GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa University softball team play to a quick four-day turnaround this week as they head to the road for a 4-game conference series with CSU Pueblo.
The Mavericks will take on the Thunderwolves on Thursday and Friday this week instead with doubleheaders taking place each day. Times will remain like usual with Thursday being a noon start and Friday beginning at 11 a.m.
All teams in the conference moved up their series by one or two days this weekend with Sunday being Easter.
LAST TIME OUT
The Mavs suffered their first series loss of the season this past weekend when they fell three times in a 4-game set against UCCS.
They dropped a pair of pitching battles 1-0 and 4-1 on Saturday's double header before then splitting Sunday's games. They fell 13-3 in the first game on Sunday with them then winning 9-8 in walk-off fashion in eight innings to close out the series.
In their walk-off victory the lead changed three times with the score being tied twice.
Paige Pierce had the game-winning at bat in which she hit a bases-loaded ground ball to short stop who then threw the ball away when trying to make the play at home.
This was just the second time the Mavs had played in extras this year with them being victorious now in both games.
April Neill led the team on the weekend batting 5-for-10 (.500) while also collecting her first collegiate home run in game three.
Marisa Nehm had the lone win in the circle with her totaling 16.1 innings on the weekend and making three appearances.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
Through 32 games this spring, the Mavs are hitting .309 as a team while owning an on base percentage of .391 and a slugging percentage of .483.
They are just one of seven teams in the RMAC to have a batting average over .300.
Offensively they have totaled 267 hits while scoring 177 runs and having 86 extra base hits.
The Mavs currently are tied for second in the RMAC for total home runs (29) with them also in the top five for slugging percentage.
Four players are hitting .300 or better this spring with six players in total already recording 20 hits or more.
Brynn Escobar serves as the team's batting leader with her hitting .346 on the year and owning 36 hits herself.
Escobar is joined by Makayla Westmoreland (.333), TK Landes (.310) and Molli Magaña (.300) as the team's other top bats with each of them appearing in 28 games or more this season.
Cailynn Parsons is also hitting .345 through 23 games played while Paige Pierce adds a .326 average in the same number of contests played with the duo appearing in two or more games every weekend.
Out of the team's 29 home runs hit, Khloe Kubitschek currently has seven to lead the team while Magaña adds five.
51 doubles have also been hit with Escobar having eight to lead the team. Landes has three triples to lead that department.
On the pitching side, the Mavs continue to be a top three team in the RMAC with them owning an ERA of 3.94 and holding opponents to a .306 batting average against.
They currently rank in the top five of the RMAC with that mark while allowing the second fewest home runs of any team.
Sophia Tassinari continues to serve as the Mavs' top arm having pitched 105.2 innings so far while owning a 2.52 ERA. She currently has a record of 10-7 with nine complete games through 27 appearances.
In addition, Tassinari ranks second in innings pitched for the conference while having the fourth lowest ERA. Her 10 wins are tied for third most in the RMAC.
She has appeared in two or more games every weekend since the start of conference play.
Marisa Nehm has complimented Tassinari as the team's number two pitcher, appearing 20 times in the circle herself and owning a 7-4 record through 72 innings.
Tassinari and Nehm have combined for 27 of the team's starts while pitching 144 innings in conference play.
Kamdyn Hagerty adds a 6.07 ERA through 15 innings pitched while Lacie Rodabaugh has seen the circle four times with a 6.00 ERA herself.
The pitching staff has struck out 80 batters this season through 208 innings of play.
They own a WHIP of 1.63 and have pitched two shutouts 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. In total she has been with the Mavs for 14 seasons with her being an assistant coach for the first eight.
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 CSU PUEBLO
The Thunderwolves come into this week boasting a 23-11 record overall while playing hot as of late with them going 19-5 in RMAC play.
They are currently on a 10-game winning streak with them sweeping New Mexico Highlands and Fort Lewis College these past two weekends.
Through six conference series they have yet to lose a 4-game set with them winning four of the series and splitting the two others.
In the series history with Colorado Mesa, the Mavs own an 81-42 advantage all-time with them winning the last two games. The Mavs won last year's series 3-1 as well.
CSU Pueblo ranks in the top five of the conference for both batting and pitching this spring while being the number one ranked pitching squad with a 2.37 ERA.
Caitlyn Cole is hitting .491 to lead the team while already totaling 15 extra base hits. She has also totaled 28 stolen bags with the Pack collectively recording 71 stolen bases.
Seven players on the team are batting above .300 with the whole squad recording a league-leading 75 doubles.
McKenna James is the team's ace going 11-7 this spring while owning a 1.66 ERA through 109.2 innings pitched.
She is joined by Kaylie Cooper (4-1, 2.89 ERA) and Eva Miller-Sanchez (5-2, 1.92 ERA) as the team's other top arms.
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 return to Grand Junction for an 8-game home stretch with them first hosting Fort Lewis College on April 11 and 12. Games are set for a noon start on the 11th with games that day also featuring a T-Shirt giveaway sponsored by Canvas Credit Union.
