CMU’s softball team is already showing promise before the start of the season after earning the No. 1 ranking in the RMAC preseason polls.

Jessica Severinsen, a senior, was named Preseason Pitcher of the Year, while Makayla Kovac and Nicole Robinson were named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.

“I expect us to keep our number one preseason ranking,” Coach Candace Abrams said. “[The team] can do something really great this year, and I hope that they do.”

The Mavericks finished last season with an overall record of 28-17-1 and a 24-11-1 record in the RMAC conference.

The team lost four players to graduation last year as well, so there were positions up for grabs this season. Abrams feels those positions, along with all the other positions, have to be earned weekly. They aren’t just given to players.

“You challenge yourself to be as good as your teammate or better,” Abrams said, “or you force that person to catch up to you, and it makes the team better as a whole.”

Abrams is only in her second year of coaching at CMU after spending the previous two years as an assistant coach at the University of Arizona. She believes that her experience there can help her team.

“I hope I bring that energy and confidence that I believe in them and that they can win,” Abrams said.

The team is ready to prove their coach right, according to sophomore pitcher Courtney Shreves. They’ve been putting in a lot of effort and want to keep their number one ranking.

“We’re eager to start,” Shreves said. “We can’t wait.”

The team begins its season on Feb. 14 at the West Texas Invitational.

amahan2@mavs.coloradomesa.edu