Excitement.
The Colorado Mesa University (CMU) baseball team has been on fire when it comes to their offense this season.
Over the 32 games they have played this season, they have already scored 454 runs and have 475 hits. Every position player that has been able to step up to the plate this season has been able to produce at least one hit for their team. CMU has also had nine games this season where they have scored 20 or more runs on a team.
The hitting culture that the coaching staff has implied during practices and fall this year is really coming to life in the offensive numbers the Mavericks have been able to produce.
“We have talented kids that work really hard and who have bought into our system. I believe our system works and I think we have a large group of kids that have bought in and have really tried to apply some principles and some philosophy to how we want to attack the offensive side of the game,” Head Coach Chris Hanks said.
While the home runs are fun and CMU has 77 of them on the season, they have really focused on playing the small ball game as well as hitting the long ball.
In practice, the team really focuses on hitting line drive doubles into the gaps and really trusting in one through nine in the batting order to help get those runs across the plate.
Focusing on the small ball will help the Mavericks throughout the rest of their season as the ball carries out of the park better in Colorado because of the altitude, so it is easier to hit home runs in Colorado than other states like North Carolina where the Division Two World Series is held.
“We want to be highly adaptable. We talked to our guys and we have to be able to win at sea level in an environment where the ball doesn’t carry as well or if we play on a windy day anywhere where the wind is blowing in and the power numbers get negated because of the elements you still have to be able to have an answer to that,” Hanks said.
Even though the Mavericks have not used the speed they have in their lineup like they have in years past they very much have used hit and run and the bunt game to their advantage.
Mavericks like sophomore outfielder Tanner Garner, junior infielder Caleb Farmer and many others have used the bunt successfully multiple times to get on base throughout the season.
One through nine in the Mavericks lineup have been very successful but Hanks knows if he needs to go to his bench for any reason he has depth there as well.
Junior designated hitter/catcher Haydn McGeary leads the conference in batting average (.508), on base percentage (.556), hits (61), doubles (19) and runs batted in (64). There are many others through the line up that have helped the Mavericks at the plate.
Freshman infielder Harrison Rodgers who has played off the bench and has also gotten the start at second base this season. A simplified approach at the plate has turned Rodgers from a contact hitter to being both a contact and power hitter.
“Harrison has basically simplified his swing and narrowed down his philosophy in what he is looking for and I think that is more consistent in driving a pitch and being more selective,” Hanks said.
The line up has been able to dominate against tougher pitchers they have seen in the regular season. This is because they see sophomore and senior right handed pitchers Andrew Morris and Trevin Reynolds in practice along with seeing junior left handed pitcher Ryan Day in practice as well.
“I think we have the best RMAC pitching, so being able to see that all fall. I think that is incredible for our hitters to practice and play against all the way up until the spring,” Rodgers said.
The Maverick bats look to stay hot as they continue their season with their last regular season road series against Colorado State University- Pueblo. The two teams will play a doubleheader to start the four game series on Friday May 7. The first game Friday will start at 1 p.m. in Pueblo, Colo.
