The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Ohio State
Akron Battles Ohio State on the Road Tuesday
April 20 | Softball
WHATS AHEAD
The Akron softball team heads to Columbus, Ohio, to face Ohio State on Tuesday, April 21.
HOW TO FOLLOW
April 21 at Ohio State | 5 PM | B1G+ | 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 26-21 overall and own a league-best 17-4 record in MAC play. Akron is 9-2 at home, 12-8 on the road and 5-11 in neutral site games. The Zips have five players batting near .300 or better led by Meagan Lee (.400) with 62 hits in 155 at-bats. Lee has scored 40 runs, collected 17 RBI and 15 walks. Sophia Wygast follows with a .354 batting average on 52-for-147 with a team-high 48 RBI, while recording eight doubles and a team-high 10 home runs. Lily Sullivan (.326), Haley Glass (.309) and Katie Cantrell round out the group. Sullivan is 46-for-141, Glass is 29-for-94, while Cantrell is 38-for-125. The trio have recorded 29, 25 and 26 RBI , respectively. Sullivan is tied with Lee for the team-high in doubles (10), while Glass has six home runs and five doubles. Glass had nine doubles and three home runs.
In the circle, Madie Jamrog (11-5) and Macy Walters (12-9) provide a one-two punch. Jamrog owns a 3.64 ERA with 113.1 innings pitched in 21 appearances and 18 starts. Opponents hit .303 against Jamrog with 143 hits for 59 earned runs (74 total) with 64 strikeouts and 37 walks.
Walters owns a 4.24 ERA with 125.1 innings pitched in 27 appearances and 21 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      26-21     W1
Northern Illinois                 14-5      21-12     W3
Miami                                 14-7     33-14     W1
Ohio                                   14-7     32-15     W5
Central Michigan                13-7     22-18     W1
Western Michigan               12-9     23-20     W2
Toledo                                 9-12     13-30     L2
Buffalo                                 8-13     21-27    L1
Kent State                            7-14     17-25    L9
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)
