JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – The Toledo baseball team opened the 2023 season on Friday with a 15-2 setback at East Tennessee State.

The Rockets struck first with a run in the top of the second, but the Bucs responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Sophomore Caden Konczak tied the game at 2-2 with a home run in the top of the third, but ETSU responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning to take a 3-2 lead. From that point on, East Tennessee State outscored Toledo 12-0 over the final five-and-a-half innings to spoil UT's Opening Day.

"That was obviously not the way we wanted or expected things to go today," head coach Rob Reinstetle said. "It's really disappointing to lose like that on Opening Day, but it's a long season and won't be remembered at the end. Everything starts on the mound, and we flat out just weren't good enough today. We issued way too many walks. ETSU is a good team who will get their hits. If you limit the free bases, then those hits don't hurt as much. It's a bad loss but a lot can be learned from this. We're a good team and will certainly bounce back and respond tomorrow."

Konczak's homer was the lone long ball of the day for either team, and the sophomore outfielder went 2-for-3 on the afternoon. Junior Jeron Williams recorded two hits out of the leadoff spot, and sophomore Brayden White drove in the other Rocket run.

On the mound, sophomore Brennan McCune got the starting nod and was one of five pitchers to see game action. Freshman RJ Shunck made his collegiate debut and junior Cal McAninch, junior Kyle Pijaszek, and sophomore Yianni Skeriotis all pitched in relief as well.

First pitch for game two is scheduled for Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

• Brayden White drove in the first run of the game on a two-out base hit into right field in the top of the second. Junior Scott Mackiewicz scored from second after reaching on a hit two at-bats earlier and put the Rockets ahead 1-0.
• ETSU's Tommy Barth answered with a two-run single in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 2-1.
• Leading off the top of the third, Caden Konczak blasted a 2-1 pitch over the fence in right-center field to make it a 2-2 ballgame.
• The stalemate didn't last long, as East Tennessee State scored a run in the bottom of the third to put the score at 3-2.
• The Bucs continued to pile it on from there, scoring one run in the fourth, four runs in the fifth, three runs in the sixth, and four runs in the eighth.