TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo baseball team heads down to Athens this weekend for a four-game series with the Ohio Bobcats.
 
The weekend begins with a 5:00 p.m. contest on Friday and continues with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 3:00 p.m. Toledo and Ohio will wrap up their series with a 1:00 p.m. game on Sunday. Saturday's doubleheader was originally supposed to start at 1:00, but the start time was pushed back to 3:00 due to weather.
 
The Rockets (13-14, 7-8 MAC) are looking to bounce back after dropping three out of four games at home to Ball State this past weekend. The Bobcats (11-12, 5-7 MAC) suffered a series sweep at Central Michigan this past weekend, losing all four games to the first-place Chippewas.
 
Last Time Out
The Rockets hosted Ball State for a four-game series this past weekend, dropping three out of four to the Cardinals. UT saved its most complete game of the weekend for last, winning 5-1 on Sunday.
 
Toledo's trio of sophomore Camryn Szynski, junior Cal McAninch, and sophomore Kyle Pijaszek held Ball State to one run on five hits in Sunday's victory. The Cardinals had scored 21 runs in the previous three games, but they were stymied by Toledo's pitching in the series finale.
 
Szynski made his first start of the season on Sunday, striking out four in six innings. McAninch tossed a scoreless seventh inning, and Pijaszek closed the door with two shutout innings to end the game.
 
At the plate, junior Darryn Davis went 2-for-2 with a two-run home run and a pair of walks. Sophomore Scott Mackiewicz went 2-for-4 with a double, while senior John Servello and junior Mason Sykes both drove in runs on Sunday. Sykes also stole two bases. Sophomore Jeron Williams scored twice hitting out of the leadoff spot.
 
Rocket Notes

• The Rockets' pitching staff leads the MAC in ERA (4.42) and ranks third in strikeouts (216).
• Toledo is tied with Miami for most strikeouts (131) in MAC play. UT boasts two of the top three strikeout pitchers in league play: Kyle Jones (32, 1^st) and Connor Brandon (27, 3^rd).
• Jones has been a driving force behind Toledo's strong pitching, leading the MAC in both strikeouts (56) and innings pitched (44.1) while sitting fifth in ERA (3.25). Jones has thrown at least six innings in all seven outings this season.
• Dating back to last season, 11 of Jones' last 12 starts have gone at least six innings.
• Mason Sykes has already matched his home run total from last season with seven. He is tied for third in the MAC in home runs this year.
• John Servello is hitting .380 in conference play and is tied for the MAC lead with nine stolen bases in league play.
• Servello's 12 total stolen bases this season are already the most by a Rocket since Ross Adolph in 2018 (12).
• Freshman Garret Pike has reached base in 13 straight games, the longest such streak by a Rocket this season.

About Ohio
Ohio will be looking to get back on track this weekend after dropping five of its last six games. Colin Kasperbauer not only leads the Bobcats in hitting, but is also the MAC's top hitter with a .408 batting average. Mason Minzey (23 RBIs) and AJ Rausch (22 RBIs) are the two top run producers for a team that ranks fifth in the MAC in runs scored (140). On the mound, Edward Kutt IV has posted a team-best 40 strikeouts in 37.2 innings pitched this year.
 
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.