The No. 2 Colorado Mesa baseball team will continue their 12-game home stand this weekend in Grand Junction. The Mavericks (7-1, 0-0 RMAC) are set to take on the Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks (6-6, 0-0 GNAC) in a four-game series beginning on Friday. The two teams will play a pair of doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday at the Bergman Sports Complex.
 
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Junior designated hitter / catcher Haydn McGeary earned his first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hitter of the Week award for his work against Montana State Billings. McGeary batted .667 (12-for-18) with three doubles, a triple, and a home run during the series. He also drove in 10 and scored another five runs himself. His OPS was north of 1.700 that included an on-base percentage of .632.
 
ON THE BRINK
With his home run last weekend, McGeary is now tied for the all-time record for home runs, a record that has stood for 25 years. He has 43 career home runs tying him with Chris McClure who hit his 43 home runs during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. McClure still holds the single season record of 25 home runs set during the 1997 season.
 
DEFENSE TO OFFENSE
Senior shortstop Chase Hamilton has been known over the years for his glove work in the middle infield as he was named the Rawlings Gold Glove winner as a sophomore. But this season he has put more emphasis on his offense.
 
Hamilton is quietly hitting .452 with three doubles, a home run and 11 runs batted in during the season's first eight games. He has a hit in every game including a season-high three hits in the series opener with Montana State Billings.
 
NEW YEAR NEW TIZZY
Senior reliever Garrett Tisdall didn't have the year he was hoping last season as he struggled. He pitched just four and a third innings and allowed seven runs and struck out just three batters.
 
This is a new year and Tisdall's numbers are already better than a year ago. He pitched in his first game of the year and allowed just one hit, walked two and struck out five in three innings of work. He earned the rule book save in the outing and seems to be back on track for a solid campaign.
 
NEWCOMER TO WATCH
Our weekly note of highlighting one of the Maverick newcomers this year will feature pitcher Cooper Vasquez out of Ohlone Junior College. The sophomore has pitched five innings and allowed five runs on four hits, walked four and struck out five. You may think those are just average numbers but last weekend against MSU Billings. He pitched three innings and allowed just one hit while walking one and striking out four.
 
SCOUTING THE NIGHTHAWKS
Northwest Nazarene is coming off their best season ever where they earned a trip to the NCAA Division II Championships in Cary. This year they haven't gotten off to the start they would have liked going 6-6 in their first 12 games. They split their season-opening series with West Region foe Azusa Pacific before being swept by Point Loma. They bounced back with a series sweep with cross town rival College of Idaho.
 
Senior Haden Keller leads the Nighthawks at the plate and is one of their most effective pitchers. He was 6-for-12 in the series with College of Idaho including a season-high three hits in game two. In his start on the mound, he pitched a seven-inning three hit, 12 strikeout performance in a win.
 
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
The Mavericks have an impressive mark at home winning over 81 percent of their games in Suplizio Field since 2005. They also have not been shutout at home in 529 consecutive games dating back to February 14, 2004, in a 3-0 loss to Western Oregon in which the Mavericks were no-hit by the Wolves.
 
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 947-368 and has won 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
Colorado Mesa will open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play next weekend as they are set to host Adams State in a four-game series in Grand Junction. The Mavericks won all six matchups with the Grizzlies in 2021.