Miami (OH) baseball defeated Toledo 6-3 in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament Championship on Sunday afternoon at Crushers Stadium in Avon, Ohio, punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
The championship is the RedHawks’ fourth in program history after winning in 1983, 2000 and 2005. Miami is the first top seed to win the conference tournament since Central Michigan won in 2019.
The win marks the end of the Cinderella run for Toledo, the fifth seed, who battled their way through the loser’s bracket to make it to the final game. UT’s only two losses in the tournament were against the RedHawks.
Toledo remains one of only two current MAC baseball programs (Northern Illinois) to have never won a MAC Tournament Championship. The Rockets reached the championship game for just the third time in program history after previously losing 18-13 to Eastern Michigan in 1982 and 5-3 to Kent State in 2009.
Miami’s starting pitcher, senior right-hander Clayton Burke, offered a brilliant performance on the mound. Burke earned the win, allowing just three runs on four hits across 101 pitches in 8.0 innings. He struck out six Rockets while walking just one.
Junior left-hander Carson Byers got the final three outs on the mound for the RedHawks, needing only 10 pitches.
Miami dominated the entire tournament, throwing just three pitchers in their three wins.
Meanwhile, Toledo’s starter, redshirt senior right-hander Yianni Skeriotis, suffered the loss after allowing five runs, including four earned, eight hits and six walks across 128 pitches in 6.2 innings.
Overall, Miami outhit Toledo nine to five, including mashing four extra-base hits to Toledo’s one. The Rockets also committed two errors while Miami played a clean defensive game.
The RedHawks pounced on the Rockets early, scoring four runs in the first three frames.
Switch-hitting senior center fielder Anthony Zarlingo began the scoring, driving in redshirt senior shortstop Dillon Baker on a groundout in the first frame.
Then, left-handed hitting redshirt sophomore right fielder Tommy Harrison homered to right field in the second inning.
Toledo started beating themselves in the third inning. Skeriotis made a throwing error to first base on a bunt single by junior third baseman Dominic Krupinski, allowing Zarlingo and senior catcher David Novak to score. Krupinski earned the MAC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors.
Miami added another run in the bottom of the seventh inning, with senior designated hitter Ty Batusich scoring Krupisnki with a double down the left field line.
The Rockets avoided the shutout by finally scoring with two outs in the top of the eighth, as redshirt sophomore outfielder Luke Walton drove in sophomore first baseman Cole Cahill with a single up the middle.
The RedHawks scored another insurance run in the bottom of the eighth inning, with David Novak driving in sophomore left fielder Ryan Novak on a sacrifice fly.
Toledo attempted to mount a comeback in the ninth inning, with sophomore infielder Charlie Scholvin driving in two runs on a single; however, it was not enough to close the deficit.
Next, Miami will await to see where they will travel for the NCAA Tournament, which will be revealed during the selection show at noon on Monday, airing on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.
