GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - It's been quite a decade for Colorado Mesa Baseball. According to the NCAA Baseball Record Book, the Mavericks posted the nation's most wins from 2010 to 2019 at 440-143.
During that decade, Colorado Mesa was one of only two schools to qualify for the NCAA Division II tournament all ten years, while also appearing in the NCAA National Championships three times. Two of those years culminated in National Runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2019. The Mavericks own a 29-22 record in the NCAA tournament during that time span.

CMU enters the 2020 campaign having won eight consecutive Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) titles and a program best 53 wins in 2019.

"I am so proud of our program's success over the last decade," CMU head coach Chris Hanks said. "We have had some incredible student-athletes compete for us who have represented our program and university with class and incredible commitment to our culture and each other. Our coaching staff has remained unchanged during this time and that continuity has cultivated our high standards and maintained our expectations."

Hanks' staff includes four coaches that have been at the university for a combined 94 years (Phil McCowen '85, Jeff Rodgers '93, Steve Woytek '01, and Sean McKinney '08). Hanks enters his 27^th year at CMU, 22 as head coach. During his tenure, the Mavericks have posted a record of 884-356 (.713) and have won 15 RMAC Titles, appeared in 17 NCAA Regional Tournaments, four NCAA Regional Championships and four NCAA College World Series appearances with two National Runner-up finishes. On April 5, 2012, Hanks became the winningest coach in Colorado Mesa history after posting a 14-4 win over Nebraska-Kearney to capture his 538^th win. That victory enabled him to pass Byron Wiehe, who coached the Mavericks from 1976-1993. Hanks has been named the RMAC Coach of the year 11 times, ABCA Regional Coach of the Year four times, and he was named the NCBWA National Coach of the Year in 2019.

Associate Head Coach Sean McKinney enters his 12^th season with the Mavericks after playing for CMU from 2004-2006. McKinney coaches the infielders and assists with the hitters, handles the running game, throws BP and coaches first base on game day. McKinney's primary responsibility is recruiting student-athletes from California, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming and the Northwest at both the high school and junior college levels. He also assists with the day-to-day baseball operations in the office.
Assistant Coach Steve Woytek enters his 20^th year with the Mavericks after playing for CMU from 1999-2001. Woytek coaches infielders and works with hitters along with his intricate role in the Mavericks recruiting efforts. Woytek recruits Colorado, Utah and Kansas. The Maverick infielders have posted a team fielding percentage of .975 and have produced five All-America infielders. He also coaches third base for the Mavericks on game days.

For the past 21 years, Jeff Rodgers has guided the Mavericks' pitching staff to become one of the best in the country. In the last decade, the Maverick pitching staff has twice posted a team ERA of 3.18. Rodgers helped mold current Minnesota Twin and three-time World Series Champion Sergio Romo. Romo is often times quick to point to Rodgers for helping him develop his devastating slider that he still uses to this day. Rodgers pitched for the Mavericks from 1982-84 and continued his career with the Montreal Expos. He began his coaching career with Colorado State University in 1987 and then joined the Mavericks staff in 1993. In May of 2019, Rodgers was inducted into the prestigious Homerun Alley at Suplizio Field, an honor reserved for members of the community who have shown great dedication and given back to the game of baseball in the Grand Valley.

Longtime volunteer assistant coach Phil McCowen enters his 35^th year with the program and works with the Maverick outfielders and throws batting practice. Through his career he has been a great mentor to student-athletes. He came to the Maverick program after his playing days at California State Chico.

"Our staff has been a significant part of our success over the past decade," Hanks added. "We have become a very close family and have an amazing working relationship. Some of my fondest memories have been working with these guys over the years."

The Mavericks call Suplizio Field home, located across the street from the vibrant CMU campus. The Mavericks have won over 80 percent of their games at Suplizio which features a 10,000 seats and includes a luxury suite, modern concession areas, a state-of-the-art press box and unique chairback seating which affords fans the ultimate college baseball experience.

In the fall of 2019, construction began on a new on-campus baseball stadium that would replace Bergman Practice Field where the Mavericks have practiced since 1946. The new stadium will be equipped with approximately 2,500 seats, new bullpens, a cutting-edge hitting facility, new clubhouse, new playing surface, and a fencing and netting system around the stadium. It will truly be a first-class facility offering student-athletes and fans a unique baseball experience.

The Mavericks will begin a new decade of baseball this week as they travel to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. to play a three-game series against No. 16 Nova Southeastern. The Mavericks enter the 2020 season ranked second in the country overall in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper preseason rankings and finished the fall semester with their highest team GPA of 3.24. With the longevity of the coaching staff, continued support from CMU Athletics, the university, the Grand Junction community, and a culture that has improved each year, the Mavericks are looking forward to reaching new heights.