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CLEVELAND, Ohio – The No. 2 Ohio softball team (35-17) opens play at the 2025 Mid-American Conference Tournament on Thursday, May 8 when they take on No. 6 Northern Illinois (21-28). First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. ET at Firestone Stadium and can be seen on ESPN+.
NIU defeated Central Michigan, 6-5 in eight innings Wednesday afternoon on the opening day to advance in the winner's bracket.
Miami (31-23) enters the tournament as the top seed, while CMU (26-24) is third, Ball State (32-16) four and Akron (28-23) fifth.
Ohio enters the tournament looking for their first MAC Championship since 2018. The Bobcats enter the week as the second seed after finishing the regular season 35-17 overall and an 18-8 mark in MAC play.
NIU is currently 21-28 overall and finished conference play 14-13. The Huskies had four named to All-MAC Teams in the MAC Postseason awards announced on Tuesday.
For Ohio, redshirt junior
Skipp Miller (Bradford, Ohio) was named the MAC Pitcher of the Year, the first Ohio pitcher to earn the honor since 2018. Head coach
Jenna Hall was named the MAC Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons, while Miller and sophomore
Brenna Farmer (Mt. Blanchard, Ohio) were named First Team All-MAC, while freshmen
Abby Kennelly (Waterville, Ohio) and
Anna Wise (Broadview Heights, Ohio) were named Second Team All-MAC and to the MAC All-Freshman Team.
Miller led the MAC with a 1.54 ERA, a 10-4 record and one save. She's appeared in 18 games, making 13 starts while tossing 13 complete games, four shutouts and a no-hitter. Miller allowed 29 runs, 21 earned on 84 hits, while walking 29 and striking out 73 in 95.1 innings pitched, while opponents are hitting .237 against her. Miller earned MAC Pitcher of the Week three times in April during conference play; on April 29 against Ball State, Miller tossed her second no-hitter of the season, a 2-0 victory where Miller pitched seven innings with no hits or runs, while walking one and striking out five.
Farmer has made an impact in her second season at Ohio, playing and starting in all 26 MAC games at first base for the Bobcats. During conference play, Farmer showed her poise at the plate and on the defensive side as well. Farmer is hitting a team-leading .395 with 30 hits in 76 at-bats.
Wise has made an immediate impact on the Ohio rotation during the season, quickly moving her way up as the Bobcats' second game starter. In MAC play, Wise is 5-2 with 12 appearances and nine starts, while throwing five complete games and one shutout in 53.1 innings pitched. She sports a 3.02 ERA and has allowed 25 runs, 23 earned on 61 hits, while walking 13 and striking out 31, while opponents are hitting .281 against her and have only recorded nine extra base hits when she is in the circle.
Kennelly hit .393, which is second on the Bobcats in conference play. She recorded 22 hits, scored eight runs and drove in seven Bobcats, while slugging .393. She also drew 11 walks and had a .485 on-base percentage, while adding one stolen base.
With a win, the Bobcats will advance to the MAC Semifinals against the winner of No. 1 Miami and No. 4 Ball State on Friday, May 9 at 12 p.m. ET.
The MAC Championship game will take place on Saturday, May 10 at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
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