Toledo, Ohio - The Toledo softball team (16-22, 5-6 MAC) travels to Muncie, Ind. this weekend for three games of Mid-American Conference action against Ball State (29-15, 7-5 MAC). The Rockets and Cardinals open the weekend with a 1:00 p.m. doubleheader on Friday followed by a final 1:00 p.m. contest on Saturday. All of the games will be available to live stream on ESPN3.
 
Toledo at Ball State
April 19-20
First Merchants Ballpark Complex
Live Stats
ESPN3 Links: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3
Toledo Game Notes
 
Last time out
The Midnight Blue and Gold is coming off a 1-2 weekend at Northern Illinois. Toledo started the series with a slim 6-5 loss before winning, 8-3, and dropping the rubber match, 4-1. The Rockets outhit the competition 27-21, saw senior Kaitlyn Bergman's record reached-base streak end at 19 games, and applauded as Bergman and fellow senior Katie Cozy left the park for their respective sixth and fifth homers of the year.
 
Last time against the Cardinals
Toledo and Ball State last saw each other at the end of last season when the No. 2 seed Cardinals bumped the Rockets from the MAC Tournament after winning 2-0.Heather Webb threw 5.2 no-hit innings, but a two-out, two-run single in the sixth inning gave Ball State the victory.
 
Prior to that, the Rockets and Cardinals met in the last series of the regular season where BSU won two of the three games at Scott Park (L, 1-0 | W, 9-1 (6 inn) | L, 2-1 (9 inn)).
 
Scouting the Rockets

• Toledo is 6-4 in its last 10, with the wins coming against Akron, Wright State, Oakland and NIU.
• Sophomore Kylie Norwood ranks third in the conference for hits with 48, eighth in batting average (.353) and seventh in runs scored (27).
• Senior Megan Choate tied her career-high for most walks in a season (23) last weekend against the Huskies.
• Sophomore Raelyn Nyren continues to pace the conference in HBP. One more and she'll tie for second-most in a season at UT.
• Bergman is two homers away from tying her career-high (8, 2018).
• Pitcher Erin Hunt has the third-best opposing batting average in the conference (.220) and has retired 41 batters looking.

 
All-time record vs BSU: 45-58-1
2018 record and RPI: 35-23, 16-7 MAC | 120
2019 record and RPI: 16-22, 5-6 MAC | 178
Top pitchers:

• Erin Hunt (9-10), 2.94 ERA, 114.1 IP, 92 H, 60 R, 48 ER, 60 BB, 130 SO, .220 Opp. b/avg
• Maggie McGurk (5-3), 2.92 ERA, 48.0 IP, 61 H, 32 R, 20 ER, 22 BB, 24 SO, .311 Opp. b/avg

Top batters:

• Kylie Norwood (47-for-136, .346), 27 R, 12 2B, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 68 TB, 10 BB, .500 SLG%, .392 OBP
• Katie Cozy (41-for-129, .318), 17 R, 9 2B, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 65 TB, 6 BB, .504 SLG%, .364 OBP

Batters over .300: Four
Team Slash Line: .270/.366/.391
 
   
 
Scouting the Cardinals

• BSU's Kendall Fields is coming off an outstanding weekend that saw the sophomore bang three homers, including a grand slam, and 10 RBIs against Western Michigan.
• Haley Dominique is second in the MAC for runs scored with 36, sixth in hits with 46, and fourth in RBIs with 32.
• The Cardinals' pitching staff of Alyssa Rothwell (1.35), Darcie Huber (2.25) and Tieghan Morio (2.39) have the three lowest ERAs in the conference, with Sarah Venker (2.68) having the sixth lowest.

 
All-time record vs Toledo: 58-45-1
2018 record and RPI: 37-19, 16-7 MAC | 118
2019 record and RPI: 29-15, 7-5 MAC | 123
Top pitcher:

• Sarah Venker (12-3), 2.68 ERA, 88.2 IP, 76 H, 41 R, 34 ER, 38 BB, 85 SO, .229 Opp. b/avg

Top batter:

• Haley Dominique (46-for-136, .338), 26 R, 11 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 82 TB, 27 BB, .603 SLG%, .467 OBP

Batters over .300: Four
Team Slash Line: .246/.368/.433