TOLEDO, Ohio - The Toledo softball program will begin preparation for its 2022 season when it conducts its first official practice at Scott Park on Wednesday, Sept. 1.
 
The Rockets return all 10 starters and all but two letterwinners from last season's squad that posted a 31-22 overall record. UT finished fourth in the 2021 Mid-American Conference standings with a 21-16 win-loss mark and set school records for batting average (.299), on-base percentage (.375), slugging percentage (.426), runs scored (276) and RBIs (243).

"With nearly the entire team returning, we have a ton of experience and that's not something you can teach," said Head Coach Joe Abraham. "The players know how the coaching staff thinks about the game and how we prepare a team. The starters from last year will have a ton of competition from returners and freshmen for playing time. All of this experience and a freshman class of bright girls, most of whom we've known for a few years, will allow us to enter the fall just like it's January and practice like we are starting for the spring season.
 
"With the freshmen, we think we have some girls who might contribute right away at the plate, but that remains to be seen. The jump from high school and travel ball to Division I is daunting, but they are a confident bunch of athletes."

Senior Dayna Denner returns to the fold after earning MAC Player of Year honors and registering a phenomenal .421 hitting mark to go along a .421 batting average, 13 home runs, 37 RBIs, 20 doubles and 37 walks. Also posting .300 or higher batting averages last season were sophomore Lauren Erickson (.360), senior Anna Dixon (.344), junior Riley Mohr (.333), junior Leah Munson (.321), senior Aleah Marra (.310), and sophomore Jenna Kroll (.305).
 
Toledo also returns its top two performers in the circle last year in seniors Erin Hunt (22-13, 3.58 ERA) and Makenna Durieux (4-5, 3.66 ERA).
 
The Rockets open their fall schedule with a doubleheader at Findlay on Friday, Sept. 17. UT will then host Purdue Fort Wayne and Trine in single contests at Scott Park on Saturday, Sept. 25.
 
Toledo will close out its fall season the weekend of Oct. 2-3. The Rockets will travel to Columbus, Ohio on Saturday for the Buckeye Charity Classic where they will face Ohio Dominican and the College of Wooster. UT will then head to South Bend, Ind. on Sunday to take on Notre Dame and Iowa Western C.C.

"Our fall schedule is tougher than it might look on paper," said Abraham. "Trine is always a Top 20 Division III team and they get recruits who can play at higher levels. Iowa Western C.C. is a very strong program, which I'm sure is why Notre Dame is bringing them in. Ohio Dominican is full of girls we know and always play well in Division II. They took it to us a few years back in a fall game.

"We will also play several intrasquad games, as the rules permit us to play just eight games in the fall against outside opponents. We like playing a lot of games of any type in the fall to create the opportunities to win jobs and to gain as much game experience as possible."

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