TOLEDO – On this episode of the Flyby Sports Podcast, host Max Alfonso is joined by Toledo head baseball coach Rob Reinstetle, recorded last week after the Rockets wrapped up a thrilling season.
Reinstetle reflects on the team’s impressive late-season surge, reaching the MAC Championship game after swinging the bats exceptionally well and finding their rhythm on the mound. He opens up about a pivotal moment in the season—the tough loss to Michigan at Fifth Third Field—and how the team bounced back with a renewed mindset and a sweep of Western Michigan.
Reinstetle also shares insight into the midseason coaching shakeup that brought in two new hitting coaches, and gives a candid look behind the scenes of a resilient squad that found its identity just in time for a memorable postseason run.
The coach also talks about:
- how the Rockets found their rhythm after a turbulent start of the season
- the positive impact of a grueling non-conference schedule, the mental grind of the MAC Tournament and pivotal moments that shaped Toledo’s run to the MAC Championship game.
- the Rockets’ pitching success in 2025. With the MAC’s best ERA and a staff built on returning talent and strategic additions, Reinstetle breaks down how new pitching coach Ethan Landon helped the group thrive.
He also reflects on the challenges and opportunities of the transfer portal era, how exit interviews now double as recruitment pitches, and why depth and seeding are critical in a grueling MAC Tournament. Plus, we get a look at Toledo’s future: upcoming scheduling shifts, portal strategy and how the Rockets plan to take the next step in 2026.
The Flyby Sports Podcast is a production of the Toledo Free Press and is always be available in the TFP Pod Station page.
