FOLLOW OHIO ATHLETICS: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
ATHENS, Ohio –It's NCAA Championship time for members of the Ohio swimming and wrestling squads, while softball opens MAC play at home. Check out everything that's ahead for Ohio Athletics in this week's Paw Prints.
SWIMMING
March 20-22 / at 2025 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships / Federal Way, Wash. / Gibb Pool / Prelims: 1 p.m. ET/Finals: 9 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Championship Central
Ohio swimming sophomore Zita Szoke heads to Federal Way, Wash. March 19-22 for the 2025 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships hosted by Washington State at Gibb Pool. Szoke's week begins on Thursday, March 20 for the 50 free. She then returns to the pool on Friday, March 21 for the 200 free, before wrapping up her trip on Saturday, March 22 for the 200-yard freestyle. Each day's prelims will begin at 1 p.m. ET, with finals scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. All sessions can be seen on ESPN+.
This is the second-straight year that Szoke has qualified for the NCAA Championships. Szoke currently holds the 23rd-fastest time in the NCAA in the 100 free, after setting a new school and Mid-American Conference record in the prelims at the 2025 MAC Championships last weekend in Buffalo, N.Y. with a time of 47.84. The time was also a new MAC Championship and pool record. Szoke is also holds the 37th-fastest time in the 200 free, a school record time of 1:44.74 that she also set last weekend at the MAC Championships. Szoke's time of 22.17 in the 50 free is currently 53rd-fastest.
Szoke is coming off a stellar MAC Championships last weekend, where she was crowned MAC Champion in the 50, 100 and 200 free, while also earning a relay championship in the 200-yard freestyle relay.
WRESTLING
March 20 / at 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships / Philadelphia, Pa. / Wells Fargo Center / 12 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. ET / ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPN+ / Watch / Championship Central / Schedule of Events
March 21 / at 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships / Philadelphia, Pa. / Wells Fargo Center / 12 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. ET / ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPN+ / Watch / Championship Central / Schedule of Events
March 22 / at 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships / Philadelphia, Pa. / Wells Fargo Center / 11 a.m. ET/ 7 p.m. ET / ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU/ESPN+ / Watch / Championship Central / Schedule of Events
Ohio wrestling concludes the 202-25 season the week when redshirt junior Garrett Thompson and redshirt senior Jordan Greer head to Philadelphia, Pa. for the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships March 20-21 inside the Wells Fargo Center. The competition begins on Thursday, March 20 at 12 p.m. ET. The weekend continues on Friday, March 21 at 12 p.m., before concluding on Saturday, March 22 starting at 11 a.m. All three days will she shown on the ESPN family of networks.
Thompson) enters the NCAA Championship as the highest-seeded Bobcat at No. 4 in the 174-pound bracket, set to face No. 29 seed Tyler Brennan of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Thompson finished the regular season with a dominant 24-5 record, going undefeated in MAC dual matchups before continuing his streak through the MAC Championship to secure his first individual conference title.
Greer) enters the NCAA Championship as the No. 20 seed in the heavyweight division, set to face No. 13 seed Seth Nevills from Maryland. Greer earned his tournament spot by reaching the MAC Championship finals, where he faced Lock Haven's Gavin Hoffman, the NCAA's No. 14 seed. Though he finished as the MAC runner-up, his performance secured an automatic bid. Greer also had an outstanding season, posting a 19-4 record while going undefeated in both regular and MAC duals.
BASEBALL
March 18 / vs Dayton / Athens, Ohio / Bob Wren Stadium / 4 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Tickets
March 21 / at Toledo / Toledo, Ohio / Scott park / 3 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats
March 22 / at Toledo / Toledo, Ohio / Scott park / 1 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats
March 23 / at Toledo / Toledo, Ohio / Scott park / 1 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats
The Ohio baseball team (5-13, 1-5 MAC) is back in action for four more games this week. The week begins on Tuesday, March 18 when Ohio hosts Dayton (9-12). First pitch is set for 3 p.m. ET at Bob Wren Stadium and can be seen on ESPN+. Ohio then hits the road for MAC play March 21-23 when the Bobcats head to Toledo, Ohio to take on Toledo (6-12, 2-4 MAC). The series begins on Friday, March 21 at 3 p.m. ET. The two teams are back in action on Saturday, march 22 at 1 p.m., before concluding the series on Sunday, March 23 at 1 p.m. All three games will take place at Scott Park and be seen on ESPN+.
Ohio is coming off a 2-2 week that saw the Bobcats defeat Morehead State, 20-17, last Tuesday, before picking up their first MAC win of the season on Saturday against Central Michigan.
Morehead State is 6-8 overall and is coming off a three-game series at South Carolina. Central Michigan is currently 2-13 overall and is coming off being swept at Liberty this weekend. CMU will head to Huntington, W. Va. for two games with Marshall during the midweek, before heading to Athens to take on Ohio. Sophomore Ben Slanker helped lead the Ohio offense this past week. Overall, Slanker hit .438 with seven hits in 16 at back. He had three doubles, one home run, five RBI and scored six runs. He recorded a .813 slugging percentage and drew one walk. On March 11 at Morehead State, Slanker went 3-for-5 with four runs scored, one double, one home run and two walks, while scoring four runs in Ohio's win. On March 14 in the Bobcats second game of the day, Slanker went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored and then closed out the weekend with a 2-for-3 performance, with a double, two RBI and one run scored in the Bobcats first MAC win of the season.
Dayton enters the matchup with Ohio with a 9-12 record and is coming off a series at George Mason last weekend, where the Flyers dropped two of three games. Toledo enters the weekend series with the Bobcats with a 6-12 overall record and a 2-4 mark in MAC play. The Rockets are coming off a three-game series against Ball State last weekend, where the Rockets went 1-2. Toledo will take on Wright State on Tuesday before taking on the Bobcats.
SOFTBALL
March 19 / at Marshall / Huntington, W. Va. / Dot Hicks Field / 1 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats
March 21 / vs Buffalo / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 3 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Tickets
March 22/ vs Buffalo / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 1vp.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Tickets
March 22 / vs Buffalo / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 3 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Tickets
The Ohio softball team (17-7, 0-0 MAC)are back in action for four more games and open MAC play at home. The week begins on Wednesday, March 19 when Ohio heads to Huntongton, W. Va. to take on Marshall (14-13). First pitch is set for 5 p.m. ET at Dot Hicks Field and can be seen on ESPN+. Ohio then returns to Athens March 21-22 for a three-game series with Buffalo (5-17, 2-1 MAC). The series begins on Friday, march 21 for a single game at 3 p.m. ET. The Bobcats and Bulls are back in action on Saturday, March 22 for a doubleheader with Buffalo set to begin at 1 p.m. ET. All three games will take place at the Ohio Softball Field and be seen on ESPN+.
Ohio is coming off a 1-1 week that saw the Bobcats split a doubleheader against Stonehill College in Athens. Senior Lauren Yuhas helped lead the Ohio softball team last Thursday in a doubleheader against Stonehill College. Overall, Yuhas hit. .571 with four hits in seven at bats. She has one double, one triple, scored one run and recorded three RBI while slugging, 1.000. She recorded a .500 on base percentage and a 1.500 OPS. In the field, she has a 1.000 fielding percentage, recording five putouts, four assists and no errors.
Marshall enters the matchup with Ohio with a 14-13 record and is coming off a series win against Louisiana last weekend in Huntington. The Herd will take on Miami on Oxford on Tuesday before hosting Ohio on Wednesday. Buffalo comes to Athens with a 5-17 overall record and a 2-1 mark in MAC play after opening the conference season with a series win over bowling Green last week in Buffalo.
#OUohyeah
