TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo baseball team hosts Ball State this weekend in Mid-American Conference Play at Scott Park. All four games will be streamed live on ESPN3.

Friday's series opener is set to start at 3:00 p.m., which will be followed by a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon. The series will conclude with a 1:00 p.m. game on Sunday.

This weekend's series pits two of the top teams in the MAC standings, as Ball State (14-8, 9-1 MAC) occupies the top spot and the Rockets (12-11, 6-5 MAC) are currently in fourth.

Friday games mean "$5 Fridays" at Scott Park, with the first 25 fans through the gate receiving a $5 coupon to Buffalo Wild Wings.

Last Time Out
Freshman Caden Konczak's first career home run in the top of the sixth inning was the fifth of the night for the Toledo baseball team and proved to be the game-winner in the Rockets' 7-6 win over Ohio State in Columbus on Wednesday.

Trailing 6-3 in the top of the sixth, the Rockets scored four runs on three homers to take a 7-6 lead they would not relinquish. Sophomore Scott Mackiewicz and freshman Garret Pike slugged back-to-back home runs to tie the game at 6-6, then freshman Caden Konczak smacked a 2-0 pitch down the right field line that cleared the fence and put Toledo up by a run. It was second game of Konczak's career and his first collegiate hit.

Toledo tallied a total of five home runs on the night, scoring all seven of its runs on the long ball. Junior Darryn Davis and senior John Servello also left the yard for the Midnight Blue and Gold, hitting home runs in the third and fourth inning, respectively.

Six pitchers saw time on the mound for the Rockets on Wednesday. Freshman Brennan McCune threw two scoreless innings and earned the win, while sophomore Parker Newby, junior Cal McAninch, and sophomore Camryn Szynski all turned in scoreless outings as well. McAninch struck out two in two shutout innings, while Szynski earned his second save of the season with a scoreless bottom of the ninth.

Rocket Notes

• The Rocket slugged five home runs in the win over Ohio State, their most in a game since hitting seven against Olivet College in 2010.
• Wednesday's win was Toledo's first over the Buckeyes since April 12, 1983 and the first over a Big Ten team since March 19, 2017 at Illinois.
• Scott Mackiewicz and Garret Pike hit back-to-back home runs at OSU, the first Rockets to do that since Mason Sykes and Chris Meyers went back-to-back at Davidson last season
• Through the first six weeks of the season, the Rockets have sported one of the best pitching staffs in the conference. They lead the MAC in ERA (4.45) and rank third in both strikeouts (186) and batting average against (.167).
• Kyle Jones has been a driving force behind Toledo's strong pitching, leading the MAC in both strikeouts (51) and innings pitched (38.0) while sitting third in ERA (2.61). Jones has thrown at least six innings in all six outings this season.
• Dating back to last season, nine of Jones' last 10 starts have gone at least six innings.
• Mason Sykes is tied with Ball State's Trenton Quartermaine and Eastern Michigan's Gabe Denton for most home runs in the MAC this year with seven. Sykes hit seven homers all of last season.
• John Servello is hitting .361 in conference play and is tied for the team lead with five stolen bases.
• Freshman Garret Pike has reached base in 10 straight games, the longest such streak by a Rocket this season. He broke out in a big way in Saturday's contest, hitting two home runs and driving in three runs.

About Ball State
Ball State has played its last three weekend series at home, most recently winning two games against Western Michigan last weekend in a weather-shortened series. The Cardinals' pitching staff ranks atop the MAC in strikeouts (224) and sits in second behind Toledo in team ERA (5.02). They are not just the top strikeout team in the MAC, but one of the best in the country, ranking ninth in K/9 (11.5). Tyler Schweitzer leads the team and ranks third in the league in punchouts with 45. Offensively, Trenton Quartermaine is tied for first in the MAC in RBIs (24) with Mason Sykes and is also tied with Sykes for second in home runs (7).

Tickets for Battle of I-75 at Fifth Third Field On Sale Now!
Toledo will play arch-rival Bowling Green at Fifth Third Field on Tuesday, May 10. Tickets for Toledo's game at Fifth Third Field are on sale now and can be purchased through the Toledo Mud Hens ticket office online by visiting this link. General admission tickets will be $8.00, with discounted tickets available for high school and college students.