When Sydney Selker committed to the University of Akron softball team in the summer of 2023, she looked to her future with the Zips with the hopes of being a part of many big games in a program on the rise.
Friday evening, the Freeport graduate will take the field with Akron for its first NCAA tournament game at the Division I level. The Zips face LSU in the Baton Rouge Regional at 6:30 p.m.
Selker and the Zips have been riding a wave of emotion and exhilaration since May 9 when they defeated Western Michigan, 3-1, to claim their first Mid-American Conference title and the conference’s automatic NCAA berth.
“That win was so awesome and so special. We had been planning on having that feeling since January,” said Selker who is batting .285 and is second on the team with 10 home runs despite missing several weeks in the middle of the season because of a back injury.
“We all had one common goal and that was to win the MAC and get to where we are now with a chance to play in the NCAA tournament. We truly have nothing to lose and everything to gain with playing in this regional. We are the underdog in this competition. But this is the kind of stuff you dream about as a kid growing up and why you always put in the hard work. Now, it’s about going with the flow and enjoying every minute of it.”
Selker said the team is not overwhelmed with playing a team like LSU as Akron, 34-23 overall, faced several top teams from power conference including Arkansas from the SEC twice during an early season southern trip.
“We just have to go in excited and trust our game and what we can do,” she said.
Selker, a sophomore outfielder and pitcher, went 1 for 3 in the MAC title game with a sixth-inning single to help produce a pivotal third run that provided insurance in the two-run victory. Selker said many close wins during the regular season helped the team keep its cool in the pressure-packed championship game.
“Honestly, we weren’t even nervous,” she said. “We were just excited. We knew what the other team was about, and we knew what we had. We didn’t stop until the very end. We had two walk-off wins to get us in position for the title, and we had key hits all along the way to help us win games. We didn’t get too nervous and start pressing. To do this with this group of girls is so special.”
Selker, in addition to her 10 home runs, owns 28 RBIs and has scored 22 runs in 36 games with 29 starts. She leads the team in slugging percentage at .737.
She said work in the weight room in the offseason increased her strength and the pop in her bat.
“I bulked up a lot my freshman year and kept that up over the summer,” Selker said. “I got back here in the fall and kept it going. A lot of it comes from training super hard and focusing on the goals that I have.”
That home run total most likely would be higher had she not missed time in the heart of the MAC schedule. She felt a muscle pull in her back during a game against Ball State on March 14.
“I’ve always had lower back tightness, but I never had the spasms until this year,” Selker said. “I think I just overdid it. I pitch, too, and that is a lot of work. I don’t think I rested as much and got to the training room as much as I needed to. I had experienced back spasms for a couple weekends. Then against Ball State, I swung at an outside pitch and pulled it to the point where I couldn’t even run the bases. I had to take myself out of the game.”
Selker said she had her ups and downs in her recovery but worked hard to make her return. Her first full series back was against Ohio on April 24-25, and Akron went 7-2 from that series through the MAC title game.
“It was hard, especially playing so much in the early part of the season and knowing my role more and more,” she said. “But I was there and staying positive for my team as much as I could be. I couldn’t force my way back into it. I had to take my time and get healthy first and come back stronger. I feel a lot better, and I am playing a lot.”
Selker showed her worth to the team in a big way over two games in a late season conference series against Central Michigan on May 2-3.
She was named MAC Player of the Week two days later, honoring her offensive output in Akron’s 2-1 series win over the Chippewas.
In the series, which included two starts, she batted .714 (5 for 7) with four home runs and seven RBIs. She also drew two walks
“My plan going into the batter’s box is to just hit my pitch, especially early in the count if I see a pitch I like,” Selker said. “I don’t go in looking to hit home runs, but I just want to put a good swing on the ball. I guess that weekend I was seeing beach balls at the plate.”
Selker was thrust into the Akron game plan immediately as a true freshman last spring. She appeared in 53 of 55 games with 46 starts in the field.
She also pitched in three games.
Selker recorded 37 hits, scored 32 runs and collected eight doubles and six home runs with 26 RBIs. She had 10 multi-hit games as the Zips went 30-25 overall and 15-9 in the MAC.
“It was exciting to know I had that big role on the team as a designated player,” she said. “It was also a little stressful at times because it is a different game in college with scouting reports and people knowing what you can and can’t do. People have a lot of film and can find your weak spots early. I had to work through some struggles as the season went on. But it was reassuring to know the role that I had and the potential for growth in my game.”