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Athens, Ohio –  It's Spring Break in Athens, but it's NCAA Championship time for wrestling, and the home opener for softball! Check out what's ahead in Ohio Athletics in this week's Paw Prints. 
 
WRESTLING
March 16-18 / NCAA Championships/ Tulsa, Okla. / BOK Center/ All Day / ESPN+/ESPNU/ESPN / Watch / Live Results/ Championship Central/ Brackets
 
Four members of the Ohio wrestling squad head to Tulsa, Okla. for the 2023 NCAA Championships, March 16-18 inside the BOK Center. All three days and all mats will be shown on an ESPN platform. 

No. 29 Alec Hagan (Eureka, Mo.) is set to take on No. 4 Caleb Henson (Virginia Tech) in the 149-pound bracket. At 157 pounds, No. 26 Peyten Kellar (Cutler, Ohio) will face off against No. 7 Bryce Andonian (Virginia Tech).
 
No. 26 Sal Perrine (Northfield, Ohio) is slated to wrestle No. 7 Peyton Mocco (Mizzou) in the 174-pound bracket. No. 31 Zayne Lehman (Akron, Ohio) will face off against No. 2 Trent Hidlay (NC State) at 184 pounds. 
 
Lehman and Kellar earned bids to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships for the first time in their careers. Both Hagan and Perrine earned their second bid to the national championships—Hagan qualified in in 2020 while Perrine earned an at-large bid in 2022. 
 
The Bobcats are coming off a fourth-place finish at the 2023 Mid-American Conference Championships in Fairfax, Va. at the EagleBank Arena on George Mason's campus. Kellar was dominant in the third-place match, punching his ticket to Tulsa with a 9-2 decision. After an early loss, Hagan wrestled through the consolation bracket, coming out on top in the fifth-place match with a 4-3 decision. 
 
Perrine defended his fourth-place finish and bid to nationals in a true fourth match against Rider's Michael Wilson. After being tied most of the match, Perrine's 3-1 sudden victory solidified second consecutive trip to the Division I Championships.  
 
Lehman was pinned in the 184-pound championship match but was dominant in his true second match against Cleveland State's DeAndre Nassar, securing second place and his nationals bid with a 9-0 major decision. 
 
WOMEN'S GOLF
March 13-14 / at Spring Break Shootout/ Dade City, Fa. / Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club / All Day / Live Results
 
The Ohio women's golf team returns to action March 13-14 at the 2023 Spring Break Shootout in Dade City, Fla. The two-day, 54-hole event begins with two rounds on Monday and the final round on Tuesday. The event will take place at the 6,040-yard Lake Jovita Golf & Country Club, where par is set at 71. 

Along with Ohio, teams competing are: Akron, Arkansas State, Ball State, Butler, FGCU, Jacksonville St., Loyola, Morehead State, Oakland, Seminole State, Stetson, St. John's, Toledo, Troy and Western Kentucky. 

Ohio's five golfers competing are; Mackenzie McRee, Sydney Longstreth, Avery Ovens, Thanya Arasu and Sloane Post. 
 
MEN'S GOLF
March 13 – 14 / at Ross Collegiate Classic / Southern Pines, N.C. / Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club / All Day / Live Results
 
The Ohio men's golf team is back in action for the 2023 Ross Collegiate Classic in Southern Pines, N.C. The two-day 54-hole event will begin with two rounds on Monday and the final round on Tuesday. The event will take place at the 6,713 yard Mid Pines Inn & Golf Club, where par is set at 72. 

Along with Ohio, teams competing are: George Mason, South Florida, Loyola Marylad, Elon, Loyola Chicago, Old Dominion, Towson, George Washington, William and Mary, Eastern Michigan, St. Bonaventure, Miami, Bowling Green, Villanova, St. John's, Georgetown and St. Joe's. 

Ohio's competing five are; Sam Hogan, Will Kates, Carson Trafford, Matt Daulton and Jack Neville. 

BASEBALL
March 17 / vs. Central Michigan / Athens, Ohio / Bob Wren Stadium / 4 p.m. EST / YouTube/ Watch / Live Stats / Game Program
March 18 / vs. Central Michigan / Athens, Ohio / Bob Wren Stadium / 2 p.m. EST / YouTube/ Watch / Live Stats / Game Program
March 19 / vs. Central Michigan / Athens, Ohio / Bob Wren Stadium / 1 p.m. EST / YouTube/ Watch / Live Stats / Game Program
 
This Ohio baseball team (4-10, 2-1 MAC) is back in Athens this weekend for more MAC play when they host Central Michigan (4-6, 0-0 MAC), March 17-19. The Bobcats open play at 4 p.m. on Friday at Bob Wren Stadium, before returning on Saturday at 2 p.m. The Bobcats and CMU close out the weekend on Sunday, with first pitch set for.1 p.m. All games will be streamed on YouTube. 

Ohio is coming off a series win over Bowling Green last weekend in the conference opener, while CMU took 3-of-4 at Sacramento State last weekend. 

Due to weather, stay tuned to ohiobobcats.com or on social media to stay up to date on any schedule changes. 
 
SOFTBALL
March 17 / vs. Miami / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 3 p.m. / YouTube / Watch / Live Stats / Game Program
March 18 / vs. Miami / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 1 p.m. / YouTube / Watch / Live Stats / Game Program
March 18 / vs. Miami / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 3 p.m. / YouTube / Watch / Live Stats / Game Program
 
After six weeks away, the Ohio softball team (9-12) returns to Athens to open MAC play March 17-18 when they host defending MAC Champion Miami (12-7) for the 'Battle of the Bricks.' The two teams open play on Friday with first pitch set for 3 p.m. at the OSF. The two teams close the weekend on Saturday with a doubleheader set to start at 1 p.m. All three games will be streamed on YouTube. 

Ohio is coming off a 3-1 trip to the Tennessee Tech Tournament, where the Bobcats defeated Robert Morris once and host TTU twice. Miami is coming to Athens after taking 2-of-3 from Western Kentucky on the road last weekend. 

Due to weather, stay tuned to ohiobobcats.com or on social media to stay up to date on any schedule changes.

TRACK AND FIELD
March 17 / at Blizzard Buster / Oxford, Ohio. / George L. Rider Track /9 a.m (Field Events)/10:30 a.m. (Running Events)/ Meet Information / Schedule / Live Results
 
Ohio track and field officially begins its outdoor season this Friday, March 17 when they head to Oxford, Ohio for the 2023 Blizzard Buster at George L. Rider Track. Field events are scheduled to start at 9 a.m., with running events set to start at 10:30 a.m. 

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