The University of Toledo baseball team’s success in 2012 has continued even after the season.

Following the program’s first Mid-American Conference West Division Championship, the Rockets set a school record with five players being named to the Academic All-MAC Team this week. The team consists of 21 players this season.

The academic honor, which is voted by faculty athletic representatives from the MAC institutions, was given to senior Joe Corfman, juniors Matt Delewski and Ben Hammer and sophomores James Miglin and Ryan Wilkinson. Each student must have a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have played in at least half of their team’s games to qualify.

The recognition is especially significant for Corfman, who became the school’s first player to make the team three times. Hammer and Delewski can each attempt that feat next year, with each being chosen to the Academic All-MAC Team for the second time.

Tags: Academic All-MAC Team, Ben Hammer, James Miglin, Joe Corfman, Matt Delewski, Mid-American Conference, Rockets baseball, Ryan Wilkinson, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Saturday, July 28th, 2012 at 12:12 pm and is filed under Baseball, College sports, Sports.
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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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The Rockets secured the first Mid-American Conference West Division regular season championship in school history on May 18 when they topped Eastern Michigan 5-2 at Scott Park.

Toledo (29-25, 18-8 MAC) eliminated the Eagles (24-28, 14-12) from contention for the title the previous day and went into the game just one game ahead of Central Michigan. A victory over EMU combined with a Chippewas loss, however, clinched the first ever championship for the Rockets.

“Our guys played really well today with a really complete game,” UT head coach Cory Mee said. “It was a big win for us.”

“It’s amazing,” senior starter Matt Kuna said. “It’s what I came here to do when I signed five years ago. Doing that today is just a lot of fun to say that I was a part of it.”

Leading UT to victory was Kuna (7-1, 2.51 ERA) who stifled Eagles hitters all day on his way to earning his team-leading seventh victory of the year. The senior threw seven scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out five.

“Matt was outstanding,” Mee said. “He did exactly what he does, filling the strike zone up, and really puts the pressure on the hitters. I just love the way he pitches, and I think our guys love playing behind him, too.”

With a 5-0 lead going into the ninth, the game got a bit more interesting as Eastern Michigan got to senior reliever Alex Radon, who left the game, giving up two runs in 1.1 innings. Junior Cody Umbright, however, sealed the contest, getting the next two batters out to secure the title for Toledo.

At the plate, junior designated hitter Matt Delewski went 2 for 4 while crossing the plate twice and driving in one. Freshman shortstop Nate Langhals (1 for 2, 2 RBI) drove home a team-high two runs while senior second baseman Joe Corfman (2 for 4, RBI) and sophomore catcher James Miglin (2 for 4, R) each recorded a pair of hits.

With the title secured, the Rockets will finish off the three-game series against EMU looking for the sweep at 1 p.m. May 19. Junior starter Mike Hamann (2-5, 6.08 ERA) will take the mound looking to bring Toledo its sixth straight conference victory.

Tags: Alex Radon, Cody Umbright, Cory Mee, Eastern Michigan, James Miglin, Joe Corfma, Matt Delewski, Matt Kuna, Mid-American Conference, Nate Langhals, Rockets baseball, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 19th, 2012 at 6:04 pm 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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Toledo beat archrival Bowling Green 9-4 on May 11 and clinched a spot in the upcoming Mid-American Conference Tournament for the fifth time in the last six years.

The Rockets (25-24, 14-8 MAC) lead the West Division of the MAC by one game over Central Michigan (26-25, 13-9) and two games over Eastern Michigan (22-25, 12-10). Toledo has five conference games remaining, two against Bowling Green and the season series finale at home against EMU beginning May 17.

UT freshman right fielder Dan Zuchowski, courtesy of UT Athletics

Sophomore starter Ryan Wilkinson (7-3, 2.74 ERA) won his team-leading seventh win of the season, working five innings and giving up four runs (two earned) and striking out two. Senior relievers Tyler Scott and Lincoln Rassi each worked two scoreless innings to seal the victory.

Toledo’s offense had little trouble against BG, racking up 14 hits in the matchup. Freshman right fielder Dan Zuchowski (2 for 3, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI) and sophomore catcher James Miglin (1 for 5, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI) each hit home runs off the Falcons. Also recording a multihit effort was senior second baseman Joe Corfman (2 for 5, R), junior center fielder Ben Hammer (2 for 5), junior designated hitter Matt Delewski (2 for 5, R), freshman left fielder Anthony Smith (2 for 5, R) and junior third baseman Wes White (2 for 4, R).

Toledo will continue its series with the Falcons at 1 p.m. May 12 with senior starter Matt Kuna (6-1) and his conference-leading 2.09 ERA on the mound.

Tags: Anthony Smith, Ben Hammer, Dan Zuchowski, James Miglin, Joe Corfman, Lincoln Rassi, MAC Tournament, Matt Delewski, Mid-American Conference, Rockets baseball, Ryan Wilkinson, Tyler Scott, Wes White, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 13th, 2012 at 11:29 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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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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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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Just a week ago Toledo appeared to have cause for concern losing six straight games.

What a difference a week makes.

The Rockets won their fourth straight contest on April 13 when they beat Western Michigan 7-4 at Scott Park.

UT freshman shortstop Nate Langhals, courtesy of UT Athletics

The Rockets (16-18, 5-5 Mid-American Conference) earned their seventh straight victory over WMU (15-16, 5-4 MAC) dating back to 2010.

Toledo was led by sophomore starter Ryan Wilkinson (4-2, 2.47 ERA), who gave up three runs (two earned) with a career-high six strikeouts in 5.1 innings to earn the victory. Senior reliever Lincoln Rassi pitched the final 3.2 innings and allowed just one run on three hits, earning his first save of the year.

Freshman shortstop Nate Langhals had a career-high three hits in four at bats while driving in two runs and scoring once. He entered the game with just three hits on the season in 25 at bats with no RBI and with his performance raised his batting average from .120 to .207 this season.

Senior designated hitter Matt Delewski (2 for 4, R, RBI) and junior third baseman Wes White (2 for 3, RBI) also each had a pair of hits for the Rockets.

Toledo will look for its fifth straight win on April 14 when it hosts Western Michigan at 1 p.m. Senior Matt Kuna (3-1, 3.27 ERA) will be trying for his fourth victory of the year.

Tags: Lincoln Rassi, Matt Delewski, Mid-American Conference, Nate Langhals, Rockets baseball, Ryan Wilkinson, Wes White, Western Michigan, Zach Davis

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 14th, 2012 at 1:19 pm 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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