The Colorado Mesa University (CMU) Softball team has that special edge about them. They are driven to win and compete as a team but that team is made up of special individuals. CMU is riding a 12-game and have a record of 27-6 on the season. The team is full of power hitting and powerful mechanics, but one Maverick has shown power like no other.
Junior AnnMarie Torres has solidified herself as a hitting machine as she leads both Mavericks and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) with a batting average of .523 and a .965 slugging percentage.
“My competitiveness and just playing well for my team is what drives me to play well because I want to help my team as much as possible,” Torres said. “I have always had this drive within me since I was little honestly. I like being good at things, so I work really hard for that.”
Torres is dominating for the Mavericks this season on the field and at the plate. Torres is in her third season at CMU with plenty of accolades and accomplishments already under her belt. The Wheat Ridge native has made multiple All-RMAC teams, National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) and Division Two Conference Commissioner Association (D2CCA) teams.
“As a sport, softball has meant a lot but I think it has affected my life a lot in general,” Torres said. “It has brought me together with people who are my closest friends, to just being in a family with my teammates and it has taught me a lot of life lessons like being a good team player and wanting to be a part of something.”
Torres has already matched her freshman season home run count at nine and will hopefully extend that further the rest of the season. Feb. 25 was a stand out performance. Torres had four hits, five RBI’s and a home run.
“So right now she is hitting well, playing defensive well,” Head coach Erik Kozel said. “She is playing first base well, she came in as a third baseman that moved over to first and kind of found her home there and she will continue in that aspect of continuing what she has been doing.”
In the field, Torres made a transition from her sophomore year. She moved from one corner to another playing third to first base. The transition has been a plentiful adjustment as Torres’ field percentage is .994.
“Being on the corners, it pretty much is the same. The angle is a little different and the roles of cuts and being involved in plays are different. But I think the move was pretty good,” Torres said.
Torres plans on continuing her success at the plate and in the field the rest of the season while her and the rest of the team hope to go far this season.
