TOLEDO, Ohio – The University of Toledo baseball team hosts Akron this weekend at Scott Park for a four-game series.

Friday's series opener is set for a 3:00 p.m. start, Saturday's seven-inning doubleheader will begin at noon, and Sunday's series finale will begin at 1:00 p.m. All four games will be streamed live on ESPN+ and links can be found below. Live stats for the entire weekend can be found by clicking here, and fans can also follow along on Twitter at @ToledoBaseball for updates.

Friday Live Stream | Saturday Live Stream (Game 1) | Saturday Live Stream (Game 2) | Sunday Live Stream

Last Time Out
Toledo took three out of four at Kent State last weekend, the Rockets' first series win at Kent State since 2004. All four games were one-run decisions, with Toledo claiming Friday's series opener, the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, and the series finale on Sunday.

In Sunday's win, Toledo jumped ahead early, but a nine-run fifth for Kent State gave it a 10-6 lead. The Golden Flashes would extend their lead to 12-6, but Toledo scored three runs in the top of the seventh, three in the eighth, and two in the ninth to tie the score at 14-14 and send the game into extras. Nicky Winterstein's sac fly in the top of the 10th inning drove in what would be the game-winning run. Chris Meyers led the way at the plate, going 4-for-6 with five RBIs, a home run, and two doubles. Mason Sykes and Marcus Strother each drove in two runs, while Winterstein, John Servello, and Trace Hatfield each had an RBI. Strother and Scott Mackiewicz each walked three times and scored twice. All nine Rockets that stepped to the plate scored a run in Sunday's game. Kyle Pijaszek threw 2.1 perfect innings, striking out four and earning his first win of the year. Connor Brandon started the game on the mound and lasted 4.1 innings.

Rocket Notes

• Toledo has played in six straight one-run games and owns a record of 5-1 in those contests.
• Last weekend's series victory at Kent State was the Rockets' first since 2004, and UT's first series win overall against the Golden Flashes since 2015.
• Toledo drew 10 walks as a team at Kent State on Sunday, the most since drawing 12 in a game at Dayton on April 23, 2019.
• According to NCAA Statistics, Toledo has played the 11th-toughest schedule to-date in the entire country, with its past opponents owning a combined winning percentage of .612. The next highest MAC school on the list is Ball State at 78th.
• The Rockets are second in the MAC in RPI behind Ball State. Central Michigan, Ohio, and Miami round out the Top 5.
• Chris Meyers currently ranks in the Top 20 nationally in three categories: home runs (9th, 11), slugging percentage (11th, .798), and RBIs (18th, 35).
• Meyers leads the MAC in all of those categories as well as hits (38) and he is tied for the lead in doubles (10). He's second in on-base percentage (.481), fourth in batting average (.365), sixth in runs scored (24), and seventh in walks (17).
• Meyers was intentionally walked three times at Ball State. He has been intentionally walked five times this year, more than any other MAC player.
• Toledo's 34 home runs as a team are the most in the MAC, five ahead of second-place Kent State (29).

 
Chasing Down History
­­Chris Meyers has 11 home runs entering this weekend's series against Akron, four away from tying the single-season record of 15, held by Ross Adolph (2018) and Mike Ernst (2000). Meyers has 27 games to get there and is averaging a home run every 9.46 at-bats.

­­Scouting Akron
The Zips own an overall record of 9-16 and a 3-13 mark in conference play. Akron has lost 14 games in a row, a stretch that includes series sweeps at the hands of Western Michigan and Ball State. As a team Akron is hitting .268, which ranks fourth in the MAC, and the squad is led individually by Bryant Shellenbarger and his .333 batting average. Cameron Tilly is the team leader in home runs (four) and slugging percentage (.518). On the mound, the Zips own a team ERA of 6.24 and are led by Taed Heydinger (2.53 ERA) and Conor Steinbaugh (3.49 ERA, 33 strikeouts, zero walks).