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2026 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament Preview



The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament kicks off Wednesday, May 6 with the top six teams qualifying for the double-elimination tournament hosted by regular-season champion, Colorado Mesa. The championship game is set for Saturday, May 9 with the if necessary game to follow immediately after.

 

Links to know:

Live Stream Page (RMAC Network / $25 tournament pass for non-annual or monthly RMAC Network subscription holders)


 

No. 1 Seed: #1 Colorado Mesa (45-4, 31-1 RMAC)

Colorado Mesa won its 14th-straight RMAC regular season championship and enters RMAC Tournament play as arguably the most complete team in Division II, ranking third in the country in ERA (3.77), sixth in batting average (.353) and eighth in fielding percentage (.977). The Mavericks will take on No. 6 seed Regis at 7 p.m. Wednesday. CMU swept the four-game regular season series over Regis. Colorado Mesa is looking to claim its tenth RMAC Tournament title in the last 12 years.


The Mavs are led by leadoff man, Kolby Felix, as the senior comes in hitting .422 (76-for-180) with 16 doubles, five triples, 15 home runs, and 57 RBI, while also leading the club in stolen bases with 24. Felix has also tallied 37 walks and 21 HBPs against just 21 strikeouts and has racked up 213 hits and a .388 career batting average in his four years with the Mavs. Kennedy Hara (.385, 16 2Bs, 42 RBI) and Ezra Farmer (.369, 18 2Bs, 6 HRs, 60 RBI, 20 SB) provide some extra-base thump, as well.


On the mound, CMU has seen nine different arms make starts, with Jackson Eisenhauer and Caleb Ruter tying for the team lead with 12. Eisenhauer is 8-1 with a 2.04 ERA in his freshman campaign and has posted an impressive 54/9 K/BB across 53 innings. Ruter is 6-0 with a 4.86 ERA in a team-high 53.2 innings with 48 Ks. Rafael Espinoza is next with seven starts and has posted a 5-0 record with a 3.44 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 36.2 innings. The Mavs have a bevy of arms to turn to in the bullpen, with five guys making 10+ relief appearances and pitching at 4.00 ERA or better: Sage Ferguson (1-0, 5 saves, 2.14 ERA, 27/2 K/BB in 21 IP), Jett Walker (3-2, 2.20 ERA, 26/4 K/BB in 16.1 IP), CJ Zwahlen (2 saves, 3.05 ERA in 20.2 IP), Gabe Jacobs (3.21 ERA, 26/5 K/BB in 14 IP). Cole Seward can provide length, posting a 3-0 record and 2.25 ERA in 20 innings across seven appearances.


 

No. 2 Seed: RV MSU Denver (36-14, 24-8 RMAC)

The last non-Colorado Mesa team to win the RMAC Tournament back in 2022, MSU Denver begins postseason play against No. 5 seed Colorado School of Mines at 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Another elite offense, the Roadrunners currently lead Division II in doubles with 145, while ranking second in batting average (.355), slugging percentage (.611), and triples (24).


MSU Denver is led by catcher Noah Wicks, as the junior ranks third in the country in batting average at .458, while also leading the team in doubles (19) and RBI (54). Brooks Rasmussen comes in at .395 with 16 doubles and just 10 Ks in 167 at bats. Alek Martinez enters with a .382 average and 18 doubles, while Royce Vandine and Michael Dietz lead the club with 12 homers apiece.


The Roadrunners have been solid on the mound, coming in with a 6.92 team ERA in the always-offensive RMAC. Jake Syverson and Alejandro Maltos-Garcia are the top two starters, with Syverson sitting at 6-1 with a 6.01 ERA in a team-high 76.1 innings, while Maltos-Garcia is 5-1 with a 6.20 ERA in 53.2 innings. Carter Swan is the go-to guy in the pen with a 7-1 record and five saves with a 4.68 ERA in 25 innings.


 

No. 3 Seed: UC Colorado Springs (32-17-1, 21-10-1)

UCCS kicks off RMAC Tournament play against No. 4 seed CSU Pueblo at 2 p.m. Wednesday. The Mountain Lions are searching for its first RMAC tourney title since 2021 and split the four-game regular season series with CSU Pueblo.

UCCS adds another vaunted offense to this tournament field, ranking first in Division II in slugging percentage (.618), second in home runs (104), and fifth in batting average (.354).


The Mountain Lions feature the top home run hitter in the country in Trevor Dale, with 27 round-trippers to his name. Dale also comes in with a .394 average and 66 RBI. Maybe overshadowed a bit by Dale, but an elite hitter in his own right is senior 2nd baseman Bryce Peterson, who comes in hitting .436 (88-for-202) with 20 doubles, 17 homers, and 67 RBI. Tyler Genrich gives UCCS a third player with 60+ RBI, hitting .379 with 15 doubles, 16 home runs, and 65 RBI. James Hardison rounds out the double-digit home run hitters for UCCS, coming in at .353 with 11 pumps. Quinn Medin gives the Mountain Lions a scrappy presence in the leadoff spot, hitting .355 with just 13 Ks in 166 at bats, while also going 19-24 in the stolen base department.


The offense will need to be firing on all cylinders as UCCS enters postseason play with a 9.27 ERA. Ryder Mancuso leads the club in starts with 13 and has posted a 4-4 record with a 9.19 ERA in 62.2 innings. 12 Mountain Lions have made 10+ appearances this season, and the squad will need a few to out-pitch their numbers to make a run.


 

No. 4 Seed: CSU Pueblo (26-24, 18-14 RMAC)

The ThunderWolves (elite nickname) enter looking for its first RMAC Tournament title since 2013 and will open against UCCS at 2 p.m. Wednesday. CSU Pueblo split the regular season series with UCCS.


CSU Pueblo comes in on the other end of offensive spectrum as their first-round counterparts, UCCS, tallying only 44 home runs as a team but ranking third in Division II in sac bunts with 50. Jimmy Pelletier leads the squad with a .410 average and nine home runs, while also drawing 13 walks and 14 HBPs against just 10 strikeouts. Jeremiah Sanchez has a team-high 69 hits and also leads the ThunderWolves with 17 doubles. Jason Arriola comes in with a .314 average and a team-high 51 RBI on 11 doubles and eight home runs.


Frank Flores Jr. (4-3, 7.21 ERA in 53.2 IP), Tyler Clementz (4-3, 7.26 ERA in 62 IP), and Jacob Petersheim (2-3, 8.40 ERA in 45 IP) have each made 12 starts for the ThunderWolves, while Luke Ruby follows with seven starts, as well as five relief appearances, and has posted a 2-1 record with a 4.38 ERA in 49.1 innings. Alex Oliver is the top option in the pen, logging 17 appearances and posting a 24/6 K/BB in 22.2 innings.


 

No. 5 Seed: Colorado School of Mines (18-31, 14-18 RMAC)

The Orediggers (another elite nickname) enter looking for its first RMAC Tournament title, having finished runner-up to Colorado Mesa three straight years from 2017-19. Colorado Mines will battle MSU Denver at 11 a.m. Wednesday. The Orediggers were swept by MSU Denver in the four-game regular season series.


Colorado Mines is led by Brody Duvall and his second-ranked .466 average (83-for-178). The redshirt junior sets the table for the Orediggers with a .527 OBP and has posted 16 doubles and gone 16-18 on stolen base attempts. Evan Bilter is the top RBI man with 61 driven in with a .410 average, 17 doubles, and eight homers. Alex Dunagan ranks fifth in D2 with 22 doubles and has provided 57 RBI.


Will Niles leads the Orediggers in starts (12) and innings (52.1), while logging an 8.77 ERA. Nicolas Spidel leads the club with a 6.48 ERA out of the pen in 16 appearances. Jackson Kay (4-1, 9.00 ERA in 38 IP) and Alex Honeyman (4-4, 10.72 ERA in 45.1 IP) are tied for the team lead in wins.


 

No. 6 Seed: Regis (19-30-1, 10-21-1 RMAC)


The 2012 RMAC Tournament champs and back-to-back runner ups in 2023 & 2024, Regis opens postseason play against No. 1 seed Colorado Mesa at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The Rangers were swept by CMU in the regular season, scoring just five runs in the four-game series.


Regis comes in ranked seventh in Division II in batting average at .352, led by leadoff man Linus Fleek’s .452 average, good for fifth in the country. Ethan Wood leads the club in home runs (13) and RBI (59), while Jack Moulin’s 19 doubles lead the Rangers. Ayden Harrison is the second of two Rangers with double-digit homers, hitting .341 with ten jacks and 48 RBI.


Rocco Harmon is the lone Ranger (accidental pun) with double-digit starts on the mound, leading the club with 11, while going 3-6 with an 8.49 ERA in a team-high 59.1 innings.

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