By Jordan Long
The Colorado Mesa Mavericks are headed back to the Division 2 Baseball Championship. This marks the 4th time in school history they have advanced to it. They make the trip to Cary, North Carolina with an outstanding record of 50-10. Let’s take a look at their season to this point.
Colorado Mesa won the RMAC tournament for the 6th straight year, knocking off Colorado School of Mines 13-2. They had to await their place in the Division 2 regional bracket. They ended up as the #1 seed in the South Central Regional Tournament.
In past years it was a double elimination tournament with 6 teams and the winner heading to the Division 2 Baseball Championship. This season was the 1st time with Super Regionals. Mesa had to defeat 2 other teams in a double elimination tournament in order to advance to the Super Regional. They did so knocking off West Texas A&M 13-10. They faced Colorado School of Mines twice winning 6-3 the 1st time and 11-1 the second to head to the Super Regional.
Mesa as the #1 seed in the South Central tournament was suppose to host.; one problem. The Super Regional was Friday and ended Saturday. Grand Junction, Colorado, where Colorado Mesa is located, hosts the Division 1 JUCO baseball tournament which started on Saturday. Mesa needed to travel to San Angelo, Texas to face Angelo State. Prior to this meeting, the Mavericks faced Angelo State 2 times, the last being in 2017 when Mesa knocked them off in the South Central Regional 4-0. This was a best of 3 series.
Colorado Mesa was locked in a pitchers’ duel in game 1. Both teams had their chances to score. Mesa had Haydn McGeary at 2nd base with 1 out in the 3rd inning but couldn’t smack the ball to score him. Angelo State threatened with a man on 3rd in the 6th inning with 1 out but couldn’t deliver the hit to break the tie. It took all the way to the 11th inning when Colorado Mesa Johnny Carr singled to score Caleb farmer from 3rd base in the bottom of the 11th inning to take the 1st game 1-0.
Colorado Mesa was 1 win away from heading back to the Division 2 Baseball Championship. They dropped game 2, 9-8. Angelo State forced a winners take all game #3. Mesa jumped out to a 3-0 lead after 3 innings. It remained that score until the 8th inning where Angelo State scored 1 run to cut it to 3-1. In the top of the 9th, Angelo State made it 3-2 to but couldn’t tie the game. With that Mesa advances to the Division 2 Baseball Championship.
The Division 2 Baseball Championship will have a total of 8 teams which takes place in Cary, North Carolina. Colorado Mesa is the #1 overall ranked team in the tournament. It is a double elimination which starts on June 1st. The Mavericks will play New York Institute of Technology on June 1st. They hope to be the last team standing on June 8th. No matter what happens in the Division 2 Baseball Championship Colorado Mesa’s season has been successful.
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