GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa University softball team returns to the diamond this weekend as they begin their 44-game stretch of conference play when they take on Regis University on the road.
Games are set for Feb. 21 (Sat.) and Feb. 22 (Sun.) with double headers occurring each day at Regis Softball Field. Saturday's games will begin at 12 p.m. with Sunday then starting at 11 a.m.
LAST TIME OUT
Playing last two weeks ago, the Mavs went 1-7 in their season-opening trip to Southern California for their only nonconference games of the year.
They dropped both games of a doubleheader for a midweek contest at Azusa Pacific, 7-2 and 6-4 before then going 1-5 at the D2 West Coast Challenge in Lake Elsinore, played between Friday and Sunday. Three of those games were against nationally-ranked opposition.
The Mavs' win came on Friday of the tournament by a 4-0 margin over Cal State San Bernardino.
Sophia Tassinari and Kamdyn Hagerty combined for a 5-hit shutout in that win.
The Mavs then took on No. 3 Western Washington and No. 14 Cal State San Marcos on Saturday.
They were shutout by No. 17 Cal State East Bay and Vanguard on Sunday.
Freshman Molli Magaña was named to the all-tournament team after hitting a team-best .318 and slugging at a .500 clip with a home run and four RBIs during the opening week of the season.
Tassinari made seven appearances and four starts and posted a 3.00 ERA in 25 2/3 innings of work. She also had 16 strikeouts and received the win against Cal State San Bernardino.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
Through limited action this season, the Mavs are hitting .198 as a team while having 19 different players record at least one at bat.
They have totaled 39 hits as a squad while scoring 20 runs and having 12 extra base hits.
Molli Magaña leads the team batting .318 as the only player to hit above .300 so far. Khloe Kubitschek holds the second highest average at .261 while Ava Stephens comes in at third batting .250.
Colorado Mesa owns eight doubles compared to opponents who only have six while also being hit by pitch seven times.
In addition, there have been three home runs hit so far with Magaña and Kubitschek each having one of them and Brynn Escobar adding the third.
Sophia Tassinari is the team's leading pitcher having totaled over half of the team's innings this spring while owning a 3.00 ERA.
Kamdyn Hagerty adds a 6.24 ERA through 12.1 innings pitched and five appearances while also having a save. Marisa Nehm has also made five appearances for eight total innings.
The three pitchers have combined for seven of the team's eight starts with the team owning a collective ERA of 5.38. They have struck out 30 batters this season through 52.2 innings of play.
THE COACHES
Returning to coach the girls this season is Mercedes Bohte who enters her sixth season at the helm of Maverick Softball after taking over as the Interim Head Coach in the 2021 season and then officially being hired as the Head Coach in June of 2021.
Coming into this season Bohte holds a 202-65 record while leading the team to five consecutive 30-plus wins season, including three of them having 40 or more wins. In addition, she is responsible for claiming three of the last five RMAC regular season champions with one RMAC Tournament Championship. She was named as the RMAC Coach of the Year in 2021 and 2024.
Since taking over the reins of the program in 2021, Bohte has totaled eight all-Americans, 21 all-region selections and 35 all-conference picks.
Additionally, she has amassed three RMAC Players of the Year, four RMAC Pitchers of the Year, one D2CCA Region Player of the Year, one D2CCA Region Pitcher of the Year and one NFCA DII Freshman of the Year Finalist.
Joining her once again this season to aid her coaching efforts are the pair of Willie Hinojosa and Eddie Mort as her assistants. Former softball standout and all-American Myah Arrieta joins the staff as well as another assistant coach after finishing her playing career in 2025.
IN THE POLLS
The Mavs were picked to finish second in this year's RMAC Preseason Poll with them being voted as a top three conference team after finishing second in the 2025 season.
They earned 109 points in this year's preseason voting with them claiming three first-place votes, five second-place votes and two third-place votes.
They were just eight points behind Colorado Christian who was picked to win the conference with them earning seven first-place and four-second place votes en route to a total of 117 points.
Both schools, and MSU Denver, all made the NCAA Regionals last season as the RMAC's only representatives.
In addition to being selected second in the conference, the Mavs also had two picks to the Preseason RMAC Team that was released with the poll. Jessalyn Gallegos and Makayla Westmoreland were the two Mavs to be selected with the duo being the only returning All-RMAC performers for the team.
ABOUT REGIS
The Rangers enter this weekend with a 1-5 record overall while having competed in the DII West Coast Challenge as well.
In their trip to California, they went 0-5 while falling to the common opponents of No. 14 Cal State San Marcos and Cal State San Bernadino. Three of their losses on the trip came by four runs or less.
Their lone win this season came this last Sunday when they took on Colorado School of Mines for a nonconference contest with them narrowly defeating the Orediggers 6-4.
In the series history with the Colorado Mesa, the Mavs own a 78-64 record all-time. The Rangers, however, have won three times in the last five matchups.
The two teams split last year in their RMAC series.
The Rangers are hitting .264 as a squad this season while totaling 39 hits and scoring just 17 runs of offense. They have struck out 30 times so far while totaling 14 walks.
Kristin Ingram leads the team hitting .444 with four hits and three of them for extra bases.
Kiauna Smith ranks second on the team with a .400 batting average while Isabella Porter is hitting exactly .300 for the top three batters on the team.
Seven different arms have seen time in the circle for their pitching staff while Hallie Crappell leads the group with 12.1 innings pitched and a 1.70 ERA.
Sophia Garcia has the lone win while every pitcher has thrown two innings or more this season.
RMAC NETWORK NEWS
The RMAC Network has moved to a pay-per-view model for the 2025-26 season. This season, all RMAC athletic events broadcast by its 15 full-member institutions and associate members will only be available for purchase via a single-game pass or a monthly or annual subscription. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league's membership to enhance their programs.
RMAC fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them with access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $10, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours.
Additionally, a discounted annual subscription price will be available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year. Purchasing options and pricing for individual RMAC Championships will be announced closer to each event.
COLORADO MESA TURNS 100
The CMU Century Celebration stands as the cornerstone of Colorado Mesa University's year-long centennial celebration. This ambitious initiative unites our community in honoring a rich heritage while boldly envisioning the next hundred years of academic excellence.
Led by the Steering Committee and six specialized sub-committees, we're orchestrating a transformative experience that will resonate through generations. Each committee brings unique expertise to create an unforgettable commemoration of our past, present and future.
To learn more about Colorado Mesa's 100-year celebration, visit cmucentury.com
UP NEXT
The Mavs will host their home opener following the Regis series with them welcoming in MSU Denver to Grand Junction on Feb. 28 and Mar. 1. Both days will feature double headers with action on Feb. 28 slated for a 12 p.m. start. Tickets for those games can be purchased online at cmumavericks.com/tickets or in person at the gate.
