Kent State University
Toledo
MAC Softball Opening Weekend Marks Return to the Diamond at Dix
3/18/2021 12:58:00 PM | Softball
After a 683-day break, softball will be played at the Diamond at Dix this weekend when Kent State hosts Toledo for a four-game series to begin Mid-American Conference play.
First pitch of the series opener is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m. The first weekend of conference play will conclude with a 12 p.m. contest on Sunday.
Follow the Action
The entire series will be streamed on BoxCast, with individual games links available on Kent State's schedule page. Game updates will also be posted on the @KentStSoftball Twitter account.
Preseason MAC Poll Favorite
Kent State received seven first-place votes and was picked as the favorite in the 2021 Mid-American Conference softball preseason coaches poll that was announced on February 15. The Golden Flashes totaled 106 points in the poll. Miami (94 points) and Ball State (88) were picked to finish second and third, respectively, and received the remaining first-place votes.
New MAC Season Format
The MAC expanded its regular season league schedule to 40 games this season, with each team slated to play the other 10 teams four times. The regular season champion, based on winning percentage, will receive the conference's automatic bid for the NCAA Tournament.
About the Flashes
Kent State enters at 3-10 after playing a rigorous non-conference schedule that ranks as the 17th-toughest in the country. The Golden Flashes have played five games against top-20 teams and four more against teams who received votes in this week's USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.
Senior Kennadie Goth leads Kent State with a .393 batting average, 11 hits and six runs scored. Goth hit safely in each of the first eight games of the season. Junior Brooklyn Whitt is hitting .310 and has a team-high five stolen bases. Senior Brenna Brownfield, the 2019 MAC Player of the Year, has swung a powerful bat with two home runs and nine RBIs.
Freshman Jessica LeBeau (2-5) has been the Flashes' top pitcher with four complete games, including one shutout, in six starts. LeBeau ranks second in the MAC in strikeouts per seven innings (10.15) and third in total strikeouts (58).
Scouting Toledo
The Rockets (10-6) enters with the conference's best winning percentage after taking four of five games in the final non-conference weekend of the season. Toledo earned a pair of eight-inning victories over Saint Francis (Pa.) and went 2-1 against Gardner-Webb this past weekend. Overall, the Rockets have played the 235th toughest schedule in the country this season (out of 270 teams), which is the lowest ranking in the MAC.
On the season, the Rockets have outscored opponents 66-62. Dayna Denner leads the offense with 16 hits, 10 RBIs, four doubles, four home runs and a .723 slugging percentage. Anna Dixon adds 15 hits and a team-best .375 batting average, while Rutgers transfer Aleah Marra is batting .351 and driven in eight runs. Toledo's pitching staff leads the MAC with a 2.62 earned run average. 2019 MAC Tournament MVP Erin Hunt (6-3) is the Rockets' aces and ranks second in the conference in ERA (1.73) and strikeouts (76).
Series History
Kent State is 60-39 all-time against Toledo. This will be the first meeting since 2019, when the Rockets won three of five games. The Golden Flashes took the first two games to win the regular season series in Toledo, 6-1 and 8-6. Toledo avoided being swept on the opening weekend of conference play with a 5-2 victory in the finale. The seventh-seeded Rockets began a memorable MAC Tournament run by beating Kent State, 4-2, in the first round. Toledo eliminated the Flashes with a 2-1 win two days later in the elimination bracket semifinal.
On Deck for the Flashes
Kent State will hit the road next week for a four-game MAC series at Northern Illinois.
