As the month of January rolls to a close and the Walmarts begin to fill with the stuffed teddy bears and heart candies for Valentine’s Day, that can only mean one thing. Spring sports are just around the corner, and are some of Colorado Mesa University’s most successful programs. With most beginning their seasons the second week in February, I wanted to give the students of CMU a detailed list of some of the major sports to keep their eye on this season.
4. Baseball
This one should be pretty obvious to anyone that pays attention to CMU sports teams. They enter the 2018 season having won the last six Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) championships dating back to 2012, with really not much competition in any of those seasons. During those six seasons they have won anywhere from 39 to 50 games total in each season. They have had eight All-American’s and have made the NCAA tournament the last nine seasons. Combine all of that with the fact that this team has also made it to the final four two of the last four seasons, and you get arguably (but not really) CMU’s best sports team. This team will be the most exciting team to watch during the spring season, and if you go to their home games you will come away having watched a lot of home victories. They are the team for the hard core Maverick fans and the one for the casual once every so often viewer. Be prepared for another dominant season, as they will be one of the top teams in the country once again.
3. Softball
One that should be equally as obvious, but gets lost due to the success of baseball, is the CMU softball team. They are coming off a season where they finished with 48 wins and were the clear dominant force in the RMAC. The Mavericks destroyed teams and won 35 of the 39 RMAC games they played. This is a high paced team that is fun to watch. If you like scoring, they have you covered. They scored an average of 7.8 runs per game last season, so you will never see a slow, low scoring battle with this team on the field. You like the big plays; don’t you worry, they have those too. The team hit 70 home runs last season which ranked tops in the RMAC last season (with the next closes team at 55). And if you love pitching, well, that is just their bread and butter. McKenzie Surface was the ace of all aces last season, finishing with 27 wins and 195 strikeouts. So, if you like to see batters shaking in their cleats, she’s the one you need to go and see. Much like baseball, look for this team to dominate the RMAC once again and be one of the top teams in the country come tournament time.
2. Men’s Lacrosse
Despite only being a varsity sport for seven seasons, the CMU men’s lacrosse team has become a winning commodity that often gets taken for granted. Since 2015, this team has won at least 10 games each of the last three seasons, including going 16-2 last season. They have won the RMAC regular season and RMAC championship each of the last two seasons. Just this week, the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association released their preseason coaches poll that had the Mavericks ranked at No. 14 entering the 2018 season. During their 16-win season last year, the team averaged nearly 16 goals scored PER GAME. That is a lot of opportunities for Maverick fans to get Rowdy for this up and coming varsity group. This team gets their season started in March and only has six regular season home games, so fans be sure to get out there as soon as you can. I promise you won’t regret it.
1. Women’s Lacrosse
Last, but certainly not least, is the women’s lacrosse team. Much like the first three, they too have had a lot of success as of late. They have not had a losing season since 2013 and have won double digit games each of their last two seasons. And if a lot of action is your thing, then once again these Mavericks will help fulfill your love for the score. Four times last season this team put up 20 goals on their opponent and only had two games where they didn’t score at least 10. They are young, fast and exciting to watch and should be near the top of the sports fans’ ‘Teams to go see’ list.
