The Colorado Mesa baseball team was dubbed the 'Winningest Team of the Decade' by the NCAA in their record book so it is only fitting to finish our all-decade teams this fall with them, they are also just a little more than two months away from the start of their season.
 
The list had some of the hardest selections we had all fall in our all-decade teams that includes both All-Americans and MLB Draft picks not making the list. The list we used is similar to what comprises the ABCA All-American list every season.
 
The catcher of the decade is Kyle Serrano who wore the Maverick uniform from 2014-17. He played in two NCAA Championship Tournaments including the runner-up finish in 2014. He finished his career with a .368 batting average (228-for-619) with 52 doubles, 22 home runs, and 130 RBIs. He was a ABCA Third Team All-American and a two-time All-Region selection.
 
Our first of three current players on the all-decade team is first baseman Jordan Stubbings. The Parker, Colo. product has a .355 batting average (155-for-437) with 34 doubles and 24 home runs. He has already made the top-15 list for all-time home runs in a little over two years of game action.
 
At second base, two-time All-American Braden Box earned the distinction at both second base and shortstop in 2012 and 2013. Box finished his three-year career with a .374 batting average (198-for-530) with 19 doubles and eight triples. He is the program's all-time leader in stolen bases with 75 and is third all-time with 27 sacrifice bunts.
 
Nate Robertson was a two-time All-American shortstop for the Mavericks in his three seasons between 2012 and 2014. The Montrose product finished his career with a .360 batting average (178-for-494) with 27 doubles, five triples and 12 home runs. Following his junior season, Robertson was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 27^th round (810 overall).
 
Our second current player on the all-decade team is Caleb Farmer. Farmer has seen time at three different positions as a Maverick spending a majority of time at shortstop and third base. Farmer is batting .350 (144-for-412) with 36 doubles and 16 home runs in his time in a Maverick uniform.
 
For the utility position, Zach McLeod was a mainstay in the lineup for the Mavericks in his four seasons in the Cardinal and Black. The Trabuco Canyon, Calif. native was a two-time All-Region selection and was one of four Mavericks selected in the 2018 MLB Draft. He went in the 33^rd round (985 overall) to the Baltimore Orioles. He finished his career with a .323 batting with 57 doubles, seven triples and 16 home runs. His 710 at-bats are the most in program history.
 
We move to the outfield and first up is Bligh Madris. The Las Vegas, Nev. product finished his career with a .404 batting average (170-for-421) with 35 doubles, four triples and 21 home runs. The consensus All-American was drafted in the ninth round (268 overall) by the Pittsburgh Pirates following his junior year and is the highest drafted Maverick since 1993.
 
Austin Kaiser was the ABCA National Player of the Year following his incredible senior season. The outfielder from Colorado Springs flirted with hitting .500 during that season and finished the year with a .478 average (third best season mark in program history), 24 doubles and 11 home runs. He helped the team to the NCAA National Championship game his senior season while winning the Tino Martinez Award (National Player of the Year) and the Josh Willingham Award (National Most Valuable Player).
 
Jeff Popick rounds out the three outfielders on the all-decade team. Popick, a 2012 All-American, finished his career with a .394 batting average (208-for-528) with 37 doubles, three triples, and 20 home runs. The Lakewood, Colo. native was drafted in the 16^th round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Colorado Rockies.
 
Our final current player on the all-decade team is designated hitter Haydn McGeary. The junior has already proven to be one of the most feared hitters in Maverick lore. He has a .387 batting average with 22 doubles and 20 home runs in his one and a half seasons of play thus far. He had nine home runs (tied for the national lead) in just 18 games last season before the remainder of the season was cut short due to the COVID pandemic.
 
We begin with the pitching staff. The four starters that have been selected are the top four pitchers on the all-time wins list.
 
Kyle Leahy accrued 22 wins in his three seasons in a Maverick uniform. The consensus All-American went 22-2 in his career with 188 strikeouts in 204.1 innings pitched. He went 13-0 during his sophomore season with four complete games and two shutouts. He was selected in the 17^th round (513 overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft by the St. Louis Cardinals.
 
Colorado Mesa's all-time strikeout leader is our next pitcher, Nolan Snell. Snell struck out 307 batters in his career, more than any other Maverick, and is third on the all-time list with 23 wins. In his career, he was 23-7 with a 3.62 ERA and allowed opposing batters to hit just .233 off of him. During his junior season, he went 9-2 and had 105 strikeouts in 82.2 innings pitched.
 
One of the biggest big game pitchers in Maverick history is up next, Kyle Davis. The Highlands Ranch, Colo. native is one of the very limited that have pitched in two NCAA National Championship Tournaments. He is the first Maverick to get the start in a National Championship game and went 6.1 innings and allowed one run, on four hits, walked two and struck out one against Southern Indiana. In his career, he had 24 wins (24-1) which ranks second all-time.
 
Another strikeout machine is our final starting pitcher on the all-decade team in JR McDermott. A 2016 All-American, McDermott finished his career with a 25-3 record in 226.1 innings pitched with 268 strikeouts and allowing opposing hitters to hit just .220 against him. He may have had one of the more incredible freshman seasons when he went 7-0 with a 0.92 ERA. He set a program record for strikeouts in a game when he struck out 19 MSU Denver Roadrunners that season.
 
For the final position on the all-decade team, we have relief pitcher Will Dixon. Dixon, a unanimous All-American, is the single season record holder for saves with 16 and finished his career with a 0.97 ERA. Dixon may be remembered most for a game that he didn't save but a game that he started. The Highlands Ranch native pitched a complete game 1-0 shutout of Central Missouri in the National Semifinal to propel the Mavericks to the National Championship game for the second time in program history.

Previous All-Decade Teams
Softball - Dec. 17
Men's Lacrosse - Dec. 10
Women's Lacrosse - Dec. 3
Track & Field - Nov. 25
Men's Basketball - Nov. 19
Women's Basketball - Nov. 12
Men's Wrestling - Nov. 5
Women's Swimming & Diving - Oct. 29
Men's Swimming & Diving - Oct. 29
Women's Soccer - Oct. 22
Men's Soccer - Oct. 15
Football – Oct. 8
Men's and Women's Tennis – Oct. 1
Volleyball – Sept. 24
Men's and Women's Cross Country – Sept. 17
Men's and Women's Golf – Sept. 10