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Head Coach Rob Reinstetle enters his seventh season leading the Toledo baseball program, with 144 wins overall and a 91-78 MAC record at UT.
Photo by: Bree Bee
Preseason Q&A with Head Coach Rob Reinstetle
2/12/2026 9:36:00 AM | Baseball
Rockets' head coach discusses talented 2026 team's prospects following last season's run to MAC Tournament championship game
Heading into his seventh season leading the Toledo baseball program, Head Coach Rob Reinstetle looks to continue the momentum of the 2025 season with a strong mix of returners and newcomers in 2026. Toledo finished with a 32-win season and a MAC Tournament championship game appearance in 2025. Toledo enters the 2026 campaign with 22 newcomers, including 13 players out of the Transfer Portal. The Rockets return several key pieces on the infield and on the mound, including MAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year Brady Sasse and NCBWA Stopper of the Year watch list selection Braden Curry.
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After a strong finish to last season – finishing 22-9 over your last 31 games – how have you focused on keeping that momentum going throughout the fall and through the preseason?
Reinstetle: It's interesting because we have 22 new guys. A lot of players that were part of that MAC Tournament run aren't here. We do have a significant core of that group returning and some pitchers. I think the biggest thing for us is building off last season from a team culture standpoint and have this new group can continue that.
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Talk about what you've seen from this team so far. What do you like the most?
Reinstetle: I like this team a lot. Pitching stands out because we have some front-line guys that have thrown quality innings for us. They'll take on different roles, but I think those guys have stood out. There's some newcomers that have jumped in from the transfer portal and there's a couple of freshmen that have really helped us as well. Offensively, I believe that we'll be a different team this year. We've relied on home runs for big innings in the past. I think we learned last year that we need to be a more dynamic team and score runs in a multitude of ways. We recruited differently and brought in more athletic, speedy players, so we can have a different dynamic offense – steal bases, hit home runs, doubles – create havoc out there. I think our defense is going to be outstanding. We have Charlie Scholvin and Troy Sudbrook back on the left side of the infield, and Cole Cahill back at first base. Our infield defense was very strong last year and I think will only get better
Â
How has your team adjusted to being inside for preseason camp?
Reinstetle: It's just something you have to deal with. We are lucky that we have the facilities to do this. There are places I've coached that didn't have the facilities for inclement weather. We have everything that we need here, so we don't really skip a beat. We'd love to be outside all January and February like two years ago, but we focus on working every single day and getting better, and the rest takes care of itself.
Â
Talk about your newcomers. What have you seen from them and who are you expecting to make an impact early on?
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Reinstetle: On the transfer pitching side, left-handed pitcher Deron Swanson has a ton of innings under his belt and Cole Geisige will be expected to log a ton of quality innings for us. Micheal Fliss has a really big arm and will be counted on to eat up a lot of those middle innings in relief. Nate Langbehn will see a lot of time in the back end of the bullpen. Lastly, freshman Hayden Fry has stood out and shown that he's going to pitch a lot this year. There are other guys that can contribute, but those stand out on the pitching staff.
Offensively, we have three-to-four catchers that are all in the hunt to play. Jacob Payne and Carson McCaleb had good falls for us. Alex McCranie will start for us at second base. He's a very dynamic JUCO product who can run and was one of the best junior college hitters in Florida last year. In the outfield, newcomers like Liam Arsich, Cade Baker and Saborn Campbell can all play into the mix and even compete for MAC awards.
Â
You had the top pitching staff in the MAC last year. What have you seen from this year's pitching staff?
Reinstetle: I think they'll continue what we've been doing the last couple of years. The weekend rotation to start will be Brady Sasse on Friday, Nathan Leininger on Saturday and Ryan Hughes on Sunday. Sasse is a proven starter and ready to take that role of a Friday night guy. Nathan and Ryan have taken significant roles out of the bullpen over the last couple of years. Both of their falls were dominant and they showed they can be put in a starter role. Starting will be a good challenge for them. A lot of guys from the transfer portal will fill out the bullpen and take over those roles. It's a very good staff, heavy with fastballs, but they all have different pitch profiles. We've worked hard to diversify our pitching profiles. That's how we dominate offenses and control games on the mound.
Â
You'll have a new catcher this season. How important has the development of your catchers been, especially in adjusting to the pitchers?
Reinstetle: We have four catchers who are all very talented. We have one returner – Ty O'Brien, who's made a ton of leaps and bounds and had a great fall. We have two junior college catchers - Jacob Payne and Carson McCaleb who bring different things to the table. Payne is a physical catcher who can swing the bat with some power and has a tremendous arm. McCaleb is a really good all-around catcher. Our freshman, Branston Lindquist, has done some really good things for us. I can put any of them behind the plate and feel really good. The most heated competition heading into the spring is who's going to do the bulk of the catching.
Â
How have the hitters developed through the fall into the preseason?
Reinstetle: Last year, Coach Cottrell came in over the holiday break and we got off to a slow start offensively because he was new. He was a new voice and had a new way of doing things. Once the players got accustomed to his style, the offense took off and that's why we finished so strong and had a good postseason run. When the offense got going, that made our games a lot easier. Having Coach Cottrell here for a full fall has been beneficial because our returners were able to carry over from last year and the new guys had all fall to get everything under their belt. I like how we've swung the bat and I think our plan and our approaches are right on point.
Â
You have 12 different states represented on this year's roster. How has your footprint expanded as compared to previous rosters?
Reinstetle: When I first arrived, we had only 19 players, so we had to work with when we had early on. We've been able to establish our recruiting model. Our goal is to own and dominate the Northwest Ohio area. Ohio, Michigan and Indiana are always the big pieces in our recruiting, and we've made a point to get into Chicago as well. That's our base and we go after high school kids first, and then we fill in the gaps through junior college and the transfer portal. Some of that is connection-based, such as our recruits from Florida coming with Coach Pat Cottrell. We've had a lot of success in the portal as well, and this year's roster adding up to a melting pot of 12 states is awesome to see.
Â
What have our new coaches in pitching coach Jacob Condra-Bogan, assistant coach Trey Wright and director of player development Dillon Emerson brought to the staff?
Reinstetle: Jacob Condra-Bogan is a proven winner and he was successful as a player in his own right. He has tremendous experience under his belt as a player and he's been able to use that to teach his pitching staffs at USC Upstate. He blends the old school and new school ways of pitching very well. He can go into the bullpen and teach you how to get hitters out, but he also understands the importance of analytics and data. He's a great communicator and very organized. I'm expecting him to carry on the success we've had the past couple of years.
Trey played here for five years. He understands our culture and how we do things. He's done a great job with the catchers and that's an important group for us. Trey is a slam dunk hire for the middle of the year because he knows Toledo and what it's like to play here – the practices, environment, everything. He's a natural fit and has stepped right up.
Dillon fell into my lap after 10 years in the military. He has a love for the game and wants to be a coach. He just sent me an email as he phased out of the military, and I brought him on. He's an unbelievable asset not just on the baseball side, but in helping develop and mentor our players. His experiences are off the charts having been in the military and traveling the world. He's been really good in getting through to our players and has been a great added piece to what we do.
Â
What have Charlie Scholvin and Troy Sudbrook added as captains?
Reinstetle: Charlie is the glue of our team. He does everything the right way. He's a phenomenal baseball player, but what a human being! He gets everything out of his teammates that you could ever want. We've struggled during the times he's been injured, and then played really well when he's comes back. It's not a coincidence that we need him on the field and he's a massive part of our success. The way he carries himself, the way he connects with his teammates, it just speaks "leader"Â and it's why he's a great baseball player.
Troy has maximized his experience at Toledo more than any player I've ever been around – from being the Vice President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), to internships with the MAC. He's a well-rounded kid that just graduated in the fall with a 4.0 GPA and has now started a master's program. A well-rounded kid who has the experience and can take his teammates with him. I think Chuck and Troy together will do a phenomenal job.
Â
What will this team need to do to win the MAC title and qualify for the NCAA Regional?
Reinstetle: We must be consistent. Each year, I feel like we become more-and-more talented, and I think we're more talented than we've ever been this year. Baseball isn't a game where talent always wins. You have to show up and play the game. That's why focus and consistency is the most important thing. This team is talented – they can pitch, play defense and hit – so if we show up every day, be consistent and play the quality of baseball we can do with our talent, we're going to win a lot of baseball games. Consistency has been our biggest challenge, and we've harped on it all fall and through the preseason, especially doing the little things and following our processes.
Â
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After a strong finish to last season – finishing 22-9 over your last 31 games – how have you focused on keeping that momentum going throughout the fall and through the preseason?
Reinstetle: It's interesting because we have 22 new guys. A lot of players that were part of that MAC Tournament run aren't here. We do have a significant core of that group returning and some pitchers. I think the biggest thing for us is building off last season from a team culture standpoint and have this new group can continue that.
Â
Talk about what you've seen from this team so far. What do you like the most?
Reinstetle: I like this team a lot. Pitching stands out because we have some front-line guys that have thrown quality innings for us. They'll take on different roles, but I think those guys have stood out. There's some newcomers that have jumped in from the transfer portal and there's a couple of freshmen that have really helped us as well. Offensively, I believe that we'll be a different team this year. We've relied on home runs for big innings in the past. I think we learned last year that we need to be a more dynamic team and score runs in a multitude of ways. We recruited differently and brought in more athletic, speedy players, so we can have a different dynamic offense – steal bases, hit home runs, doubles – create havoc out there. I think our defense is going to be outstanding. We have Charlie Scholvin and Troy Sudbrook back on the left side of the infield, and Cole Cahill back at first base. Our infield defense was very strong last year and I think will only get better
Â
How has your team adjusted to being inside for preseason camp?
Reinstetle: It's just something you have to deal with. We are lucky that we have the facilities to do this. There are places I've coached that didn't have the facilities for inclement weather. We have everything that we need here, so we don't really skip a beat. We'd love to be outside all January and February like two years ago, but we focus on working every single day and getting better, and the rest takes care of itself.
Â
Talk about your newcomers. What have you seen from them and who are you expecting to make an impact early on?
Â
Reinstetle: On the transfer pitching side, left-handed pitcher Deron Swanson has a ton of innings under his belt and Cole Geisige will be expected to log a ton of quality innings for us. Micheal Fliss has a really big arm and will be counted on to eat up a lot of those middle innings in relief. Nate Langbehn will see a lot of time in the back end of the bullpen. Lastly, freshman Hayden Fry has stood out and shown that he's going to pitch a lot this year. There are other guys that can contribute, but those stand out on the pitching staff.
Offensively, we have three-to-four catchers that are all in the hunt to play. Jacob Payne and Carson McCaleb had good falls for us. Alex McCranie will start for us at second base. He's a very dynamic JUCO product who can run and was one of the best junior college hitters in Florida last year. In the outfield, newcomers like Liam Arsich, Cade Baker and Saborn Campbell can all play into the mix and even compete for MAC awards.
Â
You had the top pitching staff in the MAC last year. What have you seen from this year's pitching staff?
Reinstetle: I think they'll continue what we've been doing the last couple of years. The weekend rotation to start will be Brady Sasse on Friday, Nathan Leininger on Saturday and Ryan Hughes on Sunday. Sasse is a proven starter and ready to take that role of a Friday night guy. Nathan and Ryan have taken significant roles out of the bullpen over the last couple of years. Both of their falls were dominant and they showed they can be put in a starter role. Starting will be a good challenge for them. A lot of guys from the transfer portal will fill out the bullpen and take over those roles. It's a very good staff, heavy with fastballs, but they all have different pitch profiles. We've worked hard to diversify our pitching profiles. That's how we dominate offenses and control games on the mound.
Â
You'll have a new catcher this season. How important has the development of your catchers been, especially in adjusting to the pitchers?
Reinstetle: We have four catchers who are all very talented. We have one returner – Ty O'Brien, who's made a ton of leaps and bounds and had a great fall. We have two junior college catchers - Jacob Payne and Carson McCaleb who bring different things to the table. Payne is a physical catcher who can swing the bat with some power and has a tremendous arm. McCaleb is a really good all-around catcher. Our freshman, Branston Lindquist, has done some really good things for us. I can put any of them behind the plate and feel really good. The most heated competition heading into the spring is who's going to do the bulk of the catching.
Â
How have the hitters developed through the fall into the preseason?
Reinstetle: Last year, Coach Cottrell came in over the holiday break and we got off to a slow start offensively because he was new. He was a new voice and had a new way of doing things. Once the players got accustomed to his style, the offense took off and that's why we finished so strong and had a good postseason run. When the offense got going, that made our games a lot easier. Having Coach Cottrell here for a full fall has been beneficial because our returners were able to carry over from last year and the new guys had all fall to get everything under their belt. I like how we've swung the bat and I think our plan and our approaches are right on point.
Â
You have 12 different states represented on this year's roster. How has your footprint expanded as compared to previous rosters?
Reinstetle: When I first arrived, we had only 19 players, so we had to work with when we had early on. We've been able to establish our recruiting model. Our goal is to own and dominate the Northwest Ohio area. Ohio, Michigan and Indiana are always the big pieces in our recruiting, and we've made a point to get into Chicago as well. That's our base and we go after high school kids first, and then we fill in the gaps through junior college and the transfer portal. Some of that is connection-based, such as our recruits from Florida coming with Coach Pat Cottrell. We've had a lot of success in the portal as well, and this year's roster adding up to a melting pot of 12 states is awesome to see.
Â
What have our new coaches in pitching coach Jacob Condra-Bogan, assistant coach Trey Wright and director of player development Dillon Emerson brought to the staff?
Reinstetle: Jacob Condra-Bogan is a proven winner and he was successful as a player in his own right. He has tremendous experience under his belt as a player and he's been able to use that to teach his pitching staffs at USC Upstate. He blends the old school and new school ways of pitching very well. He can go into the bullpen and teach you how to get hitters out, but he also understands the importance of analytics and data. He's a great communicator and very organized. I'm expecting him to carry on the success we've had the past couple of years.
Trey played here for five years. He understands our culture and how we do things. He's done a great job with the catchers and that's an important group for us. Trey is a slam dunk hire for the middle of the year because he knows Toledo and what it's like to play here – the practices, environment, everything. He's a natural fit and has stepped right up.
Dillon fell into my lap after 10 years in the military. He has a love for the game and wants to be a coach. He just sent me an email as he phased out of the military, and I brought him on. He's an unbelievable asset not just on the baseball side, but in helping develop and mentor our players. His experiences are off the charts having been in the military and traveling the world. He's been really good in getting through to our players and has been a great added piece to what we do.
Â
What have Charlie Scholvin and Troy Sudbrook added as captains?
Reinstetle: Charlie is the glue of our team. He does everything the right way. He's a phenomenal baseball player, but what a human being! He gets everything out of his teammates that you could ever want. We've struggled during the times he's been injured, and then played really well when he's comes back. It's not a coincidence that we need him on the field and he's a massive part of our success. The way he carries himself, the way he connects with his teammates, it just speaks "leader"Â and it's why he's a great baseball player.
Troy has maximized his experience at Toledo more than any player I've ever been around – from being the Vice President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), to internships with the MAC. He's a well-rounded kid that just graduated in the fall with a 4.0 GPA and has now started a master's program. A well-rounded kid who has the experience and can take his teammates with him. I think Chuck and Troy together will do a phenomenal job.
Â
What will this team need to do to win the MAC title and qualify for the NCAA Regional?
Reinstetle: We must be consistent. Each year, I feel like we become more-and-more talented, and I think we're more talented than we've ever been this year. Baseball isn't a game where talent always wins. You have to show up and play the game. That's why focus and consistency is the most important thing. This team is talented – they can pitch, play defense and hit – so if we show up every day, be consistent and play the quality of baseball we can do with our talent, we're going to win a lot of baseball games. Consistency has been our biggest challenge, and we've harped on it all fall and through the preseason, especially doing the little things and following our processes.
Â
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