GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa University softball team returns home to host Adams State University this weekend for a 4-game conference spring break series.
The Mavericks come back to Grand Junction after playing on the road the past two weeks and going 6-2 during that stretch.
The Mavs will take on the Grizzlies in the usual Saturday, Sunday split this weekend with doubleheaders taking place each day. Saturday is set for a noon start with Sunday beginning at 11 a.m.
Saturday's games will also have the theme of "Strike Out Cancer" with Colorado Mesa wearing pink jerseys that day and having pink shirts and trinkets for sale at the field. All proceeds from the event will go to childhood cancer research.
LAST TIME OUT
The Mavs were able to secure their fourth-straight conference series win this past weekend as they took three out of four games from New Mexico Highlands University.
The Mavs outscored the Cowgirls 31-16 in the series while also recording a new season-high in hits in game two with 17.
Over the entire series the Mavs recorded 45 hits.
Colorado Mesa won games one and two by scores of 10-1 and 10-3 with them run-ruling the Cowgirls in the first one through five innings.
They then won game three 9-1 before falling in a five-inning run-rule in game four, 11-2.
In the game three win, the Mavs hit four home runs with TK Landes and Brynn Escobar each having one apiece and Tegan Medina collecting two herself.
Landes hit .500 (6-12) on the weekend while collecting one double, one triple, two home runs, six runs and recording a staggering 10 RBIs. She had three or more RBIs in the first three games of the series.
Makayla Westmoreland led the team with a .700 (7-10) batting average while also scoring six runs.
Sophia Tassinari went 2-0 in the circle with a 0.93 ERA through 15 innings pitched. Tassinari had two complete games on the weekend in games one and three while appearing in all four of them.
Marisa Nehm had the other win going 1-1.
The Mavs are one of just two teams in the entire RMAC to win every conference series they have played so far.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
The Mavs currently hold a 13-11 overall record this season while going 12-4 in the RMAC. They are hitting a .293 this season while having 19 different players record at least one at bat. They improved their batting average by .021 points after this past weekend.
Offensively they have totaled 189 hits while scoring 117 runs and having 60 extra base hits.
Five players are hitting .300 or better this spring as well with six players already having over 15 hits.
TK Landes serves as the team's leader with her hitting .346 this spring and recording 19 runs scored.
Landes is joined by Paige Pierce (.333), Brynn Escobar (.329), Allison Lindsay (.327) and Khloe Kubitschek (.308) as the team's other top bats.
Of the team's 60 extra base hits, there have been 19 home runs hit so far with Kubitschek having five of them leading the team. Three others are tied for three long balls apiece while eight players in total are responsible for them.
The Mavs currently rank fifth in the RMAC for total home runs as well.
36 doubles have been hit with Lindsay having six to lead the team. Landes has three triples to lead that department.
As a staff, the Mavs continue to be a top three pitching team in the RMAC with them owning an ERA of 3.50 this year and allowing opponents to bat just .288 against them.
Only five teams in the conference limit opponents to a batting average under .300.
Sophia Tassinari has served as the team's top arm having totaled 85 innings so far with a 1.98 ERA. She currently has a record of 8-5 with seven complete games through 21 appearances.
In addition, Tassinari leads all RMAC pitchers in innings pitched while having the fourth lowest ERA.
She has appeared in two or more games every weekend since the start of conference play.
Marisa Nehm has appeared 14 times as well in the circle owning a 5-3 record through 49 innings pitched. The two have combined for 20 of the team's starts while pitching 101.1 innings in conference play.
Kamdyn Hagerty adds a 6.07 ERA through 15 innings pitched and six appearances while also having a save.
In whole the pitching staff has struck out 61 batters this season through 156 innings of play. They own a WHIP of 1.53 and have pitched to one shutout this spring.
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 ADAMS STATE
The Grizzlies come into this weekend rocking a 6-20 overall record while starting 5-11 in RMAC play.
This past weekend they split their series with CSU Pueblo with them winning both games on day one before dropping the final pair on day two. Their wins came by a combined three runs with them then being shutout in both losses.
The prior two weeks to facing CSUP the Grizzlies went 1-7 while losing conference series to both Regis and MSU Denver.
In the series history with Colorado Mesa, the Mavs have an 86-33 advantage while winning the last 34 matchups. In three of the last five times they've met the Mavs have also won via mercy rule.
The Grizzlies are hitting .258 this season while being ranked as the third lowest offense in the conference. They have struck out 164 times to lead the league.
Their top three batters are Kaylee Eyl (.338), Denae Ojeda (.326) and Isabel Rodriguez (.314) with each of them appearing in over 20 games so far.
10 different pitchers have been used in the circle with Aryana Muñoz leading the team owning a 7.04 ERA and having 15 appearances. She owns a record of 2-5.
Aubree Davis has made 13 appearances as well going 2-2 through 27 innings pitched.
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
Following this weekend the Mavs will stay at home for another four-game set with them hosting UCCS on Mar. 28 and 29 for a pair of doubleheaders. Games on the 28th will start at noon.
