SERIES HISTORY
The NCAA has had the Super Regional round at the Division II level and each of the three seasons they have had it, Angelo State and Colorado Mesa have et up in that round for the South Central Region.
The Rams own a 5-4 advantage over the Mavericks with each school having won a round of the Super Regionals. All but one of the nine meetings have occurred in the Lone Star State.
Angelo State won the Super Regional in 2022 and the Mavericks in 2019 with both occurring at Foster Field. Colorado Mesa won a pair of one-run games in 2019 and Angelo State won a pair of lopsided games in 22. Both series went to three games.
SCOUTING THE RAMS
Angelo State has won 50 games for the second straight season. They defeated Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe MSU Denver and Texas-Tyler in last week's NCAA South Central Region #1 tournament.
The Rams have an impressive pitching staff led by Texas Tech transfer Kade Bragg. He is 13-1 on the season and leads NCAA D2 in ERA at 1.11 in 89 innings with 108 strikeouts.
At the plate, Jacob Guerrero leads the team with a .438 batting average with 23 doubles and 18 stolen bases. The All-Region selection features a 1.207 OPS and .682 slugging percentage.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
For the second straight season, Colorado Mesa is headed to Texas for the NCAA South Central Super Region Tournament. Although it isnt their home park, half of the Mavericks trips to the NCAA National Tournament/World Series have been earned at Foster Field in San Angelo, Texas.
In 2017, the Mavericks defeated Arkansas-Fort Smith 8-1 in the final to earn their third trip to the NCAA National Tournament that was in Grand Prairie, Texas that year. They followed it up in 2019 with a Super Regional win over Angelo State on their way to a CWS runner-up.
MAKING HISTORY
The Mavericks accomplished the unthinkable during the NCAA South Central Region #2 tournament last weekend. With Robert Sharrar's home run in the bottom of the fifth inning against St. Edward's, that gave the Mavericks 100 home runs and 100 stolen bases in a season for the first-time in program history. It is also believed to be the first time in NCAA Division II history that it has occurred and is currently being researched.
PITCHING LIKE AN ACE
Freshman Liam Hohenstein has been outstanding of late when the pressure and intensity grows during the postseason. He is 9-0 with a 2.97 ERA in 60 and two-thirds innings with 64 strikeouts. In his last two outings, both in the postseason, he is 2-0 in 12 innings pitched and has allowed just two runs on three hits with 12 strikeouts.
He has been at his best against nationally ranked opponents (Azusa Pacific, MSU Denver, Rollins, and St. Edward's). He is 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA in 17 innings pitched. The Castle Rock, Colo. native has allowed just eight hits, walked six and struck out 16 in those games.
BATTLE OF THE NUMBER ONE TEAMS
As many know, their are two national polls and those polls are voted on by two completely separate groups with the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll voted on by coaches from around the country and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll voted on by select athletics communications specialists from around the country who specialize in baseball.
Colorado Mesa has been in the No. 1 spot in Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll for the third straight week while Angelo State is the top team in the NCBWA poll entering the postseason.
This week's South Central Super Regional will pit the two No. 1's against each other with a trip to Cary, N.C. on the line.
MAKE IT 20
The Colorado Mesa Mavericks are winners of their last 20 games and have won 37 of their past 39 games including seven wins over teams ranked in the top-25 of the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper poll.
The Mavericks won 21 straight during the 2021 season from when they beat Regis on March 26 all the way until May 9 when they fell to CSU Pueblo on the road in the second to last series of the season.
PRO MAVS
The Mavericks had three players drafted last season with Andrew Morris, Haydn McGeary and Spencer Bramwell all getting selected in the MLB Amateur Draft. Since 2003, Colorado Mesa leads all Colorado state colleges with 18 MLB Draft picks in that time.
1. Colorado Mesa 18
2. Air Force 10
3. Lamar CC 9
4. Regis 8
5. Northern Colorado 7
6. CSU Pueblo 5
7. MSU Denver 5
8. Trinidad State 4
9. Northeastern JC 4
10. Mines 3
Andrew Morris was the highest selection during that time as he went in the fourth round to the Minnesota Twins this past June while Bligh Madris was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the ninth round in 2017 as the only top ten round selections. Madris was recently dealt to the Houston Astros after making his MLB debut last June.
Probably the most famous Maverick that is included in the list is Sergio Romo who was selected in the 28th round of the 2005 draft by the San Francisco Giants. Romo went on to win three World Series rings with the Giants.
NOT ONLY TEAM OF THE DECADE
The Mavericks were deemed the team of the decade after finishing the decade with the best record in all of NCAA Division II Baseball. But they have also been the best in DII over the last five years. Colorado Mesa has a .792 winning percentage (243-64) in the last five seasons which tops 2022 National Champion North Greenville (.784), South Central Region rival Angelo State (.773), Central Missouri (.763) and Tampa (.762).
Since 2017:
Colorado Mesa 243-64 (.792)
North Greenville 236-64-1 (.784)
Angelo State 235-69 (.773)
Central Missouri 229-71 (.763)
Tampa 208-65 (.762)
Minnesota State 202-65 (.757)
Illinois-Springfield 213-68-1 (.755)
Southern New Hampshire 210-68 (.755)
Augustana 224-77-1 (.742)
Azusa Pacific 204-77 (.726)
RMAC DOMINATION
Colorado Mesa has won its 11th straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title. Since 2009, Colorado Mesa has won nearly 82 percent of their games against RMAC competition as they have a 419-94 record in that span prior to the season.
