The DII Report: RMAC baseball fall report
Colorado Mesa led the way out in the Rocky Mountains once again in 2021. Is there any team that can unseat the Mavericks?
THE DII REPORT
Welcome back to The DII Report newsletter. Each week, we will delve into the world of NCAA Division II sports, focusing on the teams and student-athletes to watch. Be sure to check out the DII Nation Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Anchor and YouTube for more insight on the world of DII sports.
Mavericks Country. That’s what the RMAC has been the last few seasons. With a potent offense and memorable pitching performances, Colorado Mesa has been the team to beat for the better part of the last decade. But there are a few teams on the rise that we all should be paying attention to this season.
As we continue our look around DII baseball’s fall seasons, let’s head out to the Rocky Mountains — where the air is thing and home runs are glorious.
Previous fall reports: SAC | PSAC
DII baseball fall report: The RMAC
It was just another season for Colorado Mesa last year. Despite the oddness of a COVID campaign, the Mavericks rolled off another 40-win season and a spot in the NCAA DII baseball tournament. However, teams like MSU Denver and UC Colorado Springs caught our attention and they, as well as several others, are on the 2022 radar.
Colorado State Pueblo is one of those schools. New skipper Bobby Applegate comes to the Thunderwolves with a solid resume after coaching — primarily the pitching staff — at Navy. The Thunderwolves, who were a mere 15-win team last year, are officially on watch. “Right now, we have a young club overall, but we have experience in key areas,” Applegate told me. “Were looking to build a culture that will promote solid base running, timely hits and filling up the strike zone. We feel we have a great chance to compete in our conference this season.”
Let’s see what that conference has in store.
Colorado Mesa
Head coach: Chris Hanks | 2021 record: 42-7
Hitter to watch: Haydn McGeary, C/DH — McGeary is the reigning unanimous national player of the year, including earning the first-ever NCAA.com honors. He has massive power to all fields and his approach at the plate continues to improve from year-to-year.
Pitcher to watch: Ryan Day, LHP — Day mixes speeds extremely well and was the Mavs’ No. 2 pitcher last year. He uses a high-80s fastball, change-up and curveball in his repertoire.
Newcomer to watch: Cole Seward, RHP — Seward, out of Valencia High School, is pushing for a starting pitching slot as a true freshman. He played for the SoCal Birds and coach Mike Cosgrove who really prepared him well for the fall season.
What Coach Hanks says: “We return a veteran group with five starters from the 2019 national championship game. We should be an offensive group with pretty good pitching depth. We may not have the true ace we have had in the past, but our depth is much, much better.”
MSU Denver
Head coach: Ryan Strain | 2021 record: 34-10
Hitter to watch: Chase Anderson, 2B— The versatile and scrappy Senior will enter the Roadrunners’ lineup for his fourth season. He looks to settle into second base after moving all around the diamond last season. Anderson can bat essentially anywhere in the lineup but will primarily be featured in the 1-3 hole. His athleticism and versatility give the Roadrunners plenty of options with other pieces. He is a .340 career hitter with 26 doubles, eight triples, 19 home runs and 32 stolen bases. The 2021 All-American will rewrite the Roadrunner record books when his career is over.
Pitcher to watch: Austin Stone, RHP — An “ultra-competitor” that will enter his fourth season in the Roadrunners’ starting rotation and the lone returning starting pitcher for the Roadrunners’ staff. Stone features a four-pitch mix and does not lack tempo on the mound. His fastball sits in the 86-89 mph range, even though its rarely used. Stone currently ranks second all-time in fewest walks-per-nine, so command isn’t an issue.
Newcomer to watch: Blake Mattey, OF — A graduate transfer from RMAC school, Colorado Christian. He’s very toolsy and can run, throw and hit for power. The Roadrunners’ outfield is quite deep, but if Mattey can stay healthy, he should be slated in the middle of the Roadrunners’ lineup this season.
What the coaches said: “The Roadrunners return their entire starting infield and catching position from last year’s team, which finished as the best second-place finish in RMAC history. The offense is loaded with talent, power and speed and features a lot of depth in key positions and it will be critical for non-conference series to figure out the best mix and lineups. The pitching staff lost a bulk of key innings from three starters and its two main relievers; however, a couple new additions and a few returners are expected to fill those roles for the Roadrunner pitching staff.”
UCCS
Head coach: Dave Hajek | 2021 record: 30-13
Hitter to watch: Aaron Faragallah, RF — He will hit cleanup for the Mountain Lions and have plenty of protection around him, so teams will be forced to pitch to him. He has excellent power from gap-to-gap and a mature hitting approach that allows him to drive balls to the off gap and cut down swing and misses.
Pitcher to watch: Jonathan Cowles, RHP — Cowles will be the Friday starter. He has a ton of experience and has pitched in some of the biggest games in program history. His stuff has improved with the benefit of an excellent conditioning program.
Newcomer to watch: Brad Madison, 1B/3B — Madison is a transfer from Feather River JC and a powerful bat and adds defensive versatility to a lineup that loses some valuable pieces in the middle of the field.
What Coach Hajek says: “Overall, our program continues to gain toughness and experience from a very competitive schedule and postseason tournament success. Although we lose three All-Americans to graduation, we feel we have the pieces in place to step in and excel in the RMAC and beyond.”
Regis
Head coach: Drew LaComb | 2021 record: 21-19
Hitter to watch: Matt Marlow, INF — Marlow is an aggressive hitter with the ability to hit to all fields. He brings a doubles approach with occasional power and a plus hit tool with good strike zone awareness and the ability to hit off-speed stuff. Marlow was a top-5 hitter in DII last year and returning RMAC freshman player of the year.
Pitcher to watch: Justin Kleinsorge, RHP — The senior is a power arm with a big body, listed at 6’5 and 220. He sits 88-92 mph with his fastball and has been up to 93-94 at times. His best pitch is his sharp-breaking 12-6 curveball. A true workhorse on the mound, he has durability to pitch deep into games. He has an over-the-top delivery with some cut on his fastball.
Newcomer to watch: Blake Shepardson, RHP – A freshman power arm that was 92-95 mph in first outing of the fall. He will sit 90-92 with a loose arm and is still developing his off-speed stuff. Shepardson has a good pitcher’s frame ( 6’4, 200 pounds) and is still developing some strength.
What Coach LaComb said: “We are excited for this group this year. We feel we have some key pieces that could help us perform very well. For our program, it is just going to come down to a matter of execution. If our players can execute on both sides of the ball with the talent we have this year, we expect our program to have a good year.”
Others to watch:
Tyler Blomster, Colorado School of Mines, RHP: A returning All-American gold glover is one win away from becoming the all-time RMAC wins leader.
Wyatt Crenshaw, Colorado Christian, UTIL: Crenshaw posted an .802 OPS in 2021.
Tyler Fisher, Colorado Christian, RHP: The big righty has big strikeout numbers out of the bullpen.
Kysen Howard, CSU Pueblo, IF/OF: An athletic freshman that is a plus athlete and runner.
Cole Martin, CSU Pueblo, RHP: Martin can work out of starter role and reliever role. He sits 88-92 mph with a hard down breaking ball and slider that does a great job on filling up the strike zone. He has an athletic build and is also athletic off the mound
Blake Ripp, Colorado School of Mines, RHP: A George Washington transfer that can make an instant impact for the staff.
Reggie Williams, CSU Pueblo, 1B: A left-handed hitter with a solid gap-to-gap hitter approach. He’s a middle-of-the-order bat that will be counted on to be a leader on the offense.
Small College Basketball joins the DII Nation
The DII men’s basketball season has a big tournament this weekend. Several of the top teams in the nation, including No. 1 Northwest Missouri State, converge at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic. Small College Basketball founder John McCarthy and the voice of the Small College Basketball Podcast Chris Cottrell join the Nation to preview the tournament and coming season. You can listen HERE or watch below: