TOLEDO, Ohio – The Toledo baseball team opens its 2024 season this weekend by traveling to Macon, Ga. for a three-game series vs. Mercer. The first pitch for Friday's Opening Day contest against the Bears at OrthoGeorgia Park is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. Saturday's game will begin at 2:00 p.m., while Sunday's series finale will start at 1:00 p.m.

"We're really excited to open our season, and we bring a large chunk of our offense back," Head Coach Rob Reinstetle said. "We did lose a couple of key players, but we feel we've recruited really well and brought in guys who can fill those holes. I think our offense will be a little more dynamic and create more runs this season as opposed to waiting for the big home run."

The Rockets return six position starters, including second-team All-MAC honorees Garret Pike (.314 avg., 15 HR, 54 RBI) and Owen Jackson (.236 avg., 16 HR, 42 RBI). Toledo also has veterans Brayden White (.290, 3 HR, 29 RBI), Brian Fry (.273 avg, 8 2Bs, 20 RBI), Caden Konczak (.268, 11 HR, 34 RBI) and Scott Mackiewicz (.210, 4 HR, 16 RBI) back in the fold.

Fry is expected to lead the Rockets' defense after being named to the All-MAC Defensive Team. He committed just one error at second base last season.

"I think our defense will be just as good if not better than last season," Reinstetle said. "We were ranked among the top teams in the country last year, and I think we can play high-level defense again."

Fifth-year senior Noah Johnson is expected to lead the Rockets' pitching staff after striking out a team-high 64 batters and allowing just a .257 opponent batting average in 53.2 innings pitched.

"The area I'm excited most about is our pitching staff," Reinstetle said. "We have a new pitching coach in Matt Silberman, and he's done a tremendous job with our pitchers. I feel like we are in a much better place not only with our talent but with our depth on the mound. I'm looking forward to seeing them toe it up before we get to MAC play and see where we're really at."

2024 Schedule
The Rockets' 56-game slate features 26 non-conference contests and 30 Mid-American Conference games. Highlights include hosting Michigan at Fifth Third Field on Tuesday, April 16 as well as a three-game series at Notre Dame on May 10-12.

For the fourth year in a row, Toledo and Bowling Green will meet at Fifth Third Field with the Falcons hosting one game of this season's Battle of I-75 in downtown Toledo on Friday, May 17.

The MAC tournament is returning to a six-team format and will be played at Mercy Health Stadium in Avon, Ohio. The MAC Tournament was held at campus sites in 2022 and 2023 but was held in Avon from 2012-19.

What's Missing from 2023
Toledo will need to replace one of the best players in program history, Jeron Williams, who was drafted by the Houston Astros in the ninth round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The Archbold, Ohio native earned MAC Player of the Year and Collegiate Baseball All-America honors after hitting .403 with 14 home runs, 48 RBIs, 67 runs scored, 16 doubles, four triples, a .681 slugging percentage, a .467 on-base percentage, and a national-best school-record 49 stolen bases.

The Rockets will also need to replace their program's all-time home run leader in Mason Sykes, a second-team All-MAC honoree who finished his career with a .284 batting average, 38 home runs and 131 RBIs.

Toledo's bullpen also lost a valuable piece with the graduation of second-team All-MAC honoree Cal McAninch. He ranked third in the MAC and led all qualified relief pitchers with a 3.02 ERA, as well as ranking eighth in the MAC in opponent batting average (.224).

About Mercer
Mercer posted a 33-25 overall record and a 13-8 mark in the Southern Conference last year and has been predicted to finish second in the SoCon pre-season coaches' poll. A second team all-league pick last season, Jackson Cherry is back after posting a .339 batting average with 12 homers and 27 RBI in 2023. The Bears also return Ty Dalley, a 2023 SoCon All-Freshman Team honoree who hit .259 with 18 home runs and a team-best 56 RBI last season.