GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— After a perfect 5-0 start in their own tournament, the nation's eighth-ranked Colorado Mesa University Softball Team will play in another this week, contesting five more games at the Dixie State Easton Classic at the Canyons Softball Complex in St. George, Utah.
 
A total of 16 teams will play 41 pre-scheduled games over four days.
 
CMU's slate includes a Thursday afternoon clash with Hawai'i-Hilo, Friday games against Northwest Nazarene (Idaho) and Western New Mexico and Saturday contests against Concordia-Irvine and Cal Baptist.
 
Live statistics for the Mavs' final four games can be accessed from the tournament web page.  Live statistics for Thursday's game against Hawai'i-Hilo will not be available.
 
Another 5-0 start
 
The Mavericks began their 2018 campaign in fine form going a perfect 5-0 to finish as the only undefeated team at the Colorado Mesa University Invitational, which the squad hosted, in Rio Rancho, N.M.  Two of the victories came against fellow nationally-ranked squads.  CMU, ranked eighth nationally, defeated No. 2 Angelo State, the 2017 NCAA Division II runner-up, by a 3-1 score on Friday and edged No. 22 St. Mary's (Texas) by a 4-3 score in eighth innings on Sunday.
 
The Mavs also started the 2017 campaign with five straight wins.
 
Early regional implications
 
Although there is lot of softball to be played, the Mavericks' quick start could have monumental implications by the time the NCAA Division II South Central Regional field and hosts are selected in May.  All five of CMU's wins were over fellow regional foes, giving them the head-to-head piece of the puzzle.  The victories over Angelo State (Lone Star) and St. Mary's (Heartland) were over teams that won their conference regular season titles in 2017.  Angelo State hosted the Mavericks' 4-team regional and the ensuing Super Regional after winning the championship game over the Mavericks.  St. Mary's also advanced to the championship game of their regional, hosted by West Texas A&M and won by Texas Woman's.
 
Run-scoring barrage
 
The Mavericks scored a school-record 25 runs in their 25-1 season-opening victory over former RMAC member Western New Mexico.  Twenty of those runs were unearned as the Mustangs' committed a whopping 12 errors, which certainly aided the cause.  The 25 runs are equal to second most in RMAC history.
 
The Mavericks scored 15 of their runs in the second inning alone, which is tied for the 12^th most runs in a single-inning in NCAA Division II history, and led 21-0 through two innings before cruising to the 5-inning win.
 
The Mavericks had scored 22 runs in their 22-4 season-opening victory over Nebraska-Kearney last year and have tallied 47 runs in their last two season-openers.
 
In total, the Mavericks outscored their opponents 54-16 in the CMU Invitational and led all eight teams at the tournament in scoring.
 
Pakes, Hodgson, Surface nab FPN honors
 
CMU senior catcher Zoe Pakes was named as the Fastpitch News (FPN) NCAA Division II Player of the Week on Tuesday.  Pakes went 11-for-18 (.611) at the plate in the CMU Invitational while driving in a tournament-high 12 runs.  The Lake Havasu, Ariz. native also hit two home runs and had three doubles while slugging at a 1.111 clip.  The home runs were the 27^th and 28^th of her 4-year Maverick career.
 
That organization also has named Brooke Hodgson and McKenzie Surface to their 2018 Preseason NCAA Division II All-America team.  Hodgson was a Second Team selection while Surface was an honorable mention pick.
 
FPN is "dedicated to covering the sport of Women's Fastpitch Softball. FPN provides news, analysis, opinions and coverage of College, High School, Professional and International Fastpitch leagues and organizations," as stated on their website.
 
Surface reaches 50 in style
 
CMU junior pitcher McKenzie Surface earned her 50^th career win in fine style on Friday as she allowed just one hit while striking out ten Angelo State hitters in the Mavericks' 3-1 win over the nation's second-ranked Rambelles on Friday.  Surface entered the season with 49 wins and now has 52 after she also recorded wins on Saturday against MSU Denver and Sunday against No. 22 St. Mary's.  In total, Surface led all pitchers at the CMU Invitational in both wins (3) and innings pitched (21) while recording a 2.67 ERA and 14 strikeouts to go along with her 3-0 record.   The 10-strikeout effort marked the fifth time in her career that she has reached double-figures in a single-game.
 
RMAC dominance under Garcia

Ben Garcia is in his fourth season as the Mavericks' Head Coach.  Named as the RMAC Coach of the Year in 2016, he has guided the Mavericks to 126 wins and a .741 winning percentage in his 170 total games (126-44) at CMU.  The Mavericks, who have advanced to the last two South Central Regional Championship games, are also a combined 98-18 (.845) in RMAC games and 109-22 (.832) against RMAC foes –-counting non-conference and RMAC Tournament games— under Garcia.
 
CMU has won the last two RMAC Championships under Garcia with 35-4 (2017) and 35-3 (2016) conference records.  The Mavericks also finished second in the 2015 standings in Garcia's first season claiming 28 wins, equal to MSU Denver's total from that year.
 
The back-to-back 35 RMAC win seasons are two of the third best in RMAC history behind only MSU Denver's 2010 37-RMAC win campaign.
 
The Mavericks have won 19 more RMAC games than any other team in the past two years (MSU Denver, 51) and have also won 19 more than the Roadrunners (79) since Garcia joined the Mavericks.

Prior to coming to CMU in July of 2014, Garcia served as the head coach at Otero Junior College for three seasons.  He posted a 143-42 mark at Otero including a pair of Region IX Championships in 2013 and 2014.

Garcia was also highly successful at the high school rankings winning over 400 games in 21 years as head coach at Pueblo East. He led the Eagles to 19 state tournament appearances, including the state title in 2012 and four runner-up appearances.
 
Highest ranking
 
The Mavericks' No. 8 ranking in the NFCA Division II Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll is their highest under Head Coach Ben Garcia.  The Mavericks ended the 2017 season ranked 11^th and were ranked 19^th in last year's preseason ranking.  They were included in all but two of last year's 15 Top 25 polls.
 
The first regular season poll of the 2018 season will be released on Feb. 21.
 
The Mavericks are already 2-0 against other nationally-ranked teams this year and will play two others that are "receiving votes" in the poll on Sunday when they face Concordia-Irvine and Cal Baptist.
 
Scouting the opponents
 
Hawai'i-Hilo (Thursday, February 8^th- 12:30 p.m.)
 
The Vulcans are off to a solid 5-2 start after going 4-1 in the Desert Stinger Classic over the weekend before splitting a neutral-site doubleheader with Montana State-Billings on Tuesday.  All of those games were played in Las Vegas, Nev.  The team from the Big Island went 26-22 overall and 17-15 in PacWest Conference play last year and have been picked seventh in the 12-team league this year.
 
Seniors Bailey Gaspar and Mari Kawano have been tabbed as the PacWest's Preseason All-Conference third basemen and shortstop this year.  Gaspar earned Second Team All-PacWest honors in 2017 after hitting .372 with a school-record 14 home runs while leading the conference in slugging percentage (.759), homers and walks (38).  Kawano earned First Team All-PacWest honors in 2017 after hitting .366 while scoring 36 runs and swiping a team-leading 17 bases on just 19 attempts.
 
Gaspar is hitting .375 thus far in 2018 hitting three doubles and three home runs while leading the team in runs scored with 10.  Meanwhile, Isabelle Mejia is leading the team in batting average at .435 and also has three homers while driving in a team-leading 11 runs.  Senior pitcher Cyanne Fernandez has recorded a 4-0 record and a solid 1.38 ERA while completing three games.  She also has 16 strikeouts in 25.1 innings pitched.
 
The Mavericks defeated the Vulcans by a 6-5 score at last year's Dixie State Easton Classic on Feb. 9.
 
Northwest Nazarene (Friday, February 9^th – 10 a.m.)
 
The Nighthawks will enter this weekend's tournament with a 2-5 record after going 2-3 at the Desert Stinger Classic last weekend in Las Vegas, Nev.  Three of their five losses have come to nationally-ranked opponents while the other two have been by just three combined runs. 
 
Junior outfielder Cassidy Fifield is leading the squad with a .524 batting average and has scored a team-leading six runs while driving in the same number.  She is one of three players on the team with two home runs.  She hit .349 with six homers and 26 RBI while swiping 26 bases a year ago.  2017 GNAC Co-Freshman of the Year and all-conference selection Brittany Genuardi is second on the team in batting average thus far at .381 after hitting .388 last year.
 
The Nighthawks, under the direction of sixth year coach Rich Wagner, went 23-27 overall and 13-15 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play a year ago finishing fifth in the standings.  They were picked in a 3-way tie for third in this year's GNAC Coaches' Poll, receiving one of the eight first place votes.
 
Garcia has not coached against the Nighthawks.
 
Western New Mexico (Friday, February 9^th – 12:30 p.m.)
 
The Mustangs went 0-5 at the CMU Invitational last week, suffering the 25-1 loss to the Mavericks in the opener.  Their other four games were against Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foes as well.  Alicia Habitzreuther did have a solid weekend hitting .500 with two home runs and nine RBI.  She also drew three walks and recorded .667 on base and 1.167 slugging percentages.
 
The Mustangs went 2-46 and 1-29 in their first year in the Lone Star Conference last season and have turned the reigns of the program to first-year head coach Elsa Cocker, who was an assistant with the team a year ago.   They were picked 11^th in this year's LSC Preseason Poll.
 
The Mavericks are now 8-2 against Western New Mexico under Ben Garcia sweeping a home series against them in 2016, WNMU's last year in the RMAC.  CMU went 3-2 against the Mustangs in 2015 winning 3 of 4 in Silver City, N.M. before dropping a neutral-site decision to them in the first round of the RMAC Tournament that year.
 
Concordia-Irvine (Saturday, February 10^th – 12:30 p.m.)
 
The Eagles got off to a solid 4-1 start last weekend at the Desert Stinger Classic in Las Vegas, Nev.  One of their wins was by a 3-1 score of 15^th-ranked Cal State-Monterey Bay.  Their only loss was by a 6-4 margin to the RMAC's Colorado Christian.  They went a solid 36-15-2 overall and 22-10 in PacWest Conference play last year finishing fourth in the conference standings.  They have been picked to finish third in the league this year and are receiving votes in the NFCA's Preseason Top 25 Coaches' Poll.
 
Pitcher Grayson Harvey returns for her senior season after going 18-6 to earn all-conference honors in 2017.  She has been named as the Preseason PacWest Pitcher of the Year after leading the conference in strikeouts with 180 in 163 innings pitched.  She was also the 2016 PacWest Pitcher of the Year in 2016.  Harvey is 1-0 with a 4.09 ERA and 14 strikeouts in three appearances and two starts thus far in 2018.  Teammate Callie Nunes has done even better in four appearances and two starts, recording two complete games and two saves while recording a stellar 0.66 ERA.  She shutout Western Oregon last weekend.
 
Ryann Ferguson leads the offense with a .667 batting average and has drilled four home runs while driving in 10 runs in just 18 at bats thus far.   She was also named to the Preseason All-PacWest team along with Harvey. 
 
The Eagles defeated the Mavericks 4-3 at last year's Dixie State Easton Classic on Feb. 10 and lead the all-time series 2-0 after winning a 2003 game in Grand Junction.
 
Cal Baptist (Saturday, February 10^th – 3 p.m.)
 
The Lancers are coming off their third PacWest Championship after finishing 36-13 overall and 26-6 in the conference last year.  Winning 26 consecutive games during the season, the Lancers made their fourth straight postseason appearance in 2017 and return six starters from last year, including PacWest Player and Freshman of the Year Caitlyn Lloyd and Pitcher of the Year Ciara Stapp.
 
They began their 2018 season on Saturday, splitting a home doubleheader with Cal State San Marcos.  Halle Rosario went 5-for-8 on the day while Cheyann Tucker went 3-for-5.  Lloyd also had a solid day going 3-for-7 at the plate after hitting .424 as a freshman earning NFCA All-America and West Region Freshman of the Year accolades for her 2017 efforts.
 
They have been picked to win the PacWest again this year, in what will be their final season as a NCAA Division II institution.  The Lances embark on their transition to Division I next year.
 
The Mavericks and Lancers last met in Las Vegas, Nev. on Feb. 6, 2016 with the Lancers coming out on top, 9-1.