The No. 2 Colorado Mesa (4-0) baseball team is coming off a four-game sweep of No. 22 Azusa Pacific last week and headed into a fresh week with a new opponent on deck. The Mavericks are set to take on the Montana State Billings (4-4) in a four-game series that includes the home opener. The series is set to begin on Thursday.
 
HOME OPENERS
Colorado Mesa is 7-3 in their last ten home openers that includes three matchups with Montana State Billings. That series of ten games includes wins over nationally ranked Southern New Hampshire, Nebraska-Kearney and now Division I UC San Diego and Dixie State twice.
 
Two of the three losses were lopsided affairs including last season's 18-6 loss to Northwest Nazarene and in 2015, a 17-3 loss to now Division I Cal Baptist. They also fell to MSU Billings back in the 2013 home opener 5-2 which was also the first matchup in the series history.
 
Last 10 Home Openers
February 25, 2021: Northwest Nazarene 18, #2 Colorado Mesa 6
February 14, 2020: #3 Colorado Mesa 22, #9 Southern New Hampshire 5
February 15, 2019: #12 Colorado Mesa 5, Montana State Billings 4
February 16, 2018: #4 Colorado Mesa 14, #15 Dixie State 5
February 17, 2017: #12 Colorado Mesa 9, Montana State Billings 7
February 13, 2016: #9 Colorado Mesa 6, Nebraska-Kearney 5
February 19, 2015: #25 Cal Baptist 17, #3 Colorado Mesa 3
February 14, 2014: #16 Colorado Mesa 9, Dixie State 8
February 15, 2013: Montana State Billings 5, Colorado Mesa 2
February 10, 2012: #29 Colorado Mesa 14, UC-San Diego 4
 
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Colorado Mesa had one of the best offensive outputs on a weekend ever in the program's long-standing history. The Mavericks batted .424 with a .788 slugging percentage and a .531 on-base percentage during the four-game sweep of Azusa Pacific. They scored 73 runs (18+ runs per game average) with 28 extra-base hits while stealing 10 bases.
 
The number that jumps out at most people is the home runs. The Mavericks hit 17 of them during the Azusa series which averages out to over four home runs a game. The total ranks second nationally after just one week for the Mavericks while the 19 home runs hit by Southeastern Oklahoma State have come in nine games.
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sophomore second baseman Harrison Rodgers was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference player of the week following the series with No. 22 Azusa Pacific. Rodgers finished the weekend batting .625 (10-for-16) with six home runs, 10 runs scored and 14 RBIs in the four-game sweep.
 
In the series opener, he went 4-for-4 with four runs scored and six runs driven in. In the game, he hit three home runs joining his teammate, Spencer Bramwell, as Mavericks with a three-home run game.
 
Today, he was named the NCBWA South Central Region and National Hitter of the Week for his effort.
 
SIMPLY GOLDEN
Junior designated hitter Haydn McGeary was named to the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Watch List doled out to the top 55 amateur baseball players in America. The prestigious award is given annually to the top amateur baseball player at the conclusion of the College World Series in Omaha.
 
The reigning National Player of the Year began his season with a .467 (7-for-15) batting average with two home runs and five runs scored. He is now just one home run shy of tying the program's record of 43 career home runs set by Chris McClure during the 1996-97 seasons.
 
NOT TO BE OUTDONE
Caleb Farmer had a weekend to remember in the opening series of his senior season. In any other week, he would have been a shoo-in for the conference, regional and possibly national player of the week but was outdone by his own teammate.
 
Farmer batted .529 (9-for-17) with six home runs, 12 runs scored and 13 runs driven in. In the season opener, Farmer had two home runs and six RBIs in the seventh inning alone. He was 3-for-4 with four runs scored in game one of the series.
 
Despite it being early, the San Jacinto, Calif. native is poised to have his best season yet.
 
THE ARM BARN TAKING SHAPE
Senior Frankie Fitzgerald has been a long-time reliever for the Mavericks and is once again staking claim to that closer role. He has now made 41 appearances on the mound as a Maverick and has eight saves. He opened the season by throwing two perfect innings striking out five batters.
 
Gage Edwards and freshman Kyle Miller also had scoreless appearances out of the bullpen against the Cougars. Blake Rohm and Austin Lorenz were also effective giving up minimal runs in the hitter friendly park at Azusa Pacific.
 
NEWCOMER TO WATCH
Division I / junior college transfer Julian Boyd had a nice start to the season playing in three of the four games during the series that included one start. Boyd batted .636 (7-for-11) a double, a home run, eight runs driven in with eight runs scored in the series. He was also a threat on the bases as he was a perfect 4-for-4 stealing bases.
 
Boyd prepped at one of the top high schools in the country in St. John Bosco before moving onto Division I University of Nevada. He moved on from there and settled at Golden West College before coming to Colorado Mesa.
 
SCOUTING THE YELLOWJACKETS
Montana State Billings has played one of the toughest stretches to open the season as anyone in the country and have come away with an even 4-4 record. The split back-to-back series with Cal State L.A. and Cal Poly Pomona with both of those coming on the road.
 
Senior left-handed pitcher Dylan Barkley has been outstanding to start the season as he has claimed back-to-back Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) Pitcher of the Week honors. He is fourth on the school's all-time strikeout list. He has yet to allow a run and has only given up five hits in 12 innings on the mound this year. He has struck out 17 batters including nine in his first appearance of the year against Cal State L.A.
 
The Yellowjackets have received tremendous production out of true freshman shortstop Cooper Dulich. He has played in and started all eight games and has produced a .400 batting average with three double and seven RBIs. He had three hits in the series opener with Cal Poly Pomona last weekend.
 
THE WINNING WAY
As it was announced by the NCAA last year that Colorado Mesa was the winningest baseball team of the past decade. To shorten the window even more, they have the highest winning percentage since 2017 at .806. They have a higher winning percentage then some of the top programs in Division II baseball including Angelo State (.770), North Greenville (.768), Tampa (.759), and Central Missouri (.747).
 
Colorado Mesa is in search of their 41^st straight winning season.
 
THE SKIPPER
The Mavericks are headed up by living legend Chris Hanks who is the Mavericks all-time leader in wins with an overall record of 944-367 and has one nearly 72 percent of the games he has coached in. He is entering his 24^th season as the head coach and has guided the Mavericks to 16 RMAC Championships, 17 NCAA Tournament appearances and four trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament.
 
During his tenure, he has been named the RMAC Coach of the Year 12 times, the ABCA Regional Coach of the Year four times and was twice named the NCBWA National Coach of the Year.
 
Coach Hanks is always quick to point to his coaching staff when discussing his personal successes as the staff has been intact for the past 12 seasons with others having been on staff just as long and longer than his entire coaching tenure.
 
PRESEASON POLLS
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference preseason poll was released earlier this year and once again the Mavericks were picked to win the regular season title unanimously. They received all eight first-place votes possible and will be in search of their 25^th overall and 10^th straight regular season titles. UCCS was picked second followed by MSU Denver, and Regis to round out the top four.
 
Colorado Mesa has gained national attention by being picked No. 2 in the Collegiate Baseball Preseason National Poll despite the Mavericks not making it to Cary last season. Tampa was the preseason pick to make it back to the National Championship Tournament and win it.
 
In the NCBWA Preseason National Poll, the Mavericks were picked No. 4 behind Tampa, defending national champion Wingate and Central Missouri.
 
ON DECK
The Mavericks will remain at home next weekend as they are scheduled to take on Northwest Nazarene in a four-game series in Grand Junction. The Nighthawks are coming off one of their best season's ever as they won the West Region title and advanced to Cary for the NCAA National Championship tournament a year ago.