*REMINDER: Thursday's Fireworks game begins at 6:05pm at Suplizio Field*

SERIES HISTORY WITH MSU DENVER
The Mavericks and Roadrunners have had some solid battles in the recent years including a couple in the RMAC Tournament. Colorado Mesa is 10-4 in the last 14 games against MSU Denver with an overall mark of 108-36 since 2000.

The Mavericks took last season's series in Denver three games to one. The Roadrunners took game one by the run-rule 12-0 but the Mavericks followed with a 10-run win, 2-run win, and a 15-run win.

Playing at home has always been the mark of the Mavericks and it is no different against the Roadrunners. They are 64-11 in Grand Junction against MSU Denver since 2000.

SCOUTING THE ROADRUNNERS
After a slow start to the season, the MSU Denver Roadrunners have rebounded well and are in position to become a top-3 seed in the RMAC Tournament with an outside shot of earning an NCAA Regional bid.

The Roadrunners are the national leaders in home runs per game at 2.17. Evan Amundson is second in the country in home runs with 27 while three others in the lineup have eclipsed the 10 home run plateau.

Nolan Livsey leads the Roadrunners on the mound. Livsey is 8-1 with an 8.30 ERA in 55.1 innings pitched. His best outing was his last outing against UCCS on April 25 where he struck out eight in seven innings.

POGUELANDIA
Senior righthander Andrew Pogue earned his first start of the season against the Sunshine State Conference's Rollins College in the series opener and was flat out dominant. Pogue, a transfer from Illinois,  pitched six scoreless innings and allowed one run (unearned) on four hits and struck out four without surrendering a walk or hit by pitch. The win was the third of the season but first in a starting role and earned him Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week honors.

On the season, the Peoria, Ill. native has lowered his ERA to 2.14 in 21 innings pitched. He has struck out 23 and allowed 15 hits while limiting his opponents to a .203 batting average.

He is scheduled to get the start in Thursday night's Fireworks Game at Suplizio Field.

THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMING
Senior Paul Schoenfeld extended his hitting streak to 22 games over the weekend as he recorded at least one hit in every game of the series with Rollins. He is the first Maverick to have a 20-game hitting streak since Bligh Madris (Currently in the Detroit Tigers organization) had a hitting streak span the 2015 and into the 2016 season. 

Schoenfeld has his average up to .428 with 71 hits and 70 runs scored for the season.

Maverick All-American third baseman Joe Dirnberger holds the program record for longest hitting streak at 31 games that spanned the end of the 2003 season and moved into the 2004 season. 

Outfielder Cameron Cartwright had his 18-game hitting streak snapped in game one of the Rollins series. He did, however, finish the weekend batting .500 (6-for-12) with six runs scored, eight runs driven in and a home run.

POSTSEASON OUTLOOK
The Mavericks need to win one game to clinch a share of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and tournament hosting duties and two wins for the outright regular season conference title. Colorado Mesa would also clinch the a share of the title with a Regis loss.

The alphabetical list for the NCAA Regional Rankings were released last week and Colorado Mesa was listed on those. The first official rankings are expected this week and the Mavericks figure to be in the No. 3 spot in the South Central Region Rankings behind Angelo State and UT Tyler. If strength of schedule plays a bigger role, look for the Mavericks move up the chart as they have the second highest strength of schedule in the region.

MAVERICKS IN MILB
The Colorado Mesa baseball team currently has six players competing at some level of professional baseball. All eight finished in the minors but two of them saw action in Major League Baseball during the 2024 season. Check out the full list of Colorado Mesa Baseball Alums and ways to follow along on their professional journey:

Bligh Madris (2015-18) // Detroit Tigers
Kyle Leahy (2016-18) // St. Louis Cardinals
Haydn McGeary (2019-22) // Chicago Cubs
Spencer Bramwell (2018-22) // Miami Marlins
Caleb Farmer (2018-22) // Washington Nationals
Andrew Morris (2019-21)  // Minnesota Twins

RMAC DOMINATION
Colorado Mesa won its 12th straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title in 2024 and was the unanimous selection to win their 13th in row in the RMAC Preseason Poll as selected by the coaches prior to the season. 

Since 2009, Colorado Mesa has won 82 percent of their games against RMAC competition as they have a 496-108 record in that span prior to the season.

THE BEST AROUND
Two seasons ago, head coach Chris Hanks eclipsed the 1,000 win mark in his career. He is one of just 21 head coaches across NCAA Baseball that is over the 1,000 win mark and is fifth in wins in NCAA Division II of active head coaches.

Top-10 Division II Active Head Coaches by wins
1. John Schaly (Ashland) - 1,347-734 (38 seasons)
2. Greg Guilliams (Flagler) - 1,208-598 (35 seasons)
3. Jeff Messer (Slippery Rock) - 1,153-756 (40 seasons)
4. Bob Fornelli (Pittsburg State) - 1,114-492 (29 seasons)
5. Chris Hanks (Colorado Mesa) - 1,102-424 (27 seasons)
6. Joe Urso (Tampa) - 1,045-293 (25 seasons)
7. Jim Gantt (Catawba) - 1,027-513 (29 seasons)
8. Greg Appleton (Columbus State) - 994-520 (28 seasons)
9. Tim Mead (Walsh) - 956-967 (42 seasons)
10. Brad Hill (Emporia State) - 930-532 (26 seasons)

NCAA Active Head Coaches with 1,000 wins
1. Paul Mainieri (South Carolina) - 1,531
2. Danny Hall (Georgia Tech) - 1,441
3. John Schaly (Ashland) - 1,347
4. Bob Babb (Johns Hopkins) - 1,338
5. Tom Austin (Methodist) - 1,311
6. Dave Van Horn (Arkansas) - 1,291
7. Elliott Avent (NC State) - 1,290
8. Greg Guilliams (Flagler) - 1,208
9. Rich Hill (Hawaii) - 1,201
10. Jeff Messer (Slippery Rock) - 1,153
11. Bob Fornelli (Pittsburg State) - 1,114
12. Chris Hanks (Colorado Mesa) - 1,102
13. Rick Heller (Iowa) - 1,072
14. Steve Owens (Rutgers) - 1,067
15. Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt) - 1,059
16. Joe Urso (Tampa) - 1,045
17. Mike Bianco (Ole Miss) - 1,038
18. Augie Schmidt (Carthage) - 1,029
19. Jim Gantt (Catawba) - 1,027
20. Yogi Lutz (Alvernia) - 1,021
21. Rich Maloney (Ball State) - 1,019