The win streak continued, as the #1 nationally ranked Colorado Mesa University (CMU) baseball team secured their 20th straight victory over the weekend. The club went 3-0 and will now play Angelo State University (ASU), who bounced them out of the Super Regionals last year.
Despite being first-ranked in the national poll, CMU entered the playoffs as the #2 seed in the South Central Region, behind the 50-9 Rams.
This will be a battle of the top-ranked teams in the nation, as ASU is ranked first the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Poll, while CMU sits atop the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Poll
On May 18-20, the Mavericks played host of the two loss elimination regionals.
In game one, Saint Edward’s University defeated Lubbock Christian University. Saint Edward’s then got the night off, while Lubbock Christian had to play the host Mavs with their season on the line.
Jacob Rhoades got the start on the mound for the Mavs and delivered. The junior went seven innings, allowing two earned runs across his work. Rhoades was clutch throughout his appearance, keeping the game in reach while the Mavericks trailed 2-1 going into the bottom of the sixth.
In the sixth, CMU finally re-took the lead at 3-2 off a pair of RBI hits from shortstop Harrison Rodgers and catcher Declan Wiesner. Rhoades then went one-two-three and quickly gave the bats back to a red-hot Maverick lineup in the seventh.
CMU carried the momentum, and had the bases loaded with two outs. Head coach Chris Hanks then called on junior infielder Caleb Thomason for the pinch-hit. Thomason came through in a big way and ripped a pitch up the middle to give the Mavs the 5-2 lead. The two teams traded runs in the eighth, and CMU eliminated Lubbock Christian with the 6-3 win.
Hanks gave the nod to the RMAC Freshman Pitcher of the Year Liam Hohenstein. Hohenstein went seven innings, and was dominant once again. The freshman allowed just one hit in his seven innings of work, and the one hit was a weak ground ball that barely made it to the outfield.
Unlike Rhoades, Hohenstein was able to pitch with a lead. The Mavericks jumped out to their first lead in the third from a solo home run from outfielder Rob Sharrar. With the homerun, the Mavericks became the first team in DII history to hit 100 home runs, and steal 100 bases in the same season.
The Mavericks continued pushing across runs and led 6-0 in the sixth, where another record was set. Outfielder Julian Boyd singled and then stole second base, recording his 37th of the season, which broke a RMAC and school record that stood for nearly 20 years.
In the seventh, Wiesner put the game to bed, hitting a three-run homerun to give the Mavericks the 9-0 lead. Saint Edward’s did get on the board in the eighth, but the Mavs coasted to the 10-3 win.
In game two of the series, Kannon Handy got the start on the bump, and was solid. The junior went four innings allowing three runs. The Mavericks scored a run in the top of the fifth, and trailed 3-2. Coach Hanks then went to the bullpen early, and the decision paid off.
Junior Cade Nicol pitched the next three innings, and held Saint Edward’s scoreless. The Mavs rode Nicol’s hot pitching and finally took the lead in the eighth off a pair of deep home runs.
First, Rodgers sent the ball so far that it nearly hit the softball scoreboard. Then, designated hitter Christos Stefanos crushed a home run into deep left field. Stefanos celebrated around the bases, and was tossed from the game, but was met with a standing ovation.
At the NCAA south central super regional, CMU will have a rematch with ASU, who knocked a loaded Maverick team out of the playoffs last May. At 48-9, and 50-9, and both staking a claim to the #1 team in the country, it is a shame only one of these teams will make the eight team world series.
The super regional is a best of three series, starting May 26, with Angelo State playing host.