TOLEDO, Ohio – University of Toledo head softball coach Joe Abraham and his softball program are eager to get the 2022 softball campaign underway after getting back to a semi-normal 53-game 2021 season. The Rockets travel down to South Carolina this weekend to open its 2022 season with five games at the Charleston Southern Tournament on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 11-13.

The early ending to the 2020 season and no conference tournament last season (2021) means the Rockets will finally get a chance to defend their 2019 Mid-American Conference Tournament title.

"We are going to be a very good team, but the rest of the MAC teams return most of their starters, so it's going to be a battle," Abraham said. "Miami will be the favorite after its season last year and Kent State is always near the top, but as we see every year, it's a well-balanced league."

The 2022 campaign will be Abraham's fourth in the Rockets' dugout. The Rockets closed out the 2021 season on a season-high five-game winning streak with a 31-22 (21-16 MAC) record, and set five school records for batting average (.299), on-base percentage (.375), slugging percentage (.426), runs scored (276) and RBIs (243). UT returns all 10 starters and all but two letterwinners from last season.

"Having almost the entire team returning is exciting.," Abraham said. "The freshmen learn quickly and are talented, so we have even more competition for playing time this year."

Making their debut in the Rockets' dugout are seven freshmen and two assistant coaches, Darrick Brown and Alivia Forshey.

"Our new assistant coaches have been fantastic and have jumped right in and made immediate contributions," Abraham said. "Darrick Brown joined us in November and Liv Forshey just in the last few weeks.  Darrick brings a wealth of knowledge in both pitching and hitting, and Liv played at BG, so she knows the MAC and is just full of enthusiasm and work ethic."

TOP TOLEDO RETURNERS

• Senior 3B Dayna Denner led the Rockets and the conference last season with a .421 batting average, 37 RBIs, an .841 slugging percentage (18th nationally), .550 on-base percentage (17th nationally), finished with a team-high 13 home runs and second-most runs (29).
• Sophomore SS Jenna Kroll made a good impression at shortstop, notching five home runs, 29 RBIs, a .350 batting average and .489 slugging percentage.
• Senior OF Anna Dixon led the team with 30 runs scored and had seven stolen bases with 14 multi-hit contests last year.
• Junior OF Leah Munson ranked third on the team with 25 runs scored and seven doubles, hitting mostly in the No. 2 spot last season for the team. Her efforts earned her All-MAC Defensive Team honors.
• Senior RHP Erin Hunt posted a 22-13 record and a 3.58 ERA last season. Hunt recorded 25 complete games with two shutouts, including a school-record 15 batters vs. New Mexico State (March 7).

ABOUT CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
Charleston Southern was picked to finish seventh in the Big South preseason poll, following an 11-24 overall and 6-15 conference record in 2021. The Buccaneers open their 2022 season with Toledo and UNC Wilmington in a five-game tournament Feb. 11-13.

ABOUT UNC WILMINGTON
UNC Wilmington was picked to finish sixth in the Colonial Athletic Association preseason poll, following a 15-23 record, 9-9 conference mark, and third-place finish in 2021. Impactful players returning to the field for the Seahawks include first team All-CAA catcher Jada Santiago, second team All-CAA pitcher Janel Gamache, and All-CAA Rookie Team infielder Tayler Vitola.

Charleston Southern Tournament (North Charleston, SC)
Friday, Feb.11
vs. Charleston Southern | 5:00 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video
vs. Charleston Southern | 7:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video

Saturday, Feb. 12
vs. UNC Wilmington | 12:00 p.m. | Live Stats
vs. Charleston Southern | 2:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Video

Sunday, Feb. 13
vs. UNC Wilmington | 10:00 a.m. | Live Stats

UP NEXT
The Rockets will head back down south next week to compete at the Blazer Classic on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 18-20 in Birmingham, Ala. Toledo will face Murray State, North Dakota, and host Alabama-Birmingham over the three days of play.