THIS WEEK
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs softball team has made the postseason and will be traveling to Grand Junction, Colo. for the RMAC Tournament. Their first-round matchup will be against Dixie State University on Thursday, May 2 at 8:30 a.m. 

HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Mountain Lions have an 0-6 record all-time against Dixie State, scoring a total of 17 runs in those six games compared to Dixie State's 48. UCCS' most recent series against Dixie State this season ended in a 4-0 sweep for the Trailblazers over the Mountain Lions. However, UCCS played Dixie State close as two of those four games went into extra innings and the final scores were separated by one run each.

SCOUTING THE TRAILBLAZERS
Dixie State finished the regular season with an overall record of 37-10 and a conference record of 31-9, good enough for third place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). The Trailblazers are riding an 11-game win streak heading into the postseason, which includes sweeps of both Mew Mexico Highlands University and Fort Lewis College. In their most recent series against Fort Lewis, the Trailblazers scored 19 runs on 34 hits including five doubles, one triple and one home run. As a team this year, Dixie State finished the regular season with a .310 batting average (fifth in the RMAC), 280 runs scored (fifth in the RMAC), 375 hits (eighth in the RMAC), 63 doubles (eighth in the RMAC), 29 home runs (ninth in the RMAC) and 249 RBI (fifth in the RMAC). Individually, seniors Bailey Gaffin and Jessica Gonzalez led the team offensively during the regular season. Gaffin finished the regular season with a .407 batting average to lead the Trailblazers and rank seventh in the RMAC. She also leads the team in doubles (10), ranks second in hits (46), and fourth in home runs and RBI (two and 25 respectively). Gonzalez ranks second on the team in batting average (.394) and doubles (8), but leads the team in hits (50), home runs (11) and RBI (40). 

Defensively, sophomore Cambrie Hazel (16-5) and freshman Carissa Burgess (20-4) carried the load for Dixie State all season. Hazel appeared in 24 games this season (20 starts) and solidified herself as one of the better pitchers in the RMAC. She finished the regular with a 1.85 ERA (third in the RMAC) and allowed 50 runs (36 earned) on 83 hits with an impressive 192 strikeouts (first in the RMAC). Hazel also ranked first in the RMAC in batters struck out looking (56), second in opposing batting average (.171) and fifth in wins. Burgess appeared in 26 games this season (21 starts) and allowed 54 runs (47 earned) on 122 hits with 80 strikeouts, earning her a 2.43 ERA (sixth in the RMAC). She led the RMAC in wins (20) and tied for sixth in opposing batting average (.223). Collectively, they finished the regular season with a combined 2.14 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .197 batting average.

LAST TIME OUT
UCCS could not have finished the regular season on a higher note as they swept Adams State University in this past weekend. The Mountain Lions had their best offensive series of the year against the Grizzlies, scoring 57 runs on 64 hits including 14 doubles and 11 home runs. UCCS had 13 players record at least one hit, nine players record at least one RBI and seven players hit at least one home run. Those series totals bring the Mountain Lions' regular season totals to 316 runs scored (third in the RMAC), 439 hits (fourth in the RMAC), 96 doubles (third in the RMAC), 55 home runs (tied for second in the RMAC) and 307 RBI (third in the RMAC). 

Individually, Rayle Glover (.408 BA, sixth in the RMAC) and Alex Cook (.359 BA) led the offensive onslaught for the Mountain Lions, tallying 11 and 12 hits respectively in the series. Glover tabbed two doubles, two home runs and a team high 10 RBI in the series, seven of which came in one game along with her two home runs. Those numbers give Glover 64 hits (tied for sixth in the RMAC), 12 home runs (tied for fifth in the RMAC) and 44 RBI this season (ninth in the RMAC). Cook's 12 hits were the most for the Mountain Lions over the weekend as she recorded two doubles, one home run and six RBI on her way to a .706 batting average for the series. Taylor Reidhead (.333 BA) and Peyton Reisman (.394 BA) were close behind the offensive leaders as they each had nine and seven hits over the weekend respectively. Reidhead and Reisman tied for the team lead with three doubles each (17 for Reisman, tied for eighth in the RMAC), with Reidhead adding one home run and eight RBI and Reisman adding two home runs and nine RBI (tied for second most in the series). Melissa Martinek (.372 BA), Lexi Andersen (.282 BA) and Sawyer Brewster (.329 BA) round out the top performers of the series as they each had six, five and four hits respectively. Martinek had two doubles, one home run and eight RBI in the series, giving her season totals of 21 doubles (tied for first in the RMAC), 46 RBI (eighth in the RMAC). Anderson's five hits were made up of three home runs (led the team) and led to nine RBI which was tied for the second most with Reisman. Brewster's four hits included one double and the final home run for the Mountain Lions. Defensively, Taylor Reidhead (13-10) was the star pitcher for UCCS in the series as she appeared in all four games and started three of them on her way to four wins. Reidhead finishes the regular season with 13 wins (eighth in the RMAC), 132 strikeouts, (second in the RMAC), 27 batters struck out looking (seventh in the RMAC) and held opposing batters to a .266 batting average (10^thin the RMAC). 

AWARD WINNERS
The Mountain Lions swept the final weekend of RMAC award winners as Rayle Glover and Taylor Reidhead won RMAC Player of the Week and RMAC Pitcher of the Week respectively for their most recent performances.

Rayle Glover led UCCS to a home sweep over Adams State University after recording a .733 batting average, a 1.267 slugging percentage and a .750 on-base percentage. In four games, she posted 11 hits, 10 RBI, 19 total bases, scored seven runs and added two doubles and two home runs. In the second game of the series, Glover hit a clutch three-run walk off home run to lift UCCS to a 15-14 nine-inning victory. Both of her home runs for the series came in game two as she went 4-for-5 with seven RBI. In the series finale, she went 4-for-4 with three RBI while scoring twice herself.

Taylor Reidhead racked up all four wins for UCCS to lead the Mountain Lions past the Grizzlies. She started three games and appeared in relief in one game, earning a 3.15 ERA in 13.1 innings pitched. Reidhead held ASU to two hits in the series finale and only six runs for the whole series. She entered game two of the series in the ninth inning, holding ASU to one hit and no runs as UCCS came back to win on Glover's walk off home run. Twice in the series, Reidhead led UCCS to a five inning run-rule, starting the series with a 9-1 win. She struck out 20 batters, including nine in the series opener for an all-around stellar weekend. 

WEATHER FORECAST
The forecast for Grand Junction, Colo. on Thursday, May 2 shows mostly cunny skies and a high temperature of 65 degrees. With a zero percent chance for precipitation and winds of up to 11 miles per hour, it looks to be a good day for RMAC Tournament softball. For any updates to the schedule, stay tuned to gomountainlions.com.

UP NEXT
The RMAC Tournament is a double elimination tournament, meaning the Mountain Lions are guaranteed at least two games. How they do on Thursday will determine their second round matchup, as they will either face #2 seed Colorado Christian University or the #7 seed, Regis University.