For the 22nd time in program history, the Mavericks have won the RMAC tournament, also making it their 12th straight. Led by stellar pitcher performances, the squad went undefeated and is off to the NCAA playoffs.

Going into the RMAC tournament, it was thought to be up for grabs, with Mesa dropping games to all teams in the tournament but one. However, it was the traditional dominance from the team, going 4-0 in the tournament, making it look easy.

“It never gets old,” Colorado Mesa University (CMU) head coach Chris Hanks said.

In the tournament, it was also thought to be a high scoring affair across the weekend, but it was stellar pitching, particularly for the Mavs, who hosted the tournament after winning the regular season.

The pitching has been a battle for the Mavs this season, but as the season winded down it got better, and in the tournament, they were phenomenal. Hanks looked at a late season decision for a reason why they turned it around.

“About two weeks ago… we flushed all the stats for the season down the toilet. I told [our sports information department], the stats start now. They produced accumulative stats after we went to Colorado Springs and we just challenged the guys to play with an opening day mentality, let the baggage down,” Hanks said.

With newfound confidence of the pitching staff, it was pitcher Caleb Ruter who got the ball in game one and started the dominant week of pitching in game one for the Mavs. The 6’7” lefty went 5.2 innings allowing just two runs and was the winning pitcher in the 5-3 win.

“As a staff we have underperformed a little this year, and I think that sets a good tone for the weekend. Showing that this is what we can do every game if we focus and put our everything out there,” Ruter said.

After the 5-3 win Mesa knocked out Adams State University, winning 17-10 in an entertaining game.

First, the Maverick starting outfielders hitting at the top of the order, Paul Schoenfeld, Kolby Felix and Rob Sharrar, hit back-to-back-to-back home runs. Then, a few innings later, the Adams State pitcher plunked four straight batters, inducing an eight-run inning for the Mavs.

The theme of last year’s tournament was home runs, with 48 hit out of the park, but it was hit batters this year, as 49 times a batter was hit by a pitch. In the win against Adams State, Mesa utilized both, hitting five home runs in addition to the four hit-by-pitches. 

In game three Mesa advanced to the championship game, beating the 2-seed in the tournament, Regis University, 7-1. Pitcher Liam Hohenstein got the start and turned in one of the best performances in recent memory for Mesa. The sophomore went all 9 innings, throwing 122 pitches allowing just one run, on five hits and 9 strikeouts.

“I was really relaxed the whole game, I felt like my teammates had my back and I knew they were going to make the plays for me. All I wanted to do was fill up the strike zone and it worked for me,” Hohenstein said.

When Hohenstein has his stuff working, he is one of the best pitchers in the country. As a freshman, he made the all-region 1st team, but this season has been a struggle, as his ERA has more than doubled. In an earlier start against Regis this season, he only went 1 ⅔ innings allowing five runs, but with his absurdly dominant outing against them in the tournament proves he is still one of the most feared pitchers in the region.

Lost in the dominance of Hohenstein’s outing was, because he went all nine innings, CMU saved a ton of arms for the championship game, which could have been two games.

The tournament is double elimination, so Regis won their next game that same night to move into the championship, setting up a rematch against CMU. It was also a rematch of the championship last season with the same circumstances, Mesa needing one win with Regis needing two. 

Like last year’s 21-3 win, CMU blew out Regis again in the first game, winning 11-1. Pitcher Evan Bunevich, one of the best pitchers on the staff, was one of the arms that Mesa saved for the final game. The righty went 5 ⅓ of scoreless baseball in relief, before turning it over to perhaps the Mavericks best pitcher this season, Ethan Voss. Voss pitched a scoreless 9th, lowering his ERA to a team best 3.14.

Although the Mavs made it look easy, Hanks and the Mavs had to overcome some injury problems. Before the game, 1st baseman Braden Winget got injured playing catch and had to be replaced. In the game before and a lot of this season, outfielder Ethan Nunez started at designated hitter (DH), but he was also out with a hamstring injury.

The legend of coach Hanks continued, as he went to infielder Joey Blank to hit 2nd and DH for the Mavs. Blank has had a good season, but it was his first start since the middle of March. Fresh off an almost two-month break, Blank was ready as he went 3/5, drew a walk and reached by error, accounting for 3 RBI.

“Here, we’re always ready. When your name is called, you’re ready to play. I was just happy to be in there and be a part of it. I was able to do my thing and help them win, which is all that matters” Blank said.

While pitching, and a surprise performance by Blank, highlighted the tournament, it was the steady veteran presence of 2nd baseman Jonathan Gonzalez leading the team at the plate, and defensively. In addition to his perfect defense at 2nd base, Gonzalez went 9/15 with 5 RBI, winning tournament MVP honors.

“It means a lot; I wouldn’t have been able to do it with all my teammates [and coaches] pushing me every day. I mean, man, it’s a heartwarming feeling, I have never really won anything like this, so I’m forever grateful,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez and the Mavs now go into the NCAA tournament as the 2-seed in the south-central region. In the south-central region, six teams make the bracket, split in half, with the one and two seeds playing host for the first rounds. 

The regional tournament plays as a double-elimination tournament, with the one and two seeds getting a bye. 

On Mesa’s side they will host and get a bye. Their first game will be against the loser of Angelo State University and West Texas A&M University, then the double elimination carries it from there. In the region, a rematch against rival 6-seed Angelo State looms. CMU beat Angelo State in 2019 en route to their national runners-up season, but Angelo State has knocked out the Mavs in two straight seasons, last year beating the Mavs en route to a national championship. This time it will be in Grand Junction, after the last two years were at Angelo State’s place in Texas.

The regional tournament begins Thursday, and the Mavs will play their first game at 6:00 P.M.