TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo head softball coach Joe Abraham announced the program's 2022 schedule on Wednesday. The campaign begins at CSU's Charleston Southern Tournament on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 11-13.

Following the three-day event in South Carolina, the Rockets will meet Murray State, University of Alabama Birmingham and North Dakota in the Blazar Classic in Birmingham, Ala. on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 18-20.

The Rockets will go back to Alabama on Friday-Sunday, March 4-6 for the Auburn Tournament to face Chattanooga, Auburn and North Carolina A&T at Mary Bowers Field.

The National Fastpitch Coaches Association Leadoff Classic will round out the Rockets' preseason on Friday-Sunday, March 11-13 in Columbus, GA.

"We've intentionally put together a tough non-conference slate," Abraham said. "We have an experienced team that has had some success and we want to be ready for MAC play.

"Playing at places such as Auburn, UAB and the NFCA Leadoff Classic are going to challenge us to step up our games even more. And then we mix in Ohio State, Michigan State and Notre Dame when we're back up north, and the season will be a good challenge for us from start to finish."

Toledo will open its 30-game Mid-American Conference campaign with the addition of three non-conference matchups with a road series at Western Michigan (March 18-19). This year, teams return to the three-game set series held on Tuesday/ Wednesday, Friday/Saturday and or Saturday/Sunday. 

The Rockets will host Buffalo (March 25-26), 2021 MAC Champions Miami (April 5-6), Ball State (April 15-16), Kent State (April 23-24), and Ohio (May 3-4) at Scott Park. In addition to its MAC-opening series with the Broncos, Toledo will visit I-75 rival Bowling Green (April 1-2), Akron (April 9-10), Central Michigan (April 19-20) and Northern Illinois (April 29-30). The Rockets will also play non-conference mid-week single games at Michigan State (March 30), Ohio State (April 12) and Notre Dame (April 26).

The MAC will hold its postseason tournament this season, which is scheduled for Thursday-Saturday, May 12-14 at the highest-seed's campus. The conference tournament winner will earn an automatic birth into the NCAA Tournament.

The 2022 campaign will be Abraham's fifth in the Rockets' dugout. The Rockets out the 2021 season on a season-high five-game winning streak and a 31-22 (21-16 MAC) record. UT returns all 10 starters and all but two letterwinners from last season.

View the full Rockets 2021 Softball schedule here.

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