The baseball team is at a steady pace as they hit the midseason mark of the 2022 season but still have some missing pieces.
The Mavericks had a big target on their back going into Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) play and while they have won games, they are still trying to figure out who they are as a team.
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) baseball has been known for its contact and power hitters, like junior designated hitter Haydn McGeary and senior infielder Caleb Farmer. Having those two back-to-back in the order has been dangerous and hard for pitchers to get them out consecutively.
Farmer and McGeary have set themselves up strongly in the two and three spots, and have made the most of being in that part of the order. They both have 14 home runs and 47 hits on the season. They lead the team in those respective categories while Farmer is first in RBI with 40 and McGeary is second with 37.
The Mavericks have still not established a solid lineup, as they are trying to still see who works best in what situation and trying to play the matchup game throughout the season.
The lineup has mostly changed at the top of the order trying to find the right lead-off hitter. The team has tried sophomores, infielder Harrison Rodgers and outfielder Robert Sharrar. Seniors, outfielder Matthew Turner and infielder Chase Hamilton have also made a few appearances at the top. Junior outfielder Julian Boyd has also seen some time there as well.
Turner or Sharrar are the Maverick’s best bets at the top of the lineup. Both have been in rough patches at the plate as of late, but you need your best chance to draw a walk or a way to get on base for Farmer and McGeary to drive in those runs in the two and three spots.
Hamilton and Boyd are great seven, eight or nine guys because not only can they make contact but they give the guys at the top of the order an RBI opportunity. Their speed gives them that extra edge in a situation where stealing a bag comes into play. With them having a chance to be in scoring position, it gives the team a higher opportunity to score.
When it comes to pitching, the baseball team is still trying to figure out who works best in what roles.
Left-handed pitchers, sophomore Kannon Handy and senior Ryan Day have claimed their spots in the starting rotation, but the other two spots have been a rotation of multiple people. Even though Day and Handy have consistent spots in the rotation, where they pitch within the series is different every weekend.
The Mavericks have not had a solid starting rotation all season long, and it is the one thing that they are missing to make a big run in the postseason.
They have tried multiple pitchers in different roles. For example, at the start of the season, sophomore right-handed pitcher Cooper Vasquez and junior Blake Rohm came out of the bullpen, but within the past couple of weeks have seen themselves in the starting rotation.
For both Vasquez and Rohm, they have been solid additions to the Mavericks rotation because they both have shown that they can go deep into games. Both have seemed a little shaky in the relief position, but have seemed more comfortable as the season goes on and as they have both seen small amounts of time in a starting spot.
The Mavericks will be tested in multiple ways for the rest of the season. For starters, they have their most important series coming up against Metro State University- Denver this weekend April 8 – April 10 in Denver, Colo.
The Roadrunners will test the Mavericks in every way they can. Their offense has not stepped on the brake since the season started and that has worked out very well for them. They are seeing offensive production from the veterans in their lineup, like Bill Ralston and Chase Anderson, and also in freshman Cam Yuran who has been in their lineup while only being the designated hitter or playing the outfield as well. They also have a very underestimated pitching staff who will go up in the zone to get hitters to swing early in counts.
CMU also has a very hectic schedule as three of their last five series are on the road. The Mavericks have a road record of 8-2 this season but they have not had back-to-back weekends out on the road until they head to Denver this weekend.
The Mavericks will start their series with the Roadrunners on April 8 with first pitch at 6 p.m.
