There were a lot of historic seasons for all of our spring sports! It was a busy weekend with three different teams in postseason play. Baseball began the week off with an incredible run at the RMAC Championship Tournament, almost defeating the number one team in the nation; Colorado Mesa University. Their season ended on Thursday on a great note! Softball followed lead at the NCAA Regionals Tournament and also battled hard. They made it to the final round of the tournament up against West Texas where their incredible season came to an end. Men's golf also competed in Regionals this past week with an amazing lead the first few days. They finished in 6th place and we are looking forward to next season! Track and field had a great weekend as Hudson Majeski and Zanzie Demco competed at Mines to hopefully qualify for Nationals. Stay tuned for an announcement tomorrow afternoon for the track and field National Qualifiers.
Baseball Recap
5/10 GRAND JUNCTION, CO- Colorado Christian started play at the RMAC Tournament with a night matchup against #1 Colorado Mesa. CCU gave the hosts all they could handle, pushing the top ranked Mavericks to the brink in a tightly contested 4-3 loss for the Cougars.
CCU brought a lot of energy from the start, and Luke Thompson gave his team a jolt as he blasted a two-run homer down the right field line for a 2-0 first inning lead. Major Maydon later singled home Gabe Ramos as a quick 3-0 lead developed for the Cougars.
From there it was a pitching duel, as Jake Gimbel squared off against Jacob Rhoades for CMU. Gimbel was excellent throughout, facing just six batters through the first two innings. In the third, an error proved costly for CCU as a runner reached and advanced before coming around to score on a double. Another error scored the Mavericks' second run as it stood at 3-2 after three.
Gimbel continued to deal, pitching shutout innings in the fourth and fifth. CMU tacked on a pair of runs in the sixth to take their first lead of the game at 4-3 as Gimbel exited after 6 innings pitched with just two earned runs allowed.
Cole Kennedy entered and was brilliant, not allowing any further runs from the Mavericks. The Cougars could not get the bats going after the initial inning, as they fought till the end but ultimately fell to the hosts 4-3 in a first game battle to start the tournament.
CCU now sets their sights on a matchup with CSU Pueblo May 11 at 11 a.m MST as they look to stay alive in the tournament and move into play Friday.
5/11 GRAND JUNCTION, CO- Needing a win to keep their season alive, the Cougars took on CSU Pueblo on day two of the RMAC Tournament. The Cougars led into the sixth inning, but a Thunderwolves rally ended a tremendous year with a 12-2 defeat.
Harrison Nation took the bump for CCU, and he had one of his best starts of the season. He worked his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the second to leave all three Pueblo runners stranded, and Jordan Medina gave his team the lead with a first-pitch solo homer to begin the second. The two teams had a pair of scoreless innings each before CSUP tied the game in the fifth 1-1 on an RBI single.
Aaron Morgan showed great skill in the sixth, starting the inning off with a single. He then stole second before recognizing the third baseman was playing the bunt and had creeped in as he swiped third base as well. Morgan trotted home on an RBI single from Caden Walton as CCU retook the lead at 2-1.
The Thunderwolves responded with a pair of runs in the sixth, and they never looked back. An offensive explosion in the last three innings hid what was a very good game through a majority of the contest as CSUP pulled away for a 12-2 victory.
A highly successful season ends for the Cougars, but they have much to be proud of. The team brought offensive firepower all year, launching a program single season record for home runs with 70 as a team. With a seven game win streak to close the regular season, CCU qualified for their second RMAC Tournament in program history, with both coming in the last three years under Head Coach Paul Koss.
"I'm super excited that these guys got the opportunity to come out and play and extend the season for the seniors," Koss said. "Really big for our program, last night being able to stay in that game solidified that we really belong here, and hopefully we can make a run and be here next year."
With that the 2023 baseball season comes to a close, but we look forward to another exciting year of baseball next year as the Cougars look to make back-to-back RMAC Tournament appearances for the first time in program history!
Softball Recap
5/11 CANYON, TX- Colorado Christian opened play at the South Central Regionals at West Texas A&M against St. Mary's (TX) on Thursday. In a thrilling affair that went into extra innings, CCU came through when it mattered most to walk-off the Rattlers 3-2.
The Cougars got on the board first, as Miki Berg blasted a solo homer over the left center wall for a second inning lead. An unfortunate error allowed STMU to level the game in the third, and from there a pitching duel developed.
Kali Crandall was brilliant in the circle as she faced off against Catalina Cavazos. Both were strong throughout, as Cavazos left three Cougars on base and got out of the jam unscathed in the fifth. Neither pitcher relented, and the game ended up going into extra innings level at 1-1.
The Rattlers managed to plate a run with an RBI single in their half of the eighth, putting the pressure squarely on the Cougars. Just like they have shown all season long, the pressure did not get to them and they remained calm, cool and collected facing an opening game loss.
Two quick outs had CCU on the ropes, but Logan Menzies belted a double that hit the top of the left field wall to start the rally. Berg then came through in the clutch, lining a triple to right field as Menzies raced home to tie the game. With the winning run just 60 feet from home, Leah Garcia wasted no time as she lined a single on the first pitch she saw as the Colorado Christian dugout poured onto the field in jubilation.
Crandall went the distance for win number 29 on the year, fanning 6 batters and allowing just two runs to keep her team in the game. Menzies, Berg and Garcia got the late offense going to cap a thrilling 3-2 victory for the Cougars.
Next up for CCU is a date with host West Texas A&M on May 12 at 11 a.m. MST as both teams won today and will compete in the winner's bracket.
5/12 CANYON, TX- The Cougars played a pair of games on day two of the NCAA Regionals, taking on West Texas A&M and St. Mary's (TX). A battle with the #9 Lady Buffs ended in a narrow 5-4 defeat, but they kept their season alive with a 4-1 victory over the Rattlers later in the day.
GAME ONE
A matchup of top 10 nationally ranked teams occurred in the morning against WTAMU, and both teams proved they were worthy of those strong rankings. A two run homer from the Lady Buffs gave them a 2-0 lead, but the Cougars responded with an RBI single from Samaria Roope in the fourth. A pair of runs in the fifth and sixth put CCU in a tough spot down 4-1, yet they showed fight all the way to the end.
Sami Edwards showed off her power, blasting a two-run shot to close the gap to 4-3 in the sixth. An insurance run in the seventh from West Texas A&M proved essential, as Savannah Tourville led off the seventh with a solo home run. The offense could not plate any more runs as the Lady Buffs held on for a narrow 5-4 victory to move into the championship tomorrow. The loss set up a do or die game later in the day against St. Mary's (TX) for Colorado Christian.
GAME TWO
Determined to keep their season alive, CCU pounced in the first with an RBI single from Kenzie Middleton. Logan Menzies then singled in another for a quick 2-0 advantage. Kayla Middleton used some heads up base-running in the third to score, stealing second and forcing an errant throw that leaked into the outfield, allowing her to race around third and home for a 3-0 lead. Miki Berg followed with an RBI single in the same inning to make it 4-0.
The four-run lead was all CCU needed, as Abrie Castillo had a wonderful outing that saw the Rattlers muster just 6 hits and one run. The run came in the final frame, but Castillo left a pair on base to close out a complete game victory for her team.
With the win, the Cougars advanced to the regional championship against West Texas A&M on May 13. They will need a win in the first matchup at 1:30 p.m. MST to force a final winner takes all matchup at 4 p.m. MST.
5/14 CANYON, TX- CCU took on West Texas A&M on Sunday in the South Central Regionals, needing a win to keep their season alive. The Lady Buffs were too much for the Cougars, taking them down 10-0 to win the Regional and end a historic season for Colorado Christian.
WTAMU jumped ahead early and never looked back. A pair of runs in the first inning and another in the second put them ahead early 3-0. Sami Edwards opened up the third with a double, but she was unable to score as the Lady Buffs kept the shutout alive.
A single run scored for WTAMU in the third, and they broke it wide open in the fourth with a three-run homer. A final shot in the sixth ended things as CCU wrapped up their best season in program history.
The Cougars end the year with a 57-6 overall record, the best the team has ever seen. They finished the season unscathed at home with a 23-0 record, including a perfect run at the RMAC Tournament to win their second consecutive tourney title. It was a year that saw two perfect games and a plethora of no-hitters from CCU pitching as Kali Crandall and Abrie Castillo led the way all year. Kenzie Middleton won player of the year in the RMAC, Crandall took pitcher of the year honors and Larry Hays was named Coach of the Year for the second straight year.
As CCU look ahead to next season, they can be extremely proud of all their accomplishments this season, and they will look to make another deep postseason run in 2024.
Men's Golf
ROHNERT PARK, CA- The Cougars headed west to California to take part in the NCAA Super Regionals Thursday through Saturday. After an exciting three days at Foxtail Golf Club, CCU fell just short of a National Championship berth, taking sixth place overall out of the 20 teams competing.
ROUND ONE
Colorado Christian came out firing on day one of play, led by an incredible effort from Peyton Jones. The first year Cougar from New Mexico fired a 66, netting seven birdies on his way to the individual lead after the first round. Xavier Bighaus and Adam Duncan followed with rounds of 71 apiece to propel their team even further. Cole Grossl posted a 73 and Dylan Arthur closed with a 77 as the Cougars headed into day two in the lead.
ROUND TWO
Jones shot a 75 on day as he remained three under par overall, while Duncan fired a 74. A 70 from Grossl led the team on the day, while Arhur matched him with a 70 of his own. Bighaus carded a 75 as CCU continued to lead as a team heading into the final day of play.
ROUND THREE
The final day was a tough one for the Cougars as they battled to the end. Jones closed with a 75 as he finished in a tie for 13th overall. Duncan had a strong day, shooting an even par 72 to tie for 19th. Grossl carded a 77 as he finished in a tie for 32nd. Arthur posted a 78 followed by Bighaus with a 79 as the teammates both tied for 61st.
Through three rounds, the team posted a total of 872 as they finished one stroke off of fifth to claim sixth.
The Cougars season comes to a close, but they have many things to be proud of. Head Coach Mark Hull led his team to several tournament wins, including two in a row for the first time in program history. Xavier Bighaus took the individual title, and he and Adam Duncan led the team with a plethora of tournament titles.
Looking forward to next season, CCU has just one senior and will look to keep their momentum heading into next season.
Track and Field Recap
GOLDEN, CO- With just a few weeks left till Nationals, the Cougars sent a pair of runners to the Mines Last Chance meet to try and post qualifying times. Hudson Majeski took part in the men's 1500m, while Zanzie Demco ran the 1500m on the women's side.
Demco had a strong 1500m, winning the race with a 4:31.16 as she currently sits at 15th nationally. Majeski followed in the men's 1500, taking first with a 3:51.04 as he now sits at 11th nationally in the event.
Both Demco and Majeski are positioned well to make Nationals in their respective events.
Stay tuned for track and field updates on ccucougars.com on Tuesday afternoon as the national selections are announced and we will find out every Cougar who has made it to the National Championships May 25-27 at CSU Pueblo.
