Every team needs an ace, and a championship team, like Colorado Mesa University softball team, needs an ace like Mckenzie Surface.
Surface has been playing since she was about seven or eight. She is from Colorado Springs and was announced as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Preseason Pitcher of the Year. She has earned many other All-American titles since she has been on the CMU softball team.
Surface initially came to CMU for softball.
“I found out later CMU offers counseling psychology as a major as opposed to just a general psychology major and is one of the few schools in the nation that do, so it worked out really well,” Surface said.
In her past two seasons, she has performed as an ace should. Surface, last season, mounted a 1.27 era to help her surpass 27 wins and only four losses. She struck out 195 batters with nine complete games and was able to earn Co-RMAC Pitcher of the Year.
“It’s really cool. I like to think I pitch my best in pressure situations so I like being able to throw in our really intense games against good teams,” Surface said. “Thankfully, I also have a killer offensive that can outscore the other team so I am never really too worried if the other team scores a run or two and that makes me relaxed on the mound.”
Surface explained that having control over your emotions is the hardest part of being a pitcher.
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“Especially to an umpire because they don’t like if you think they are wrong,” Surface said. “But being the focus of attention, you really have to keep your frustrations, anger and annoyance in check.”
In softball, they can have pitchers pitch several games in the span of a single week.
“I usually only throw two games during conference play and that effect on my body is just my shoulder gets some huge knots and my forearm gets really tight,” Surface said. “Thankfully, I don’t need to pitch every game.”
CMU has three total pitchers. Surface, Kimbri Herring and Brooke Hodgson. A much smaller rotation compared to baseball, which usually consists of five or six pitchers, but the Mavericks make it work.
With two seasons left for Surface, she just wants to continue having fun and continue to do better each year.
“As for any future softball after school there really is none,” Surface said. “A future in softball outside of college is very limited, even if I had the opportunity I would hang up my cleats after college because I want to pursue a Masters degree in counseling psychology.”
As for this 2018 season, Surface predicts high scoring games for the Mavericks.
“Our offensive is on fire,” Surface said. “I’m really expecting to make it to and past regionals, finally getting to super-regionals and to the actual national championship. Our team chemistry has never been higher and everyone has the same mindset in terms of what we want to accomplish and I have never been more excited for a season.”
CMU started the season 10-0 and finally get a chance to play at home for the first time this season on Feb. 24 against Chadron State. During the 10-game win streak, Surface threw in six games and came away with the win in every single one of them. She struck out 36 pitchers and earned a 3.26 era.