus the Zips, 64-30-1.

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 Pittsburgh, Pa., for a doubleheader at Pitt on Tuesday, April 19.