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ATHENS, Ohio – Ohio women's basketball is set to host the first round of the WNIT, while members of Ohio wrestling and Ohio swim head to NCAA Championships! Check out everything that's ahead for Ohio Athletics in this week's Paw Prints, presented by Memorial Health System.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
March 19 / 2026 WNIT First Round / vs. UMBC / Athens, Ohio / Convocation Center / 7 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Ohio Notes / UMBC Notes / Digital Guide / Tournament Central / Bracket / Tickets
The Ohio women's basketball team (18-13, 11-7 MAC) has been selected to participate in the 2026 Women's National Invitation Tournament. The Bobcats will host their first-round matchup against UMBC (16-14, 10-6 America East) on Thursday, March 19, at the Convocation Center. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET and can be seen on ESPN+. The winner of Thursday night's contest will advance to the second round of the WNIT and face Sun Belt Conference foe, Marshall (23-9, 13-5 SBC), in Huntington, W. Va.
In the field of 48 teams, Ohio is the only women's program that will be representing the Mid-American Conference. This is Ohio's first WNIT appearance since the 2021-22 season, when they were defeated on the road by South Dakota State. This is the program's sixth overall appearance in the WNIT and the Bobcats have a 6-6 record at the tournament during head coach Bob Boldon's tenure.
Ohio is coming off a trip to the Mid-American Conference Tournament last week in Cleveland, where No. 5 Ohio defeated No. 4 Central Michigan, 89-88, in the quarterfinals, advancing to the semifinals for the first time since 2021. Ohio would go on to fall to No. 1 Miami in the semis.
UMBC finished the season 16-14 overall and 10-6 in the American East, before falling to top-seeded Vermont in double overtime in the American East Tournament last week. UMBC is led by Jade Tillman, who averages 15-9 points and 7.6 rebounds a game, while shooting 37.1 percent from the field and 86.1 percent from the line. Heidi Williams, who adds 9.5 points and 5.1 rebounds a game, while shooting 37.5 percent from the field and 56.8 percent from the line.
Various ticket options are available for the first-round contest, including courtside, reserved (sections 1-4) and general admission. Tickets can be purchased through the Ohio Athletics Ticket Office or by calling (740) 593-1300. Group tickets are on sale for $3.
The Rohr Room will be accessible during Thursday's game for Ohio Bobcat Club members at the captain level ($1,000+). Season tickets do not include postseason games; all fans must purchase a ticket to Thursday night's game.
SWIM AND DIVE
March 18 / at 2026 NCAA Women's Swim and Dive Championships / Atlanta, Ga. / McAuley Aquatic Center / Prelims: 10 a.m. ET; Finals: 6 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch Prelims / Watch Finals / Live Results / Championship Central
March 19 / at 2026 NCAA Women's Swim and Dive Championships / 100-Yard Breaststroke and 200-Yard Freestyle / Atlanta, Ga. / McAuley Aquatic Center / Prelims: 10 a.m. ET; Finals: 6 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch Prelims / Watch Finals / Live Results / Championship Central
March 20 / at 2026 NCAA Women's Swim and Dive Championships / 200-Yard Breststroke and 50-Yard Freestyle / Atlanta, Ga. / McAuley Aquatic Center / Prelims: 10 a.m. ET; Finals: 6 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch Prelims / Watch Finals / Live Results / Championship Central
March 21/ at 2026 NCAA Women's Swim and Dive Championships / 100-Yard Freestyle / Atlanta, Ga. / McAuley Aquatic Center / Prelims: 10 a.m. ET; Finals: 6 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch Prelims / Watch Finals / Live Results / Championship Central
Ohio swim senior Casadie DiBetta and junior Zita Szoke are set for the 2026 NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships, March 18-21 in Atlanta, Ga. The four-day event will take place at McAuley Aquatic Center and can be seen on ESPN+. Neither Szoke nor DiBetta will be competing on Wednesday, so they will see action starting on Thursday, March 19, at 10 a.m. ET. for the 100-yard breaststroke and the 200-yard freestyle prelims. Both are back in action on Friday, March 20, at 10 a.m. ET for the 200-yard breaststroke and the 50 free prelims, Szoke will conclude the week on Saturday, March 21, at 10 a.m. ET with the 100 free prelims. If either were to finish the prelims in the top-eight and advance to finals, those will begin at 6 p.m. ET each day.
This is the third trip to the NCAA Swim and Dive Championships for Szoke and the first for DiBetta.
Both DiBetta and Szoke earned their spots at the 2026 NCAA Swim and Dive Championships by earning automatic bids at this year's Mid-American Conference Championships in Akron, Ohio. Szoke won the 200 and 100 freestyle, while DiBetta won her third-straight 200-yard breaststroke championship. Because of their automatic bids to the NCAA Championships and previously hitting NCAA standard times for those events, Szoke will be able to compete in the 50 free and DiBetta in the 100 breast.
After MAC Championships, both Szoke and DiBetta were named First Team All-MAC.
WRESTLING
March 19 / at 2026 NCAA Men's Wrestling Championships / Cleveland, Ohio / Rocket Arena / 12 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. ET / ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+ / Watch / Live Results / Championship Central / Brackets
March 20 / at 2026 NCAA Men's Wrestling Championships / Cleveland, Ohio / Rocket Arena / 12 p.m. ET/ 8 p.m. ET / ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+ / Watch / Live Results / Championship Central / Brackets
March 21/ at 2026 NCAA Men's Wrestling Championships / Cleveland, Ohio / Rocket Arena / 11 a.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. ET / ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+ / Watch / Live Results / Championship Central / Brackets
Four members of the Ohio wrestling squad head to Cleveland, Ohio march 19-21 for the 2026 NCAA Men's Wrestling Championships inside Rocket Arena. All three days can be seen across the networks of ESPN. Redshirt seniors Garrett Thompson, Sal Perrine and Zayne Lehman will make return trips to the NCAA Championships, while redshirt junior Derek Raike will make his first trip. The weekend begins on Thursday, March 19, at 12 p.m. ET for prelims, with more prelims and wrestle-backs set for 7 p.m. ET. Quarterfinals and wrestle-backs are set for Noon ET on Friday, March 20, with semifinals and wrestle-backs set for 8 p.m. ET. Consolation finals are set to begin at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 21, with Championship Finals scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET.
Ohio's four qualifiers are the most since 2022-23. It also marks the first time Ohio wrestling has had three individual MAC Champions since the 1999-00 season, when Brad Wright, Dan Bednar, and Tim Coutard each won MAC titles. Ohio's three individual champions were the most of any team at this year's MAC Championships.
Raike enters the NCAA Championship as the highest-seeded Bobcat at No. 13 in the 157 lb. bracket, set to face No. 20 seed Jimmy Harrington of Harvard. Raike compiled a 21-5 record in the regular season, including a 6-1 mark in MAC dual matches before going 4-0 at the MAC Championships to secure his first individual conference title. Raike's run included a defeat of 18th-seeded DJ McGee of George Mason in the semifinals.
Perrine is the 15th seed in the 184 lb. bracket, set to face No. 18 seed Jake Dailey of the University of North Carolina. Perrine finished the regular season with a 19-4 record, going undefeated in MAC dual matchups before continuing his streak through the MAC Championship to secure his first individual conference title. Perrine defeated 25th-seeded Malachi DuVall of George Mason in the 184 lb. championship match.
Lehman is the 19th seed in the 197 lb bracket, set to face 14th-seeded Gabe Sollars of Indiana. Lehman finished the regular season with a stellar 19-2 record, going undefeated in dual matches and continuing his unbeaten streak through the MAC Championships, securing his first individual title. Lehman defeated 32nd-seeded Blake Schaffer of Kent State in the 197 lb. championship match.
Thompson enters the NCAA Championship as the No. 24 seed in the 174 lb. division, set to face No. 9 seed Beau Mantanona of Michigan. Thompson earned his tournament spot by winning the third-place match the MAC Championships, before defeating the second-place finisher, Rider's Evan Munguia, in a true second-place match to clinch the conference's second automatic bid at 174 lbs. Thompson also had a strong season, compiling a record of 16-3 after returning to the Bobcat lineup in January.
SOFTBALL
March 20 / vs Northern Illinois / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 3 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Digital Guide
March 21 / vs Northern Illinois / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 1 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Digital Guide
March 21 / vs Northern Illinois / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 3 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Digital Guide
The Ohio softball team (17-10, 1-3 MAC) returns to Athens for the first time this season when the Bobcats host Northern Illinois (8-7, 2-1 MAC) March 20-21. The weekend begins on Friday, March 20, at 3 p.m. ET at the Ohio Softball Field. The weekend wraps up on Saturday, March 21, with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. at the OSF. All three games can be seen on ESPN+.
Ohio is coming off a 1-2 first weekend of MAC play at Toledo. Ohio dropped the first game of the weekend, 7-6, before winning the first game of Sunday's doubleheader, 10-6. The Bobcats dropped the final game on Sunday, 10-6. Senior third baseman Shelby Westler led Ohio this past weekend. Overall, Westler hit .700 with seven hits, two doubles, four RBI and three runs scored. She recorded a .900 slugging percentage, a 1.515 OPS and a .615 on-base percentage. She recorded two sacrifice flies and in the field, she did not commit an error, while recording three putouts and four assists.
NIU is 8-7 overall and 2-1 in MAC play and are coming off a series win at home against Buffalo this past weekend. At the plate, Danielle Stewart leads the Huskies with a .467 batting average, recording 21 hits, with four doubles and three home runs. She also has a team-high 17 RBI and has drawn nine walks. In the circle, Madison Carlson has a 3.88 ERA in nine appearances with five starts. She has allowed 22 runs, 17 earned, while walking 15 and striking out 23.
BASEBALL
March 20 / at Bowling Green / Bowling Green, Ohio / Steller Field / 3 p.m. ET / Live Stats
March 21 / at Bowling Green / Bowling Green, Ohio / Steller Field / 1 p.m. ET / Live Stats
March 22 / at Bowling Green / Bowling Green, Ohio / Steller Field / 1 p.m. ET / Live Stats
The Ohio baseball team (3-18, 1-1 MAC) is back on the road March 20-22 for a three-game series at Bowling Green (5-12, 2-4 MAC). The weekend begins on Friday, March 20 at 3 p.m. ET at Steller Field. Saturday and Sunday's games are set to begin at 1 p.m. ET. Those three games will not be streamed.
Ohio is coming off a week that saw Cam Hill hit .474 in five games, recording nine hits, two doubles, two home runs, while scoring six runs and recording six RBI. He also recorded a .895 slugging percentage and did not commit an error in the field. Cale Steinbaugh hit .500 in three games, recording five hits in 10 at bats, while hitting one double, scoring three runs and recording three RBI.
Bowling Green is 5-12 overall and 2-4 in MAC play and is coming off a series loss at Miami this past weekend. Leading BGSU is Sam Seidel who is hitting .295 with 18 hits in 61 at bats. He's recorded six doubles, two home runs and nine RBI. Vinny Salvione is hitting .290 with 18 hits and 16 RBI. On the mound, Nate Kress is 3-0 with a 3.74 ERA. In 21.2 innings, he has allowed nine runs on 21 hits, walked three and struck out 21.
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