Toledo Preview

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Belmont Baseball kicks off the 2022 campaign this weekend with a four-game series against the visiting Toledo Rockets, out of the Mid-American Conference.  

While there will be no live video streaming available this weekend, the live play-by-play of Dr. Rich Tiner can be heard for Friday and Sunday's games on the Bruin Sports Network, available anywhere in the world through Twitter. Additionally, live stats will be available for all four contests through StatBroadcast, and in-game updates will be available via Twitter @BelmontBaseball.

WHAT'S BRUIN 

• Belmont is coming off a 22-30 season in 2021 that saw them go 14-16 in Ohio Valley Conference play

• Head coach Dave Jarvis currently has 996 career wins (672 at Belmont, 324 at Three Rivers College). With four wins this weekend, Jarvis would hit the 1,000 win mark. According to best estimates, there are fewer than 20 active coaches in the country with at least 1,000 wins. 

• Belmont will play their first nine games of the season at home, and 13 of their first 14 games at home. The Bruins will not leave Nashville until March 11, when they travel to Birmingham for a road series at UAB. 

• Belmont is 15-9 in season openers under Coach Jarvis. The Bruins have collected wins on their past two Opening Days: beating Kansas in 2020 and North Alabama in 2021. 

• Last season, the Bruin pitching staff allowed the fewest hits in the OVC and held opponents to a .257 batting average, the second-lowest mark in the league. 

• Belmont had four players selected to the Preseason All-OVC Team, the most selections in the conference and the most for Belmont to be named to a preseason all-conference team since at least 2007. Logan Jarvis, John Behrends, Joshua South, and Andy Bean were all voted Preseason All-OVC. The Bruins were picked to finish 5th in the OVC Preseason Poll. 

• Super senior Logan Jarvis was ranked the No. 21 third basemen in the country by D1Baseball prior to this season. The Franklin, Tenn., native led the Bruins in batting average (.347), triples (5), RBIs (53), slugging percentage (.570), and on base percentage (.474). Jarvis' 44 walks last year was the sixth-most in a single season in program history. 

• Junior John Behrends was ranked the No. 97 outfielder in the country by D1Baseball. The left-handed bat from Chattanooga, Tenn., led the team in runs (49), hits (64), doubles (15), and home runs (8) last season, earning a spot on the All-OVC First Team. 

• Junior right-handed pitcher Joshua South is a two-time OVC Preseason Pitcher of the Year, and will be the Friday starter on the bump. South finished with a 4.69 ERA in 14 starts last year, collecting 62 strikeouts in 78 2/3 innings. The ace was recently ranked the No. 2 MLB Draft prospect in the OVC by Perfect Game. 

• Sophomore left-hander Andy Bean is the projected Saturday starter, and will look to build off a fabulous freshman season that saw him land on the All-OVC Second Team. The Fisherville, Tenn., native went 5-2 in 12 starts last season with a 4.10 ERA. 

• Super senior Kyle Brennan enters the season as the Bruins' closer, with an impressive resume as a dependable reliever in the bullpen. The right-hander from Franklin, Tenn., is currently ranked 4th all-time in career appearances (89) and 5th all-time in career saves (17).

• The Bruins will have two new faces in the dugout this spring, with A.J. Gaura joining the team as the pitching coach and Corvin Scott added as the first-base coach. 

• The 2022 season will be the final campaign for Belmont in the Ohio Valley Conference. On July 1, 2022, the Bruins will make the move to the Missouri Valley Conference.

ABOUT THE ROCKETS 

• Toledo was picked to finish 5th in the MAC Preseason Poll, receiving one first place vote. Central Michigan was the preseason favorite in the conference.  

• Outfielder Nicky Winterstein hit .339 for the Rockets last year with four home runs and 41 RBIs. 

• Toledo was one of six teams in the country to turn a triple play last year (Davidson, Mercer, Mount St. Mary's, Utah Valley, and Winthrop)  

• Last season, Toledo was 48th in the country in home runs, smashing 64 long balls  

• Toledo had five players hit .294 or better last season  

• The Rockets lose Chris Meyers, who was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 13th Round of the MLB Draft last summer. The infielder led the MAC in home runs (15), batting average (.378), and RBIs (55)  

• Head coach Rob Reinstetle is in his second season as the Toledo skipper. He previously served as an assistant at WKU, Ole Miss, South Alabama, and College of Charleston 

SERIES HISTORY 

• Toledo and Belmont have met ten previous times, splitting the all-time series 5-5. 

• The Bruins and Rockets last met in 2019, splitting a doubleheader as part of the Mule Mix Tournament at E.S. Rose Park. Tommy Crider went 4-for-6 with 2 RBI in the two-game series, with Joshua South taking the loss on the mound in Game 1 after throwing 5.0 innings allowing 2 ER with 3 K and 3 BB.  

• Toledo and Belmont have previously met for a series in 1999, 2009, and 2019.    

Follow Belmont baseball on social media - @BelmontBaseball on Twitter and @belmontbaseball on Instagram - for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.          

#ItsBruinTime