Rockets' baseball season off to an impressive start

3/23/2006
BY DAVE HACKENBERG
BLADE SPORTS WRITER

The University of Toledo's baseball team is off to one of its better starts in recent seasons, but it remains to be seen if the Rockets are a match for Mother Nature.

UT is 7-6 and has wins over Penn State, Connecticut and Villanova to its credit.

Despite an iffy forecast, the Rockets are slated to open the Mid-American Conference season with a three-game home series against Miami University this weekend at Scott Park.

Weather permitting, UT will play host to Miami tomorrow at 3 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Toledo's pitching staff leads MAC teams with a 3.35 earned-run average. Joe Welsh, who is slated to start tomorrow, is 2-1 with a 1.05 ERA and an opponents' batting average of just .230.

Outfielder Jake Swint leads the Rockets with a .333 batting average while infielder Scott Boley checks in at .311 with a pair of home runs.

UT's game at Dayton yesterday was cancelled due to inclement weather.

BASKETBALL: According to comments by men's coach Stan Joplin in a Q&A posted on the UT athletic Web site, the Rockets will play a tougher non-conference schedule next season in an attempt to improve their RPI ranking.

Joplin said UT will open the 2006-07 season at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands against a field that tentatively includes Villanova, Xavier, Virginia Commonwealth, Middle Tennessee State, and the College of Charleston.

The Rockets will also play in a tournament at Texas El-Paso, Joplin said. The tentative field includes St. Joe's, Jackson State, and host UTEP.

WOMEN'S TRACK: An outdoor meet to be held by UT on April 4 has been re-scheduled for Thursday, April 14 starting with field events at 2 p.m. Competing teams include Bowling Green, Northern Illinois and Tiffin.

Contact Dave Hackenberg at:

dhack@theblade.com

or 419-724-6398.