University of Toledo
East Tennessee State
Toledo Opens 2023 Season at East Tennessee State
2/15/2023 12:30:00 PM | Baseball
Three-game series in Johnson City begins Friday afternoon
TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo baseball team begins its 2023 season this weekend with a three-game series at East Tennessee State.
First pitch for Friday's Opening Day contest is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., Saturday's game will begin at 2:00 p.m., and Sunday's series finale will start at 1:00 p.m. Friday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
Toledo is coming off a 33-win season in 2022 and its first MAC Tournament appearance since 2018. The 33 wins are tied for the third-most in a season in program history and the most since winning 34 games in 2010.
D1Baseball picked the Rockets to finish second in the Mid-American Conference and selected Jeron Williams as its Preseason MAC Player of the Year. UT was picked to finish fourth in the league in the MAC's preseason coaches poll and received one first-place vote.
The Rockets bring back the bulk of their offensive talent for 2023, including the speedy infielder Williams. The Archbold, Ohio native hit .329 last season and led Toledo in hits (76), runs scored (48), and stolen bases (23). Garret Pike (.344 batting average, six HR, 29 RBI), Mason Sykes (school-record 16 HR, 52 RBI, .317 batting average), and Scott Mackiewicz (seven HR, 34 RBI, 42 runs scored) will anchor a strong Toledo offense this season.
On the pitcher's mound, bullpen weapon Cal McAninch (six saves, 3.24 ERA, 36 strikeouts) will lead a deep crop of relief pitchers. In addition to McAninch, Camryn Szynski (53.1 innings pitched, 3.71 ERA, 42 strikeouts) and Brennan McCune (31 strikeouts, 28.0 innings pitched) return the most experience on the mound.
2023 Schedule
The Rockets' 56-game slate features 26 non-conference contests and 30 Mid-American Conference games. Highlights include games against three teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season (Central Michigan, Michigan, and Wright State) and another that finished in the Top 70 in RPI (Middle Tennessee), as well as a midweek contest at Ohio State.
For the third year in a row, Toledo and Bowling Green will face off at Fifth Third Field. The Battle of I-75 presented by Cooper Tires will head Downtown Toledo on Friday, May 19.
After playing four-game conference series each of the last two seasons, the MAC is returning to its traditional three-game weekend series format for 2023. The top four teams at the end of the regular season will advance to the MAC Tournament, which will be held from May 24-27 at the site of the regular season champion.
About East Tennessee State
ETSU posted a 30-21 record last year and an 11-10 mark in Southern Conference play. The Bucs were picked to finish fifth in the SoCon preseason poll and placed three players on preseason all-conference teams. Senior catcher Noah Webb and sophomore outfielder Tommy Barth were both named preseason first-team all-conference, while senior DH Garett Wallace was voted to the second team. Barth was the SoCon Freshman of the Year last season, hitting .369 while leading ETSU in hits, walks, and on-base percentage. Â
