A Central Michigan loss on May 18 clinched the Mid-American Conference West Division regular season championship for the Rockets.

Turns out they wouldn’t have needed the help anyway.

Toledo swept Eastern Michigan this weekend on the way to its first title in school history, culminating in a 12-5 victory on May 19 at Scott Park.

The Rockets finished the season winning six straight conference games, running their record to 30-25 on the season with a 19-8 record in league play. With the sweep over the Eagles (24-29, 14-13 MAC), Toledo earns the No. 2 seed in the MAC Tournament and will take on No. 7 Miami (28-27, 12-15) in the opening round of the double-elimination tournament at 4 p.m. May 23 in Avon. The victor will take on the winner of No. 3 Central Michigan (30-27, 17-10) vs. No. 6 EMU at 7:30 p.m. May 24.

Junior third baseman Wes White, taken by Zach Davis

Against the Eagles, junior third baseman Wes White led an offense that racked up 12 hits on the way to the victory. White recorded a team-high three hits in four at bats while driving home three runs on the day. Senior first baseman Mark Lapikas (2 for 4, 2 R, 2 RBI) also made his mark, recording a pair of runs scored and RBI. Freshman right fielder Dan Zuchowski (1 for 3, 2 R) and junior designated hitter Jeff Cola (2 for 5, 2 R, RBI) each scored twice.

Starter Mike Hamann (3-5, 5.80 ERA) won his third victory in his last six starts after going 0-4 in his first eight. The junior allowed three runs (one earned) on seven hits over the course of five innings to pick up the win.

Freshman Andrew Marra relieved Hamann and gave up two runs in the sixth as Toledo’s lead was trimmed to 5-3. Classmate Alec Schmenk struck out three in the seventh before giving way to mid-week starter Jared Locke, as he got in two perfect innings of work to close out the game.

The tournament matchups are posted at the Mid-American Conference website.

Tags: Alec Schmenk, Andrew Marra, Dan Zuchowski, Eastern Michigan, Jared Locke, Jeff Cola, MAC Tournament, Mark Lapikas, Mike Hamann, Rockets baseball, Wes White, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 20th, 2012 at 8:18 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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Toledo closed out its non-conference schedule on May 15 with a 10-1 loss on the road at Ohio State.

The Rockets (27-24, 16-8 Mid-American Conference) can now focus on the critical three-game series they host this weekend against Eastern Michigan (24-25, 15-9 MAC), which is two games back of UT for first place in the MAC West Division regular season championship. Toledo is also trying to hold off Central Michigan (28-25, 15-9), which is one game back of UT and has won 10 of its last 11 and eight straight league games. The Chippewas have a three-game series this weekend against Western Michigan (23-25, 13-10).

Against the Buckeyes (30-22), Toledo took an early lead before OSU scored 10 straight runs to grab the victory.

UT senior first baseman Mark Lapikas, courtesy of UT Athletic Department

On the mound, junior starter Jared Locke (3-7, 5.03 ERA) struggled to hold down Ohio State allowing three runs on five hits in five innings of work. Locke has lost his last three outings giving up 10 runs (eight earned) in 15.1 innings.

Freshman Alec Schmenk followed Locke and gave up four runs (one earned) on two hits and three walks in 0.2 innings. Classmate Andrew Marra relieved Schmenk with one run in 1.1 innings before sophomore Trever Gast gave up two unearned runs in the ninth.

At the plate, senior first baseman Mark Lapikas (1 for 1, HR, 2 BB) scored the lone run of the game with his team-leading seventh home run of the season. He also walked in his other two at bats against the Buckeyes.

Senior second baseman Joe Corfman, who went 2 for 4 at the plate, was the lone Rocket to record a multihit effort. With his double in the first inning, Corfman became UT’s all-time hit leader (256).

The Rockets’ crucial weekend series against EMU begins at 3 p.m. May 17 at Scott Park. Sophomore Ryan Wilkinson will get the start, holding a 7-3 record with a 2.74 ERA on the season.

Tags: Alec Schmenk, Andrew Marra, Jared Locke, Joe Corfman, Mark Lapikas, Ohio State, Rockets baseball, Trevor Gast, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 at 7:05 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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After taking an early lead, Michigan State scored seven unanswered runs as it cruised to a 7-2 victory over the Rockets on May 9 in East Lansing.

With the out-of-conference loss, Toledo dropped back to .500 on the season at 24-24. It still remains atop the Mid-American Conference West Division at 13-8, one game ahead of Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan.

Junior starter Jared Locke (3-6, 4.99 ERA), the winner of last year’s matchup on the road at Michigan, was tagged with the loss, allowing four runs on seven hits in 4.2 innings while striking out four. He is 0-3 with a 5.59 ERA in his last six starts.

UT senior first baseman Mark Lapikas, courtesy of UT Athletic Department

Freshman Alec Schmenk pitched 1.2 innings of relief, allowing three runs. Senior Alex Radon finished off the rest of the game with 1.2 scoreless innings.

At the plate, senior first baseman Mark Lapikas (2 for 5, HR) led the way in the second inning with a solo home run to give UT an early lead. He has hit safely in six straight games, batting .360 in that span.

Junior right fielder Andy Mix (2 for 2, R) and freshman shortstop Nate Langhals (2 for 4, RBI) also had a pair of hits and contributed the lone other run of the game after Langhals drove home Mix in the eighth with a single.

Looking to remain in first place, the Rockets will face archrival Bowling Green (19-28, 8-13 MAC) on the road in a three-game series this weekend. The opening game begins at 3 p.m. May 11 with junior Ryan Wilkinson (6-3, 2.67 ERA) scheduled to start.

Tags: Alec Schmenk, Alex Radon, Andy Mix, Jared Locke, Mark Lapikas, Michigan State, Nate Langhals, Rockets baseball, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2012 at 10:36 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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After a three-game winning streak, the Rockets disappointed on April 25 with a 3-1 loss to Northwestern Ohio at Scott Park.

Third baseman Wes White led Toledo (20-21) with three hits in four plate appearances. The junior has now recorded a multihit game in his last four games and has raised his batting average to .442 on the year.

Senior designated hitter Matt Delewski (2 for 4) recorded a pair of hits while freshman Dan Zuchowski (1 for 3, RBI) drove home the lone Rockets run.

Despite giving up just one unearned run, junior starter Jared Locke was tagged with the loss (3-5, 4.75 ERA) after giving up six hits with three strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work.

Toledo will look to stay on top of the MAC West Division when it takes on Ball State (11-26, 6-10 MAC) in a three-game series this weekend at Scott Park. The series opener begins at 3 p.m. April 27.

Tags: Dan Zuchowski, Jared Locke, Matt Delewski, Northwestern Ohio, Rockets baseball, Wes White, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 26th, 2012 at 11:28 pm and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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After erasing a 4-0 deficit to take the game to extra innings, the Rockets fell 5-4 to Wright State in 10 innings on April 18 at Scott Park.

Toledo (17-20) nearly pulled off the upset over the Raiders, who move to 24-12 on the season.

UT freshman third baseman Anthony Smith, courtesy of UT Athletics

UT junior Jared Locke got the start and threw five innings of four-run baseball (two earned) while walking four batters in a no-decision. He remains 3-4 on the season with a 5.32 ERA.

Freshman Alec Schmenk threw two perfect innings of relief while striking out three before senior Lincoln Rassi helped keep the game tied with a scoreless eighth. After pitching a perfect ninth inning, freshman reliever Andrew Marra (1-1, 4.98 ERA) was tagged with the loss after giving up a run on two hits in the 10th.

Offensively the Rockets were held to just six hits at the plate. Freshman third baseman Anthony Smith had the team’s only multihit effort, going 2 for 4 with two RBI. Junior center fielder Ben Hammer (1 for 4, RBI) drove in a run while senior second baseman Joe Corfman (1 for 4, R) crossed the plate for his team-leading 34th run of the season.

Toledo will hit the road this weekend when it travels to Dekalb, Ill., to face Northern Illinois in a three-game series. The first game against the Huskies (11-24, 5-7 Mid-American Conference) begins at 3 p.m. April 20.

Tags: Alec Schmenk, Andrew Marra, Anthony Smith, Ben Hammer, Jared Locke, Joe Corfman, Lincoln Rassi, Rockets baseball, Wright State, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Thursday, April 19th, 2012 at 9:36 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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Following a six-game losing streak, Toledo won its second game in a row when it topped Dayton 7-5 on April 10 at Scott Park.

With the victory, the Rockets improved to 14-18 on the season while Dayton dropped to 15-19.

Senior second baseman Joe Corfman went 4 for 5 against the Flyers while driving in three runs and crossing the plate once. With his four hits, Corfman raised his batting average 18 points to a team-high .333.

Junior third baseman Wes White (2 for 2, 2 R, RBI) and senior designated hitter Matt Delewski (2 for 4, RBI) each had a pair of hits for the Rockets.

Senior starter Jared Locke allowed seven hits and four runs in 5.1 innings of work, earning a no decision. Junior Tyler Scott (2-1, ERA) relieved Locke and picked up the win, throwing 1.2 scoreless innings, allowing one hit for his second win of the season. After junior Cody Umbright gave up a run in the eighth, senior Alex Radon shut the door in a perfect ninth for his first save of the season.

The Rockets will look for their third straight victory when they travel to Ann Arbor on April 11 to take on Michigan (15-18) at 6 p.m.

Tags: Alex Radon, Cody Umbright, Dayton, Jared Locke, Joe Corfman, Matt Delewski, Rockets baseball, Tyler Scott, Wes White, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 11th, 2012 at 6:43 pm and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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After splitting the first two games of the series in Oxford, Toledo was pounded 11-3 on April 1 by Miami (OH).

The Rockets dropped to 12-14 overall from the loss with a 3-3 record in Mid-American Conference play.

Junior starter Jared Locke’s three-game winning streak was snapped by the RedHawks (15-12, 3-3 MAC), who tagged him for six runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings of work. Locke is now 3-4 on the season and his ERA raised more than a point after the game from 4.15 to 5.35.

James Miglin, photo courtesy of UT athletics

Senior Lincoln Rassi helped keep MU at bay, allowing one run while striking out five in the next 2.2 innings, but freshman Andrew Marra couldn’t stop the RedHawks, giving up four more runs the next three frames.

Toledo wasn’t finding much more success at the plate. The Rockets racked up six hits on the day, with sophomore catcher James Miglin (2 for 4, RBI) leading the way with the lone multi-hit performance. Freshman shortstop Dan Zuchowski (1 for 2, R) scored one of Toledo’s three runs, along with senior Joe Corfman (1 for 4, R) and junior Ben Hammer (1 for 4, R).

After winning two of their four road games this week, the Rockets will make one more stop on the road in South Bend against Notre Dame at 5:30 p.m. April 3 before returning home against Kent State the following day at 3 p.m.

Tags: Andrew Marra, Ben Hammer, Dan Zuchowski, James Miglin, Jared Locke, Joe Corfman, Lincoln Rassi, Mid-American Conference, Oxford, Rockets baseball, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Monday, April 2nd, 2012 at 11:59 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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Junior starting pitcher Jared Locke racked up a career-high seven strikeouts as the Rockets won the series finale over Ohio on March 25 at Scott Park.

Locke (3-3, 4.15 ERA) has now won his last three starts and leads the team with 26 strikeouts on the season.

Jared Locke, photo by Zach Davis

“I’m feeling good and in a groove,” Locke said. “I felt like I was throwing all my pitches well today. I felt like if I got ahead I could punch them out with my offspeed today and it went well.”

“He was outstanding today,” Toledo head coach Cory Mee said. “He pounded the zone and made big pitches when he needed to. He really gave us the chance to win and that’s what we are looking for out of our starters. He did a great job.”

The victory gave UT the series victory over Ohio (10-12, 1-2 Mid-American Conference) in the rubber match of the MAC series opener. The Rockets are now 10-12 on the season with a 2-1 record in league play.

“It was big after dropping the first game to come back and win the series, winning the last two games at home,” Locke said. “It was definitely big to start off the MAC right.”

Freshman third baseman Anthony Smith (2 for 3, 2 R, RBI) had the lone multihit performance for UT and crossed the plate twice. The freshman third baseman has six hits in his last 13 at bats over the past five days. Junior Tyler Grogg (1 for 3, R, RBI) also drove in and scored a run.

“Anthony has been one of the guys that has consistently put up good at bats for us for about a week now,” Mee said. “He has done a really good job and it really makes our lineup tough to pitch to when he is in the No. 6 hole and swinging the bat like he is. If we get more guys feeling good at the plate, I think we can be a good offensive team.”

Ryan Wilkinson pitched 2.2 innings of relief but was relieved by freshman Andrew Marra when the tying run came to the plate in the ninth. Marra got the final out for his third save of the season and second one-out save in two days.

The Rockets will hit the road for the week beginning with a non-league game at Kent State at 3 p.m. March 27.

Tags: Andrew Marra, Anthony Smith, Cory Mee, Jared Locke, Mid-American Conference, Ohio, Rockets baseball, Ryan Wilkinson, Tyler Grogg, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Monday, March 26th, 2012 at 12:03 pm and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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The Rockets won the final game of their weekend series in Cincinnati when they edged out Xavier 3-1 on March 18.

With the victory, Toledo moves to 7-11 on the season and has won four of its last seven contests. Meanwhile, the Musketeers dropped to 6-12.

Jared Locke, photo by Zach Davis

Junior starter Jared Locke (2-3) won his second straight game of the year, giving up just one run on six hits in 5.2 innings. He has two of the three wins owned this season by Toledo’s starters, which have a combined record of 3-9 this year.

Following Locke’s departure, a trio of UT’s relievers including sophomore Ryan Wilkinson and freshmen Alec Schmenk and Andrew Marra combined to throw 3.1 perfect innings.

Sophomore catcher James Miglin led the way at the plate for the Rockets, going 2 for 3 with a run and RBI. Freshman shortstop Dan Zuchowski (2 for 4, RBI) and senior center fielder Ben Hammer (2 for 5, RBI) each drove home a run and recorded a pair of hits.

After the Rockets’ matchup with Xavier, Toledo has finished its 18-game streak away from home to start the season. They will host Oakland (3-12) on March 21 in the home opener at 3 p.m. at Scott Park.

Tags: Alec Schmenk, Andrew Marra, Ben Hammer, Dan Zuchowski, James Miglin, Jared Locke, Rockets baseball, Ryan Wilkinson, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Monday, March 19th, 2012 at 9:46 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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In the finale of the Chanticleer Classic, Toledo battered Marist in a 9-3 victory on March 11 in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Rockets finished their trip in South Carolina losing six of eight games.

Joe Corfman, photo by Zach Davis

The Rockets picked up their second-most hits of the season with 13 against the Red Foxes to advance to 5-9 on the season, including winning two of its last three games. Marist dropped to 3-5 on the year with the loss.

Senior second baseman Joe Corfman led the way offensively with a pair of hits while crossing the plate four times. The No. 2-5 hitters, center fielder Ben Hammer, first baseman Mark Laipkas, catcher James Miglin and designated hitter Jeff Cola, each drove in two runs for the Rockets.

In a game tied at two in the third inning, Toledo drove home six runs in the next two frames, and with the big lead cruised to the 9-3 victory. Sophomore starter Jared Locke (1-3, 5.09 ERA) was the beneficiary of the offensive output, throwing six innings allowing three runs (two earned) with three strikeouts.

Sophomore reliever Ryan Wilkinson and senior Tyler Scott combined to pitch three scoreless innings to finish the contest.

Toledo will return back to Ohio when it takes on Dayton (4-9) on the road at 4 p.m. March 14.

Tags: Ben Hammer, James Miglin, Jared Locke, Jeff Cola, Joe Corfman, Marist, Mark Laipkas, Rockets baseball, Ryan Wilkinson, Tyler Scott, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Monday, March 12th, 2012 at 8:24 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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