KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The Western Michigan softball team continues MAC play as it takes on Akron on Friday and Saturday, April 7-8. The three-game series at Lee R. Jackson Softball Field is scheduled to start on Friday at 3 pm and closes with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 pm.  
 
AKRON (17-12 Overall, 5-6 MAC) 
Akron enters play 17-14 on the season, including a 5-6 record in the Mid-American Conference under first-year head coach Craig Nicholson. 
 
Freshman Brooke Sivek leads the Zip offense with a team-best .345 batting average. She registers 119 at-bats, 24 runs, 41 hits, 12 stolen bases for a total of 43 bases. Alexis Campbell rings in a team-high 21 RBI and four sacrifice flies this season. 
 
Haley Croyle and Alexia DiFeo go the distance for Akron's pitching, Croyle has thrown 89.1 innings in 20 appearances and 12 starts. DiFeo has pitched 82.2 innings in 18 appearances and 12 starts. Combined the duo has tossed 170.0 innings to post 78 and 55 strikeouts. With all four pitchers seeing action, the Zips post a 2.99 ERA while holding their opponents to a .255 batting average. 
 
WESTERN MICHIGAN (10-14 Overall, 4-1 MAC) 
Western Michigan enters play 10-14 on the season, with a MAC series sweep over BGSU and a 2-1 victory over Miami their last time out to mark a 4-1 record in the MAC under first-year head coach Jenny Rohn. 
 
Cassidy Brendtke was an offensive leader this past week, going six-for-16 (.375) with three runs scored, an RBI, and a stolen base as the Broncos began MAC play 4-1. The junior's week included a career-high three-hit game at Bowling Green during which she scored a couple of runs. She also delivered the go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning in Western Michigan's 2-1 win over Miami on Sunday.
 
Rissa Bajusz turned in a strong week in the circle for the Broncos, as she picked up three wins and a save to help the Broncos start MAC play 4-1. The junior posted a 2.01 ERA and held opponents to a .156 batting average while racking up 25 strikeouts in 22.1 innings. Bajusz opened the week by retiring seven of the eight batters she faced to earn a save in WMU's MAC-opening win at Bowling Green. She followed that up with two wins over the Falcons, including a complete-game victory in the finale during which she carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning as she helped seal Western Michigan's first MAC series sweep since 2018. Bajusz capped the week with another complete-game victory, as she went the distance against Miami on Sunday.
 
As a unit, WMU ranks third in fielding percentage (.967), fifth in ERA (3.90) and doubles per game (1.33), seventh in stolen bases per game (.71), and eighth in slugging percentage (.367), doubles (32), and batting average (.264).
 
Individually, Courtney Farrish leads the MAC and ranks seventh nationally in doubles per game with .42. Farrish also ranks 10th in the MAC with a .585 slugging percentage. Addison Hudson leads the conference and ranks 21st nationally with a .438 batting average. She also ranks fourth in the conference with an on-base percentage of .478.
 
ON DECK
Western Michigan hosts Ball State University at Ebert Field for a three-game MAC series on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 11-12.