The UT baseball team’s road to winning the Mid-American Conference Tournament got a bit tougher on May 23 after it was blanked in a 5-0 shutout at the hands of Miami (OH) in Avon.

With the loss, the second-seeded Rockets (30-26) will compete in an elimination game with No. 3 Central Michigan (30-28) at 9 a.m. May 24. Toledo had previously won six straight games against MAC opponents entering the tournament.

The Rockets hitters were stifled by Miami starter Shawn Marquardt, who held UT to just five hits in nine innings of shutout baseball for the RedHawks (29-27).

Senior second baseman Joe Corfman faired better than most, collecting a pair of hits in his three at bats. Senior first baseman Mark Lapikas (1 for 3), junior designated hitter Matt Delewski (1 for 3) and freshman shortstop Nate Langhals (1 for 3) collected the remaining hits for the Rockets.

On the mound, sophomore starter Ryan Wilkinson (7-4, 3.00 ERA) allowed five runs (four earned) on 10 hits over his 6.1 innings. Junior Cody Umbright came in and threw 2.2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit.

Tags: Cody Umbright, Joe Corfman, MAC Tournament, Mark Lapikas, Matt Delewski, Miami, Mid-American Conference, Nate Langhals, Rockets baseball, Ryan Wilkinson, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Thursday, May 24th, 2012 at 12:47 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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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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The Rockets jumped out to a 12-2 run on the road and remained atop the Mid-American Conference West Division with a 16-8 win over Bowling Green on May 12.

Toledo is now 26-24 on the season with a 15-8 record in MAC play. They lead Central Michigan (27-25, 14-9 MAC), which has won nine straight games, by one game and Eastern Michigan (23-25, 13-10) by two. The Rockets have just four games against league opponents remaining, including a three-game series at home against the Eagles beginning on May 17.

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

Despite a rare poor performance from senior starter Matt Kuna, the Rockets hitters still managed to pull the team to a victory. Kuna (6-1, 2.78 ERA), who entered the game leading the MAC with a 2.09 ERA, gave up a season-high seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits in 4.1 innings of work. In his eight previous starts this year, Kuna had never given up more than three runs.

Senior reliever Alex Radon (1-5, 6.40 ERA) picked up his first win of the season giving up one run over 2.2 innings before junior Cody Umbright finished the game with two scoreless innings.

A day after racking up 14 hits and nine runs, the UT offense continued to roll, recording a season-high in both runs (16) and hits (19).

Senior first baseman Mark Lapikas (4 for 5, 2 R, 2 RBI) paced the team with a career-high four hits and has recorded a hit in eight consecutive contests.

Sophomore catcher James Miglin (2 for 3, 4 R, RBI) crossed the plate four times while junior designated hitter Matt Delewski (2 for 4, R, 3 RBI) and junior third baseman Wes White (1 for 3, 3 RBI) each drove home three. Senior second baseman Joe Corfman (3 for 5, 2 R, RBI) and junior center fielder Ben Hammer (3 for 6, 2 R, RBI) also recorded multihit efforts.

After securing the series victory, Toledo will look to sweep the Falcons at 1 p.m. May 13. Junior starter Mike Hamann (2-5, 6.51 ERA) will take the hill looking for his third win in five starts.

Tags: Alex Radon, Ben Hammer, Cody Umbright, James Miglin, Joe Corfman, Mark Lapikas, Matt Delewski, Matt Kuna, Mid-American Conference, Rockets baseball, Wes White

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 13th, 2012 at 1:29 pm 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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Toledo failed to get its fourth straight series victory as Buffalo recorded a 6-2 victory in the series rubber match on May 6 at Scott Park.

Despite the loss, the Rockets (24-23, 13-8 Mid-American Conference) maintain sole possession of first place in the conference over Eastern Michigan (22-24, 12-9 MAC) by one game. Central Michigan (23-25, 12-9) has also pulled to within one game of UT for the lead in the division.

Starter Mike Hamann (2-5, 6.51 ERA), who had two straight quality starts and was seeking his third win in four outings, was saddled with the loss. The junior allowed five hits and four runs in 4.2 innings of work while striking out four.

Senior reliever Tyler Scott, photo by Zach Davis

Senior reliever Tyler Scott pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief for Hamann before junior Cody Umbright finished the game, allowing a run in the ninth.

At the plate, senior second baseman Joe Corfman (1 for 4, 2 R) was the lone Rocket to cross the plate, doing so twice after being drove home by junior designated hitter Matt Delewski (1 for 4, RBI) and sophomore third baseman Wes White (1 for 4, RBI).

Junior center fielder Ben Hammer and senior first baseman Mark Lapikas each had a pair of hits on the day in four plate appearances.

The Rockets will take a small break from MAC play when they travel to East Lansing on May 9 to take on Big Ten member Michigan State (29-16) at 3 p.m. Junior starter Jared Locke (3-5, 4.75 ERA) is slated to start against the Spartans.

Tags: Ben Hammer, Buffalo, Joe Corfman, Mark Lapikas, Matt Delewski, Mid-American Conference, Mike Hamann, Rockets baseball, Tyler Scott, Wes White, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 12:43 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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After losing its series opener to Buffalo, the Rockets evened the series on May 5 with a 3-0 victory over the Bulls at Scott Park.

Toledo’s pitching stifled UB as the Rockets remained a game up on Eastern Michigan for first place in the Mid-American Conference’s West Division at 24-22 with a 13-7 record in league play. With the loss, the Bulls dropped to 13-30 on the year and 6-13 in the MAC.

Starter Matt Kuna (6-1, 2.09 ERA) led the charge, throwing seven shutout innings, giving up just three hits with three strikeouts, moving his record to 6-1 on the season. He is tied with junior Ryan Wilkinson with a team-high six wins. Classmate Lincoln Rassi threw two scoreless innings to finish off the game, lowering his squad-best ERA to 1.63 in 2012.

At the plate, first baseman Mark Lapikas (2 for 4, R) and second baseman Joe Corfman (2 for 5, R) led the way with a pair of hits and a run scored. Freshman shortstop Nate Langhals also went 2 for 3 at the plate, collecting a run and an RBI.

The Rockets will look to win their fourth straight series at 1 p.m. on May 6 in the rubber match against Buffalo. Junior starter Mike Hamann (2-4, 6.41 ERA) will get the call, looking for his third straight quality start and his third win in four outings.

Tags: Buffalo, Joe Corfman, Lincoln Rassi, Mark Lapikas, Matt Kuna, Mid-American Conference, Nate Langhals, Rockets baseball, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 6th, 2012 at 10:18 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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Toledo stretched out its lead in the Mid-American Conference West Division after sweeping both games of a doubleheader against Ball State on April 29 at Scott Park.

The Rockets moved to 23-21 with the wins with a 12-6 record in league play. They are now two games ahead of Eastern Michigan (19-23, 10-8 MAC) for first place in the West and three games behind Kent State for the overall conference lead.

In the first game of the day, starter Matt Kuna shut down the Cardinals to collect his fifth win of the season in a 3-1 victory.

UT freshman third baseman Anthony Smith, taken by Vincent D. Scebbi

Kuna (5-1, 2.36 ERA) stifled Ball State, allowing just one run on four hits with six strikeouts in six innings of work. The senior starter is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his last four starts this season.

Senior Lincoln Rassi took over where Kuna left off and threw three scoreless innings to collect his third save of the season. Rassi, who has a team-low 1.75 ERA this season out of the bullpen, has given up just one run in his last eight appearances spanning 16.1 innings.

At the plate, Toledo racked up just six hits but managed to score three runs for the victory. Freshman left fielder Anthony Smith was the lone player with a multihit game, going 2 for 3 at the plate with a run scored. Freshman right fielder Dan Zuchowski (1 for 4, R) and senior first baseman Mark Lapikas (1 for 4, R) each crossed the plate once while senior catcher James Miglin (0 for 3, RBI) and freshman shortstop Nate Langhals (0 for 1, RBI) each drove home a run.

In the second game of the doubleheader, the Rockets had a much easier time with BSU as they cruised to a 10-3 victory.

Toledo got a much needed quality start from Mike Hamann for the second straight game. The junior, who has struggled all season, allowed just one unearned run on three hits with five strikeouts in seven innings. Hamann has given up just one earned run in his last two starts after allowing 26 runs in the previous four games.

Senior Tyler Scott relieved Hamann and gave up two runs in the eighth inning, his first outing surrendering a run in his last six appearances. Junior Cody Umbright finished up the game with a scoreless ninth frame.

Zuchowski led the way offensively, going 2 for 4 at the plate while scoring twice and driving home three. Senior second baseman Joe Corfman (1 for 3, 2 R) and Langhals (2 for 4, 2 R, RBI) each crossed the plate twice while senior designated hitter Matt Delewski (2 for 4, 2 RBI) and junior third baseman Wes White (2 for 5, 2 RBI) each racked up two RBI.

With semester exams this week, the Rockets won’t play again until the weekend when they host Buffalo (12-27, 5-12 MAC) in a three-game series beginning at 3 p.m. May 4.

Tags: Anthony Smith, Ball State, Cody Umbright, Dan Zuchowski, doubleheader, James Miglin, Joe Corfman, Lincoln Rassi, Mark Lapikas, Matt Delewski, Matt Kuna, Mid-American Conference, Mike Hamann, Nate Langhals, Rockets baseball, Tyler Scott, Wes White, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Monday, April 30th, 2012 at 8:46 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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In their series opener at rival Northern Illinois, the Rockets scored five runs in the final two innings to take a 7-3 victory on April 20 in DeKalb.

With the win, Toledo improved to 18-20 on the season with a 7-6 record in Mid-American Conference play, one game back of Eastern Michigan for first place in the MAC West. Northern Illinois dropped to 11-25 with a 5-8 league record, putting them fifth in the West.

UT freshman third baseman Anthony Smith, taken by Vincent D. Scebbi

Freshman third baseman Anthony Smith came up big again for the Rockets with the game-winning hit in the eighth inning to score senior first baseman Mark Lapikas. Smith was 2 for 4 against the Huskies with two runs batted in, raising his batting average this season to .314, the team’s second-highest total.

Lapikas led Toledo with three hits in his four at bats while scoring twice and driving home a pair. Senior second baseman Joe Corfman racked up a hit in each of his three at bats and had two runs.

Sophomore starter Ryan Wilkinson (5-2, 2.49 ERA) tallied his team-high fifth win of the season after working seven innings allowing three runs (two earned) while striking out a career-high seven batters.

Entering in the eighth inning was senior reliever Lincoln Rassi who pitched two scoreless innings while striking out five to earn his second save of the season.

The Rockets will try and clinch a series victory on the road when they play the Huskies in the second of a three game series at 2:15 p.m. April 21.

Tags: Anthony Smith, Joe Corfman, Lincoln Rassi, Mark Lapikas, Mid-American Conference, Northern Illinois, Rockets baseball, Ryan Wilkinson, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 21st, 2012 at 12:46 pm and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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While trying to extend its season-long winning streak to five games, the Rockets gave up four runs in the ninth inning and lost 6-5 to Western Michigan at Scott Park on April 14.

Toledo dropped to 16-19 on the season with a 5-6 record in Mid-American Conference play, while the Broncos moved to 16-16 on the year with a 6-4 league record.

James Miglin, photo courtesy of UT athletics

Rockets senior Alex Radon got the call in the ninth for the save opportunity and gave up four runs on four hits while walking one in the inning. With the loss, Radon drops to 0-5 on the season with an 8.25 ERA.

The blown save ruined Matt Kuna’s start, as the senior threw six innings of two-run baseball (one earned) allowing five hits while striking out four. Kuna was looking for his team-leading fourth win on the year, owning a 3-1 record and 3.00 ERA in 2012.

Senior Tyler Scott and junior Cody Umbright bridged the gap between Kuna and Radon, pitching two scoreless innings of relief.

Junior third baseman Wes White and sophomore catcher James Miglin each led the Rockets at the plate with three hits in four at bats, while Miglin also recorded a team-high three runs scored. Freshman left fielder Anthony Smith (1 for 3, R, 2 RBI) and senior first baseman Mark Lapikas (1 for 3, 2 RBI) drove in two runs for UT.

Toledo will look to win the rubber match of the series at 1 p.m. April 15 at Scott Park. Junior starter Mike Hamann is scheduled to start and is still looking for his first win of the season, owning an 0-4 record and 7.88 ERA on the year.

Tags: Alex Radon, Anthony Smith, Cody Umbright, James Miglin, Mark Lapikas, Matt Kuna, Mid-American Conference, Rockets baseball, Tyler Scott, Wes White, Western Michigan, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 15th, 2012 at 10:00 am and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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