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ATHENS, Ohio – It's MAC Championship time for women's golf, while softball is set to host Senior Weekend at the OSF and baseball is hosting Alumni Weekend at Bob Wren Stadium! Check out everything that's ahead for Ohio Athletics in this week's Paw Prints, presented by Memorial Health System.
WOMEN'S GOLF
April 26-28 / 2026 Mid-American Conference Championships / Akron, Ohio / Firestone Country Club / 9 a.m. ET / Championship Central / Live Results
The Ohio women's golf team is set for the 2026 Mid-American Conference Championships April 26-28 in Akron, Ohio. The three-day event is hosted by Kent State at Firestone Country Club. The Championships begin on Sunday, April 26, with the first 18 holes set to tee off at 9 a.m. ET. The Bobcats are back in action for round two at 9 a.m. ET on Monday, April 27, before wrapping up on Tuesday, April 28, with the final 18 holes.
All 10 teams in the MAC will compete this week, including Akron, Ball State, Bowling Green, CMU, EMU, Kent State, NIU, Ohio, Toledo and WMU.
Ohio is coming off a weekend at the 2026 Therese Hession Buckeye Invitational in Columbus, Ohio. Overall, the Bobcats finished in 13th place, shooting a 972 (+108), with Zoe Luebbers leading the team, finishing tied 44th. Luebbers (Cincinnati, Ohio) led the Bobcats efforts at the Invitational, finishing day one with a round one score of 78 (+6) and a round two score of 80 (+8), ending the day in tied 46th. Luebbers ended the third round with a score of 80 (+8), finishing with an overall score of 238 (+22) and finished tied 44th, jumping two spots from the first day of competition.
SOFTBALL
April 24 / vs Marshall / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 3 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats
April 25 / vs Marshall / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 1 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Senior Day
April 25 / vs Marshall / Athens, Ohio / Ohio Softball Field / 3 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Senior Day
The Ohio softball team (32-15, 14-7 MAC) is back in action this weekend for the final home series of 2026 when the Bobcats host MAC-leading Akron (26-21, 17-4 MAC) April 24-25 at the Ohio Softball Field. The series begins on Friday, April 24, with a single game beginning at 3 p.m. ET, before concluding on Saturday, April 25, with a doubleheader set to start at 3 p.m. ET. All three games will be shown on ESPN+. Saturday will also serve as Senior Day for the Bobcats, so come out to the OSF before the start of Saturday's doubleheader and honor Ohio's seniors.
Ohio is coming off a 4-0 week that saw the Bobcats defeat Sun Belt-leading Marshall before sweeping Kent State on the road. Shortstop Rylee McDaniel led the Bobcats at the plate this past week. Overall, McDaniel hit .667 with six hits in nine at-bats. She recorded one double, one triple, three home runs, drew four walks and hit three home runs. She scored six runs and registered five RBI, while slugging 2.000 and recording an OPS of 2.769. She also registered a .769 on base percentage, and in the field, recorded one error, six putouts and had 12 assists.
Akron is 26-21 overall and 17-4 in MAC play, and currently sits in first place in the conference and has already clinched its spot in the 2026 MAC Tournament in two weeks. The Zips are coming off a 2-1 weekend at UMass and will take on Ohio State on Tuesday before heading to Athens. Megan Lee leads the Zips at the plate with a .400 batting average, recording 62 hits, 10 doubles, one triple and 17 RBI, while scoring 40 runs. Sophia Wygast is batting .354 with 52 hits, eight doubles, 10 home runs and a team-leading 48 RBI. In the circle, Madie Jamrog has a 3.53 ERA and is 11-6 on the season. In 127.0 innings, she has allowed 64 earned runs, walked 38 and struck out 69.
BASEBALL
April 21 / vs Northern Kentucky / Athens, Ohio / Bob Wren Stadium / 6 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats
April 24 / vs Northern Kentucky / Athens, Ohio / Bob Wren Stadium / 6 p.m. ET / YouTube / Watch / Live Stats
April 25 / vs Northern Kentucky / Athens, Ohio / Bob Wren Stadium / 4 p.m. ET / YouTube / Watch / Live Stats
April 26 / vs Northern Kentucky / Athens, Ohio / Bob Wren Stadium / 1 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats
The Ohio baseball team (8-31, 5-16 MAC) is back in Athens for four games this week. Ohio's week begins on Tuesday, April 21, when Ohio hosts Northern Kentucky (16-22). First pitch is set for 4 p.m. ET at Bob Wren Stadium and can be seen on ESPN+. Ohio is back into MAC play April 24-26 when the Bobcats host Akron (17-23, 7-14) for Alumni Weekend. The series begins on Friday, April 24, at 6 p.m. ET and will be Jake Roehn Remembrance Night. The series continues on Saturday, April 25 at 4 p.m. ET, and will conclude on Sunday, April 26 at 1 p.m. ET. On Saturday, fans will receive a free Ohio Baseball Pennant and on Sunday, fans will receive a free Rufus Baseball T-Shirt. Friday and Saturday's games will be streamed on YouTube, with Sunday's series finale on ESPN+.
Ohio is coming off a week that saw the Bobcats pick up a 16-6 victory over Central Michigan on Saturday. Fifth-year second baseman Will Henson helped lead Ohio baseball this past week. Overall, Henson hit .571 with eight hits, two doubles, one triple and one home run, while recording six RBI and scoring six runs. He recorded a 1.071 slugging percentage, drew four walks and had a .632 on-base percentage. In the field, he did not commit an error and had six putouts and 12 assists.
Northern Kentucky is 16-22 overall and 6-9 in the Horizon League and is coming off being swept at Milwaukee last weekend. NKU and the Bobcats met last Tuesday, with NKU winning, 11-8. Marcus Harrison leads NKU with a .328 batting average, recording 42 hits, seven doubles, one home run and 24 RBI, while Jake Paulick adds a .315 average with 40 hits, nine doubles, eight home runs and 30 RBI. On the mound, EJ Miramontes has a 6.75 ERA, allowing 33 earned runs in 44 innings of work, while walking 18 and striking out 38.
Akron is 17-23 overall and 7-14 in MAC play and is coming off a series loss at home against Northern Illinois last weekend. The Zips will take on Ohio State on the road on Tuesday before heading to Athens. Brody Chrisman leads the Zips at the plate, batting .367 with 54 hits, 11 doubles, eight home runs and 34 RBI, while Brennan Morgan adds a .299 average, with 35 hits, nine doubles, 29 RBI and 22 runs scored. On the mound, Brady Bowen has a 2.14 ERA in 12 games. In 42 innings, he has allowed 10 earned runs, walked 11 and struck out 32. Elijah Griffith has a 4.89 ERA, allowing 29 earned runs in 53.1 innings, while walking 17 and striking out 34.
MEN'S GOLF
April 20 / 2026 The Muirfield Shootout / Dublin, Ohio / Country Club at Muirfield Village / All Day / Live Results
Ohio men's golf is back in action for its final event before the 2026 MAC Championships this Monday, April 20, when they head to Dublin, Ohio, for the 2026 Muirfield Shootout. The one-day event is hosted by Miami at the Country Club at Muirfield Village.
Competing at this year's event are: Illinois State, Belmont, Kent State, Murray State, Xavier, CMU, Miami, Ohio State, Michigan State, Saint Francis, Ohio, EMU, Bowling Green and Butler.
The Bobcats' six competing players are: seniors Will Kates, Nathaniel Gray Lamont, Carson Trafford and Jack O'Donnell, as well as freshmen Rylan Hall and Jack Flores.
The Bobcats last competed April 6-8 at the 2026 Golfweek/Stifel Spring Challenge. The Bobcats placed 15th overall, while freshman Rylan Hall led the Bobcats at True Blue, shooting rounds of 73, 71, and 72 at the par-72 layout for an even par 216. That score assured him a T-18 finish, his first top 20 as a Bobcat. Hall carded 12 birdies on the week and played to a 4,73 scoring average on par-5's, both in the top ten in the 90-player field.
TRACK AND FIELD
April 23-25/ at 2026 Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Invitational / Louisville, Ky. / Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park / 9 a.m. ET / Meet Information / Meet Schedule
The Ohio track and field team is back in action April 23-25 when they head to Louisville, Ky., for the 2026 Jim Freeman/Clark Wood Invitational. The three-day event will begin every day around 9 a.m. ET at Owsley B. Frazier Cardinal Park
The Bobcats are coming off a strong showing at the 2026 Wake Forest Invitational. Junior Ellie Greenwell was Ohio's top performer on Saturday, breaking her own school record in the women's 1500m. Greenwell won section two of the women's 1500m invite with a career-best time of 4:16.92. Sophomore Emma Hayes kicked off the field events with a personal-best mark of 31.74 meters (104-1).
On Saturday, Senior Sophie Besett was Ohio's top performer of the day. Besett won her section of the women's 800m open with a personal-best time of 2:08.32. Besett's time is the third-fastest outdoor 800m time in program history.
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