GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— After outscoring their opponents by a combined 31-4 margin en-route to a second straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament title, the Colorado Mesa University Maverick Softball team will begin the NCAA Tournament as the top seed in the South Central Region.  As such, they will host a 4-team regional tournament this weekend, starting Thursday.
 
The Mavericks will open the 3-day, double-elimination affair against eighth-seeded Rogers State, the Heartland Conference Tournament Champions.  No. 4 seed Texas A&M-Commerce will face No. 5 Tarleton State in the first game of the tournament on Thursday at 3 p.m.
 
Three total games are scheduled for Friday at noon, 2:30 and 5 p.m.  Saturday's schedule includes a noon championship game and 2:30 p.m. if-necessary contest.
 
Angelo State, seeded second in the region, will host another regional in San Angelo, Texas.  No. 3 West Texas A&M, No. 6 Cameron and No. 7 Colorado Christian are the other teams.  The two winning teams from each regional will clash in a best-of-three Super Regional series on May 17-18 at the higher seed. 
 
Should the Mavericks emerge from this weekend, they would host that series.
 
The winner of the Super Regional will advance to the NCAA Division II Women's College World Series, which runs from May 24-28 in Salem, Va.
 
Put it on repeat
 
The Mavericks went 4-0 in last weekend's RMAC Tournament to win the title for the second straight year.  They also went 4-0 when hosting the 2017 RMAC Tournament and have now won eight straight RMAC Tournament games.  The Mavericks are the first team since MSU Denver (2009-10) to win back-to-back RMAC Tournament titles.
 
Last weekend marked the third straight and seventh time this century that the Mavericks have hosted the RMAC Tournament.
 
Title #11
 
The Mavericks, who went 33-3 in regular season play to win the RMAC's Regular Season Championship for the third straight year and fourth time in the last five years, have now won 11 official RMAC Championships, four more than any other institution.  They are the first program to win three straight outright crowns* since Nebraska-Kearney won four straight from 1996-99 after claiming a 1995 Mile High Intercollegiate Softball League title before the RMAC officially resumed official sponsorship of the sport in 1996.
 
The Mavericks also won RMAC titles in 1982, 1983, 1989, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2007 and 2014.
 
The Lopers, who are no longer RMAC members, are second in conference history with seven crowns.
 
*-Colorado Mines did win 2012 and 2013 RMAC titles after sharing the top spot with MSU Denver in 2012.  MSU Denver had won the 2010 and 2011 crowns.
 
Speaking of 11
 
This year will also mark the Mavericks' 11^th NCAA Tournament appearance.  They have been included in the field of 64 for each of the last three years falling in the regional final to eventual national runner-up Angelo State last year and to eventual national championship participant West Texas A&M in 2016.  Both of those tournaments were held in Texas.  The Mavericks are 14-20 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.  They also qualified in 1997 and 1998, in three straight years from 2000-02, and again in 2009, 2010 and 2012.
 
Only the second time
 
Although the Mavericks have been regulars in the NCAA Tournament field, this weekend will mark only the second time that CMU will have hosted a regional tournament.  2000 was the last time they did so.  The Mavericks defeated Truman State (Mo.) (twice) and Nebraska-Kearney that year to reach their only Division II Women's College World Series that year, when the overall field included just 32 teams and no Super Regional tournament.
 
Super Regional Hopes
 
The NCAA switched to the current Regional/Super Regional format in 2009.  The Mavericks promptly advanced to what to this point has been their only super regional appearance that year.  As members of the Central Region at the time, the Mavericks defeated three fellow Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schools to emerge victorious in Denver before travelling to Winona, Minn. where they lost both games of the super-regional against host Winona State.
 
Wins record in sight, percentage record in the books
 
The Mavericks are now 47-3 overall this season and are just two victories shy of their current school-record of 49, set by the 49-13, 2002 Maverick squad.  Last year's team went 48-8 and holds the school-record for winning percentage at (.857).
 
This year's Mavericks squad currently has a .940 winning percentage and will set a new percentage record.  Their mark is currently the eighth highest winning percentage in NCAA Division II history.  This year's North Georgia squad is 56-2 (.966) heading into the Southeast Regional and is currently ahead of the winning percentage record of .965, set by Northern Kentucky in 2005.  Chico State (50-3, .943) is second in the country for winning percentage this season.  The Mavericks are third.
 
Three straight 40s
 
The Mavericks have now reached the 40-win mark in each of the last three years and have six such seasons in the NCAA Division II portion of their history, which dates back to 1992. The 2016 Mavericks went 40-13 before last year's 48-8 mark.
 
The Mavericks also won 40 or more games in three straight years from 2000-02 winning a school-record 49 games in 2002 (49-13), two years after going 44-12 while reaching the Division II Women's College World Series in 2000.  The 2001 team went 41-12.
 
Two years, two MVP pitchers
 
CMU junior hurler Kimbri Herring was named as the RMAC Tournament MVP on Saturday after she went a perfect 4-0 with two shutouts from inside the circle.  Fellow Maverick junior McKenzie Surface, who only came in to relieve Herring for the final three innings of Saturday's championship game, was named as the 2017 RMAC Tournament MVP.
 
Herring allowed just nine hits and two runs in her 21 total innings of work last weekend.  She also did not walk a single batter (one hit by pitch) and posted a stellar 0.67 ERA and .125 opponent batting average over the weekend.
 
She also recorded a tournament-leading strikeouts 28 strikeouts, fanning a career-high 13 in Thursday's 3-0 shutout of Chadron State in the opening round of the tournament.
 
Dual No-Hitters
 
Herring recorded her first career no-hitter in Friday evening's 10-0 semifinal win over Colorado Christian.  Surface had tossed a no-hitter, her first collegiate one, earlier this season against Chadron State.  Prior to this year, CMU's last no-hitter was in 2014.
 
High Fives for the All-Tournament team
 
Herring was one of five Mavericks selected to the RMAC All-Tournament team.  Alexandria Dufour, Brooke Hodgson, Maggie Manwarren and Zoe Pakes were the other Mavericks named to the 10-player team, which included two players each from runner-up Colorado Christian and third place Regis and one from Adams State (Grand Junction native Tyler Hays).
 
Top three streak continues
 
The Mavericks remained in the No. 3 spot of the NFCA Division II Coaches' Poll that was released Wednesday.  The Mavericks, who were ranked first for seven straight weeks, received 369 points in this week's poll once again and have been ranked third in the Week No. 1, 2 and 10 and 11 polls after sitting eighth in the preseason. 
 
They have been ranked in the top three for all 12 regular season polls this season.
 
North Georgia (56-2) remained in the top spot of the poll with 399 points.  Chico State (47-3), riding a 25-game winning streak, is second with 384 points.
 
The rest of the top-six also remained in order with North Alabama, Winona State and Angelo State following the Mavericks. 
 
Five of the eight teams in the South Central regional portion of the NCAA Tournament are nationally-ranked with the Mavericks leading three in the top 10.  Angelo State, ranked sixth, and West Texas A&M, ranked 10^th also remained steady in the poll.
 
The Mavericks hold wins over four other teams currently in the poll defeating Angelo State and Texas A&M-Commerce on back-to-back days (Feb. 2 &3) at the CMU Invitational in Rio Rancho, N.M. The Mavericks then defeated No. 12 Concordia Irvine and No. 14 California Baptist on the following weekend at the Dixie State Easton Classic.
 
Colorado Christian, is once again in the "receiving votes" category of the poll, picking up three points.  The Mavericks are 4-2 against the Cougars this season and won the RMAC Championship game over them on Saturday.
 
A Baker's Dozen
 
The Mavericks also had a conference-high dozen players earn All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference awards that were announced last week.  Head Coach Bennie Garcia was also named as the RMAC Coach of the Year for the second time in the last three years (2016).
 
The Mavericks had a RMAC-leading four first team selections in senior outfielders Brooke Hodgson and Maggie Manwarren, junior pitcher McKenzie Surface and sophomore first baseman AnnMarrie Torres.  Hodgson, now a 4-time First Team All-RMAC pick, was also named as the RMAC Offensive Player of the Year after sharing those honors in 2017.  Manwarren was also named as the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year, an award Hodgson won in 2016.  Surface is now a 3-time First Team All-RMAC pick. Torres earned second team honors and was the RMAC Co-Freshman of the Year in 2017.
 
The Mavericks also had six second team selections in 4-time overall all-RMAC honoree Zoe Pakes, a senior catcher, junior pitcher Kimbri Herring, junior infielders Alexandria Dufour (2B), Kellie Mrofcza (SS) and Kaila Jacobi (3B), and sophomore outfielder Hailey Hinson.
 
Sophomore Bailey Kleespies and senior Abby Toller were recognized with honorable mention status at the designated player and utility positions, respectively.
 
Breaking records and reaching the century mark in style
 
CMU senior Brooke Hodgson has set numerous RMAC records this season, breaking several in last weekend's RMAC Tournament.  She tallied a tournament-leading 13 RBIs in the Mavericks' title run and now has an even 100 this season.  Becoming just the third player in NCAA Division II history to reach the century mark in a single season, Hodgson also broke Stacy Haney's (UCCS) former RMAC record of 93 in Friday's 10-2 win over MSU Denver.  Hodgson hit a 3-run first inning homer and a second-inning grand slam against the Roadrunners to tally a career-high seven RBIs in that game alone.
 
Hodgson has also registered 286 career RBIs, the second most in Division II history.
 
Simply the "Total" best in RMAC
 
Hitting .636 and slugging at a tournament-best 1.636 clip during the RMAC Tournament, Hodgson recorded 18 total bases last weekend alone as she went 7-for-11 at the plate with three doubles, a triple and two home runs.  In the process, she surpassed the former CMU and RMAC record for career total bases.  Hodgson now has 571 total bases, 17 more than the former RMAC record of 544, set by her former teammate Makayla Kovac, who had 544 in her 2013-16 career.  Hodgson is already fourth in Division II history with her total.
 
She has 173 total bases this year alone, just five way from the RMAC's single-season record of 178, set by Adams State's Heather Ebert en-route to Daktronics National Player of the Year honors in 2008.  Kelly Adams (177 in 2001) holds CMU's single season record and just four ahead of Hodgson entering the NCAA Tournament.
 
Hits & Doubles records
 
Hodgson also became CMU's single-season hits record holder over the weekend.  She now has 90 hits this season to break the former Maverick record of 85, set by Kelly Adams 17 years ago in 2001.  She also has a nation-leading 27 doubles this year, the fourth best single-season total in RMAC history.  Her mark is also the tied for 13^th most in NCAA Division II history.
 
Already tied for second
 
Despite having this year's NCAA Tournament and all of her senior year remaining, Maverick junior pitcher McKenzie Surface is already tied for second in RMAC history for career victories.  She picked up her 69^th and 70^th of her career in the final regular season series at CSU-Pueblo to move into what is a 3-way tie for the No. 2 spot with Kelly Unkrich (Mines, 2010-13) and Kerri Chase (CSU-Pueblo, 1999-2001) in the RMAC record book.  Surface, who broke Melanie Meuchel's 17-year old CMU record of 67 against Colorado Christian the week before, is just eight wins away from the RMAC record of 78, currently held by Regis' Kaitlyn Gentert (2005-08).  Surface is 21-1 this year and shares the RMAC lead for winning percentage (.955) with Kimbri Herring, who is also 21-1 this year.
 
Surface also moved up a spot to seventh in RMAC history for career strikeouts (482) and broke the school record as a sophomore.  She has also completed 63 of her 82 career starts and already ranks fifth in RMAC history for career complete games.  Surface has completed 19 of her 25 starts this season and has tallied 143 strikeouts.  She is third in the RMAC for complete games and fifth for strikeouts this season.
 
Standing out in the classroom
 
The Mavericks not only win on the field, but are also at the head of their class, academically. Led by repeat RMAC Academic Player of the Year McKenzie Surface, the Mavericks had a RMAC-high six First Team and conference-leading overall selections to the RMAC's All-Academic Team that were announced last week.
 
Joining Surface on the 12-player first team were Hailey Hinson, Brooke Hodgson, Kaila Jacobi, Magie Manwarren and Zoe Pakes.  No other RMAC school had more than three first team selections (Regis). 
 
The Mavericks 13 overall selections were also four more than Regis.
 
A 1-2 Finish?
 
Maverick outfielders Brooke Hodgson and Maggie Manwarren are locked in a battle for the NCAA lead and RMAC record for runs scored.  Hodgson, who has scored 76 runs this season, broke the former RMAC record of 73 during the RMAC Tournament but has since been passed by Manwarren, who has touched home plate 78 times this season. 
 
Manwarren leads the nation in both runs scored and runs per game (1.56).  Hodgson's flat total is the second best in Division II.  She ranks third in runs per game at 1.52, just behind Dixie State's Janessa Bassett, who has scored 69 runs in 45 games, good for a 1.53 per game average heading into the Trailblazers' NCAA Tournament run.
 
Career Run record
 
Hodgson has also now scored 232 runs in her career and set the new RMAC record in Friday's game against MSU Denver.  She tied and then passed the Roadrunners' Amber Roundtree when she hit two homer runs in that game.  Roundtree scored 230 runs in her 2008-11.
 
Every General, needs a strong lieutenant
 
Sophomore AnnMarie Torres, often nicknamed Lieutenant Ann, has played mostly in the clean-up spot (fourth) of the Maverick lineup this year and has done a fine job.  Hitting behind Brooke Hodgson, Torres has driven in 66 runs to rank second in the RMAC and fourth nationally.  She has also cranked out 20 doubles, third most in the RMAC and seventh most in NCAA Division II and has hit 12 home runs, tied for fifth most in the conference.   
 
Hitting .403 to rank ninth in overall batting average, Torres has recorded 118 total bases and a .792 slugging percentage, good for 13^th in the RMAC.  She's also drawn 31 walks, second most in the RMAC. Defensively, she's committed just two errors in 219 total chances at first base, good for an impressive .991 fielding percentage.
 
Sweeps
 
The Mavericks swept seven of their nine RMAC series this year and have had 12 perfect weekends this season, including two 5-0 early-season non-conference tournament sweeps and last weekend's RMAC Tournament Championship.  The Mavericks won eight of their nine RMAC series overall and did not lose a single one, splitting a 4-game set with Colorado Christian after taking three of four from Regis. 
 
Mother Nature was the only "team" to have defeated the Mavericks in a series this year.  CMU's scheduled series at Black Hills State, which finished tenth in the RMAC standings at 9-23, was wiped out due to snow in Spearfish, S.D. in early April.  Not playing that series prevented the Mavericks from possibly surpassing their own school-record for RMAC wins and matching conference record of 37 conference wins, set by MSU-Denver in 2010.
 
Perfect on the road
 
The weekend sweep of CSU-Pueblo to close out the regular season allowed the Mavericks to complete a perfect regular season away from home.  The Mavericks went 16-0 in away games and 10-0 in neutral-site early-season tournament contests this year.  They are hoping to have more neutral site games at the Division II Women's College World Series but will not be the true "away" team any more this season.
 
The Mavericks had also won 39 straight home games over the past two seasons before dropping three of their last five at the CMU Softball Stadium in their final two home series of the campaign.  Those losses came against the next closest teams to the Mavericks in the RMAC standings (Colorado Christian-twice and Regis).
 
Home is still pretty sweet
 
Although the Mavericks have dropped three of their last five home games, the home field advantage has certainly been strong for the Mavericks.  The Mavericks are 21-3 at home this year and went a perfect 24-0 at home in 2017.
 
In 2016, the Mavericks went 17-3 at home in the regular season and 17-5 overall.  They were also 18-2 at home in 2015, the first year that Ben Garcia was at the helm of the Maverick program.  Under Garcia, the Mavericks enter the NCAA regional with a 76-10 home record, good for a .884 winning percentage.  
 
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 and again last week, he has guided the Mavericks to 168 wins and a .781 winning percentage in his first 211 games (164-47) at CMU.  The Mavericks, who have advanced to the last two South Central Regional Championship games, are also a combined 131-21 (.862) in RMAC games and 146-25 (.854) against RMAC foes –-counting non-conference and RMAC Tournament games— under Garcia.
 
Garcia's .862 conference winning percentage currently ranks him second in conference history for coaches who have coached at least 100 RMAC games (Dan Simmons, Nebraska-Kearney, .898 (123-14)).
 
Amazingly, he also ranks 10^th in RMAC history for career conference wins.  Now CMU Co-Athletic Director Kris Mort holds the record of 387 in her long and successful 1994-2012 stint as the Mavericks' head coach.
 
Garcia's .781 overall winning percentage also ranks him second behind only Simmons, who guided Nebraska-Kearney to a 271-61 (.816) combined record in his 1990 and 1995-2000 tenure with the Lopers.  Simmons was selected in 2009 as the RMAC's All-Time Top Coach in the sport as part of the RMAC's Centennial Celebration.
 
CMU has now won the last three RMAC Championships under Garcia with 33-3 (2018), 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 103 RMAC games in the past three years, 24 more than any other team in the past three seasons (MSU Denver, 79), and have also won 24 more than the Roadrunners (107) 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.
                                                                                                                                       
Quite a thief
 
Maggie Manwarren leads the RMAC with 45 stolen bases this season, already the third greatest single-season total in RMAC history.  The RMAC record of 60 is likely out of reach although Manwarren still has a shot at setting the CMU record of 48, set by Kelly Adams in 2001.  Adams was named as the RMAC's Top All-Time player in the aforementioned RMAC Centennial Celebration and was the RMAC Player of the Year in both of her years as a Maverick (2000, 2001).
 
Manwarren also ranks fifth in the NCAA Division II national statistics for stolen bases per game (0.92).
 
Mercy, Mercy
 
The Mavericks have posted an impressive 23 mercy-rule victories this season, ending 13 games in five innings and another 10 in six.   They defeated MSU Denver 10-2 and Colorado Christian 10-0 on Friday in their two middle games of the RMAC Tournaments.  Both of those games went just five innings.
 
In their 36 regular season conference games this season, the Mavericks outscored their opponents by a combined 291 runs (365-74), winning by an average of 8.08 per.  The Mavericks won exactly half (18) conference games via the mercy-rule.
 
Runs galore
 
Overall, the Mavericks have scored a nation-leading (all Divisions) 488 runs while conceding just 111 and are officially ranked second in the nation for scoring average at 9.76 runs per game, trailing only Benedict (S.C.).  However, two of Benedict's games have not been turned in to the NCAA yet this year and according to the Tigers' website, they averaged 9.71 per game (369 in 38 games).
 
Southern Arkansas (405) is second in NCAA Division II for total runs scored but ranks just 21^st in per game average (6.64).
 
Townson leads NCAA Division I with 360 runs scored while Texas-Tyler leads the NCAA Division III ranks with 351 total runs.
 
RMAC Offensive Records
 
The Mavericks have set numerous RMAC team records this year.
 
The 488 runs scored are already well more than the former RMAC record of 452, set by MSU Denver in 2010.  The Roadrunners played 59 games that year, going 53-6 and advancing to the Division II Women's College World Series.  The Mavericks surpassed that total in just 44 games and already rank 10^th in Division II history for total runs scored.  Norfolk State (1994) holds the record of 575.
 
The Mavericks have also totaled 129 doubles this season, 17 more than the former record of 112, set by Mines in 2009.  This year's Maverick total is already the sixth highest in Division II history.  The record is 156, set by North Dakota State, which played 80 games in 1998.  The Mavericks' current 2.58 double per game average leads this country and is fifth best in Division II history to this point.
 
This year's team has also accumulated 426 RBIs, 13 more than the 2010 MSU Denver team.
 
On pace
 
The Mavericks are also on pace to possibly break several other RMAC single-season records as well.  Their current national-leading .402 batting average is an incredible 33 points higher than the current RMAC mark of .369, which CMU set last year and would be the best team batting average for any NCAA Division II squads in nine seasons since Bowie State hit .409 in 2009.
 
The Mavericks' team slugging percentage of .650 also ranks second in the country and is just shy of the current RMAC record of .654, held by the 2001 Maverick team.
 
The Mavericks also have combined for 578 hits this year, just 26 fewer than the current RMAC record of 604, set by the 2006 Regis club.  That year's Ranger squad also racked up 994 total bases.  The 2018 Mavericks currently have 936 and are just 58 away from matching that mark.
 
Balance of power
 
As a team, the Mavericks have hit 65 home runs this season to lead the RMAC and rank fifth in the country for home runs per game (1.30).  In total, eleven different Maverick players have gone long this season.  Five have hit five or more, including Brooke Hodgson, who is tied for the RMAC lead with 16, AnnMarie Torres, who has hit 12.  Zoe Pakes also joined the double-figure group during the RMAC Tournament and now has 10 this year.
 
Glove work
 
Although the offense is certainly in strong form, the Mavericks are also playing superb defense.  They are ranked eighth nationally and atop the RMAC with their .974 fielding percentage.  The Mavericks have committed just 33 errors all season, tied for sixth fewest in the nation.  Last year's Maverick team set the RMAC record with a .975 team fielding percentage, which is certainly within range of this year's Maverick squad.
 
Scouting the Hillcats
 
The Rogers State University Hillcats, who hail from Claremore, Oklahoma, will be making their first NCAA Division II Tournament appearance after winning the Heartland Conference Tournament in a 13-inning thriller over Oklahoma Christian on Sunday in San Antonio, Texas.  They were the fifth seed in the tournament but emerged victorious in their debut appearance.  They hold a 39-18 overall record and went 16-12 in Heartland Conference play during the regular season.
 
Their 39 wins are the most in the program's relatively brief NCAA Division II history, started in 2014.
 
Heartland Conference Coach of the Year Andrea Vaughan has six total All-Heartland Conference selections on her roster including first team selections Danelle Day, Merissa Smith and Allie McFetridge. 
 
Day has hit 19 home runs and has driven in 61 runs while hitting .320 overall.  McFetridge leads the HIllcats with her .333 batting average and has nine home runs and 47 RBIs while Smith is hitting at a .301 clip with 15 homers and 39 RBIs.
 
The HIllcats have hit .266 as a team throughout the season but have cranked out 67 home runs,two more than the Mavericks.
 
The HIllcat pitching staff, which has a 2.26 combined ERA, is co-led by Andrea Morales and Alex Brake, who both have 15-7 records.  Brake paces the squad with 130 strikeouts in 154 1/3 innings while Morales has posted a 2.03 ERA in 151 2/3 innings.  Tailee Reding has an 8-4 record and 1.84 ERA in her 80 innings.  She has made 19 of her 26 apperances relief and has five saves.
 
Scouting the Lions
 
Texas A&M-Commerce will enter the regional tournament seeded fourth after winning a school-record 39 games.  The Lions who are ranked 13^th in Wednesday's NFCA Division II Coaches' Poll, are 39-9 overall and will be making their second NCAA Tournament appearance (2016) in the program's 4-year history.
 
Senior Mariah Jameyson was named as the Lone Star Conference Player of the Year, becoming the first Lion to earn the honor.  Baylea Higgs, Ciera Nunez and Kinsie Helber were also First Team All-LSC selections.
 
Jameyson leads the nation in on-base percentage (.639) and is ranked second in the county for batting average (.530), RBIs (80), and slugging percentage (1.112).  She has also cranked out 22 home runs, fifth most in the country.
 
Hebler is also hitting at a solid .416 clip and has 15 home runs and 56 RBIs to her credit.  Higgs is just behind with her .410 batting average and has stolen 26 bases in 27 attempts.  Nunez, who is hitting .380 while leading the team in runs scored with 57, has swiped 44 while being caught stealing just twice.
 
The Lions are hitting .358 as a team and have a 3.21 team ERA.  Emily Otto paces the pitching staff with a 17-4 record and 2.39 ERA over 135 innings and 30 appearances.  She also has struck out 118 batters holding them to a combined .213 batting average.
 
Scouting the TexAnns
 
Tarleton State, which hails from Stephenville, Texas, will be making their sixth overall NCAA regional tournament appearance and second straight under second-year head coach Mark Cumpian.  The TexAnns set a new school record for wins this season and are 47-9.  They are seeded fifth in the region and are ranked 17^th in this week's NFCA Division II National Poll.
 
The TexAnns won their last nine and 15 of their final 16 regular season games and entered last week's Lone Star Conference Tournament as the No. 4 seed.  They got by Cameron, also selected to the NCAA Tournament, in the opening round before bowing out in a 9-inning contest against host and eventual champion Angelo State. 
 
Jordan Withrow was named as the LSC Co-Pitcher of the Year and was one of three First Team All-LSC honorees along Tanna Huie and Georgia Capell. 
 
WIthrow is 24-6 with a 2.34 ERA and ranks seventh in the country with her 232 strikeouts in her 203 2/3 innings.  She has also tossed six shutouts and has held opponents to a .198 batting average.
 
Huie leads the TexAnns with her .409 batting average and has 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 44 RBIs to her credit.  Capell is hitting .384 and leads the team in doubles (19) and home runs (16).
 
The Last time we met
 
The Mavericks have never played Rogers State and Thursday's meeting will be the first with them in any team sport since the Hillcats joined NCAA Division II.
 
The Mavericks played Texas A&M-Commerce on Feb. 3 of this season in Rio Rancho, N.M. claiming a 14-6 win over the Lions in six innings.  The Mavericks used a 5-run third inning to come back from a slight 5-3 deficit and scored nine of the game's final 10 runs, including four in the bottom of the sixth to complete the walk-off, mercy-rule win.  The Mavericks recorded 14 hits as a team in the victory as Brooke Hodgson went 3-for-3 with two walks and four RBIs to lead the way.
 
The Mavericks also recorded a 9-0 win over the Lions in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament in Canyon, Texas, in what was the first of only two all-time meetings between the programs.
 
The last time CMU played Tarleton State was on Feb. 13, 2015 in an early season tournament at West Texas A&M.  The Mavericks won that game 13-6 in what was just Maverick coach Ben Garcia's second weekend in charge of the Maverick program.  Hodgson, a freshman at the time, went 4-for-5 with two RBIs as one of just two current Mavericks (Zoe Pakes) to have played in that game.
 
Up Next
 
The Mavericks will play either Texas A&M-Commerce or Tarleton State in their second game of the regional on Friday.  If they win against Rogers State, they will play in Game 3 of the regional at noon.  If not, they would be in an elimination Game 4 and would play the Texas A&M-Commerce/Tarleton State loser in an elimination Game 4 at 2:30 p.m., Friday.