TOLEDO, Ohio— Seniors Michael Ryan and Layne Schnitz-Paxton have been named team captains for the Toledo baseball program for the upcoming 2020 season, head coach Rob Reinstetle announced Thursday.

"Both guys are seniors and have proven to be outstanding leaders on our baseball team," Reinstetle said. "I let the team select captains and these two guys were the clear winners. Layne is the leader of the pitching staff and a veteran guy that everyone looks up to on and off the field. Mike is basically a coach on the field. He sees the game differently than most college players, and it's a great attribute to have in your catcher. Both guys have the respect of the players and coaching staff. I think they are perfect choices and great examples of what a captain should be."

Ryan, a Holly, Mich. native, started 20 games at catcher for the Rockets last year before his season was cut short due to injury. He has started 98 games behind the plate during his career with Toledo and holds a .235 career batting average with eight home runs and 56 RBIs.

A Napoleon, Ohio native, Schnitz-Paxton has appeared in 32 games for Toledo over the last three years, making 16 starts. Last season, he led all Rocket starting pitchers with a 4.26 ERA across 61.1 innings and tallied 47 strikeouts.

Toledo opens its 2020 season on Friday, Feb. 14 with a three-game series at East Tennessee State.