NCAA SOUTH CENTRAL REGION TOURNAMENT PAGEComplete Game Notes for the NCAA RegionalLAST WEEKENDColorado Mesa claimed their second consecutive RMAC Tournament Championship, defeating MSU Denver in the championship game 7-6 on a walk-off home run by
Alex Fife. It is their 11th RMAC Tournament Championship, most by any school in the conference.Â
NCAA TOURNAMENT BOUNDThe Mavericks will make their 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament this weekend. It will be their fifth time hosting the tournament and they have won the tournament in two of the other four times they hosted (2009, 2014).Â
AGAINST THE FIELDColorado Mesa has only played RMAC rival CSU-Pueblo in this year's field. They have a 4-1 record against them this season. This will be the third meeting between the Mavericks and St. Mary's in the opening round of the tournament with the two teams splitting the meetings. Angelo State is the lone team in the tournament that Colorado Mesa has never faced.
PROGRAM BUILDERSThe Mavericks have won 40 games or more for the eigth tim in program history and have matched the win total from last year's NCAA Championship Game squad of 47. The school record for wins in a season is 49 set in 2007 when the regular season consisted of 56 games.
NCBWA ALL-REGION TEAMColorado Mesa had seven players named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writer's All-Region Team.
Austin Wallingford was named the player of the year while head coach
Chris Hanks was named the coach of the year.
Kyle Serrano,
Alex Fife, and
Ryan Reno were all named to the first team while
Zach McLeod and
Tyler Ehlers were second team recipients and
Bligh Madris honorable mention.
AUSTINSAustin Wallingford is enjoying another great season and has already been awarded RMAC Player of the Year and NCBWA Player of the Year. He is a semifinalist for the Tino Martinez Award that was won by Colorado Mesa's
Austin Kaiser a year ago.Â
RECORD BREAKERSColorado Mesa broke the NCAA Division II single-game attendance record in game two of the series with an announced attendance of 5,172 breaking the old record held by RMAC rival CSU-Pueblo. Fans were treated to a Fireworks Show following the game.
PROTECTING THE HOUSESuplizio Field has been very kind to the Mavericks for several seasons now. The Mavericks are 100-9 the past three seasons including the 26-3 record this season. They have not been shutout at home in 341 games dating back to the 2004 season (L 0-3 Western Oregon, Feb. 14).
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPColorado Mesa played for the NCAA National Championship last year coming up just short to Southern Indiana 3-2 in 12 innings. It was the first time in program history the Mavericks have reached the National Championship game.
ON DECKIf the Mavericks are fortunate enough to win their second straight South Central Region Championship, they will advance to the Division II World Series in Cary, N.C. at the USA Baseball Training Facility which starts next Saturday.
