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Isaiah J. Downing

PREVIEW | UCCS Opens Up RMAC Play by Hosting NMHU in Adjusted Schedule

3/8/2022 9:51:00 AM

By: Eric Mason - Sports Information Director
This Week's Matchup
With non-conference games wrapped up, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball team (4-10, 0-0 RMAC) heads into their conference schedule by hosting New Mexico Highlands University for a four-game series inside Mountain Lion Park this weekend. Due to forecasted weather, the series has been pushed back one day and is now set to begin Saturday, Mar. 12 at 2 p.m. with a double header at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday, followed by a 12 p.m. game on Monday.
 
Game Coverage
Live Stream: https://www.rmacnetwork.com/gomountainlions/
Live Stats: https://gomountainlions.com/sidearmstats/baseball/summary
 
Last Time Out
  • UCCS hosted a POD like series that included non-conference opponents from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference with three games played against University of Mary and two games against St. Could State University.
  • The Mountain Lions played a total of five games and finished 1-4 as they started the series off with a 14-4 win over SCSU on Saturday, Feb. 26. UCCS started off hot with a 10-run rule over the Huskies that included 16 hits, six doubles, and a complete game performance from Jonathan Cowles.
  • The remaining four games would not go in the Mountain Lions' favor as they got outscored 63-41 with 34 of the runs given up within the first four innings of play. A total of 53 of the 63 runs came across as earned with the Mountain Lions committing eight errors between the four losses.
  • UCCS suffered three losses to UMary (5-15, 4-9, and 17-23) and dropped a tough 15-16 loss in their last game to St. Cloud State.
 
RMAC Standings
  • RMAC play began this past weekend and two teams came out with a conference sweep as Colorado Mesa University and Colorado State University Pueblo went 4-0 against Adams State University and Regis University, respectively.
  • Two teams currently sit with a 3-1 RMAC record with Metropolitan State University of Denver winning three out of four games against No. 11 ranked Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Christian University taking three from New Mexico Highlands University.  
 
The Series
  • UCCS holds a favorable record of 18-4 over the Cowboys of New Mexico Highlands as the Mountain Lions have won the previous five matchups.
 
Scouting New Mexico Highlands
  • NMHU (3-13, 1-3 RMAC) opened their conference play at home last weekend where the Cowboys claimed a 20-18 win in game one against Colorado Christian but proceeded to drop the following three games and the series, 1-3.
  • The Cowboys are batting .296 on the season with an on-base plus slugging percentage of .850 through 16 total games. Senior outfielder Estevan De La O leads NMHU's offensive charge with a .361 batting average and has driven in 11 RBI while registering the nation's most triples with six. Joining De La O in double-digit RBI is Jared Brown and Brandon Baier who post 13 and 14 RBI, respectively. As the team leader in RBI, Baier is batting .395 in 11 games and has hit two home runs with five doubles.
  • Off the bump, the Cowboys are holding a team ERA of 11.11 with southpaw Jadrian Martinez carrying a 9.50 ERA in five appearances and four starts. Martinez has fanned a team high 16 batters in 18.0 innings pitched and has recorded a 2.11 WHIP with a record 0-1 on the year.
  • In relief, Hunter Vancurler has been the go-to out of the bullpen with eight total appearances and a 2-1 record. The sophomore has notched one save in 14.2 innings pitched with a WHIP of 1.30.
 
Hot Takes
  • Boasting the seventh best batting average in the RMAC is starting second baseman Kiichi Sato who is hitting .414 with eight RBI in 14 starts. The California native has been a double machine for the Mountain Lions with nine on the season which ranks as the second most in the conference and seventh most in Division II.
  • Redshirt freshman Kit Wigington has emerged as an offensive weapon for the Mountain Lions after going 9-for-15 with 11 RBI, including a seven RBI performance against UMary on Monday, Feb. 28. In seven games and six starts, the hometown native is hitting .500 with a 1.308 OPS that is supported by five doubles and one home run.
  • Pacing UCCS in home runs is fellow redshirt freshman Caleb Stubbings who has blasted four long balls and is tied with both Wigington and Aaron Faragallah for the team lead in RBI (13). Stubbings also holds a 1.001 OPS and has reached base safely in 12 of his 13 games played.
  • UCCS continues to be one of the top teams in the country in doubles having hit 42 as a team for an average of 3.00 per game, ranking as the most in the RMAC and fifth most in the country.
  • Tossing two complete games (ranked tied for fifth most in DII) and holding a 2-1 record is graduate student Jonathan Cowles who has thrown 19.1 innings with an impressive 1.03 WHIP. Cowles ERA sits at a team low 4.19 and has bagged a team high 17 strikeouts. The Greeley, Colo. native has been efficient in working the counts and limiting walks by registering a walks allowed per nine innings average of 0.47 (11th lowest in DII).
  • Out of the bullpen, left-hander Hunter Owens has worked to a team low 2.25 ERA in a full eight innings of work.
  • Redshirt freshman Cole Philip has served as both a starter and reliever having made two starts while making four total appearances on the year as he boasts a team low .200 batting average through 12.1 innings of work. Philips is second on the team in strikeouts as he trails Cowles with 14 punch outs.
  • UCCS has been aggressive on the base paths to start the year with 18 stolen bases on 21 attempts. Sato is responsible for close to half as he's registered eight stolen bases on nine attempts.
  • On the season, the Mountain Lions are batting .413 with runners in scoring position and .350 with runners on base.
 
UCCS Under Head Coach Dave Hajek
  • Dave Hajek, who led UCCS to its first RMAC championship in program history, is in his sixth season as the Head Coach of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball program in 2022. He's coached the only MLB Draft pick in Zach Hall and the only All-Americans in Matt McDermott, Matt Clarke, and Evan Richards.
  • In six seasons, Hajek holds a .544 winning percentage with a 118-99 overall record that includes, four RMAC Tournament appearances, one RMAC Tournament Championship, a 5-7 RMAC Tournament record, and one NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
Upcoming Games
  • The Mountain Lions will face a big test next weekend by hitting the road to face No. 2 Colorado Mesa University. The series is scheduled to begin Friday, Mar. 18 with first pitch set for 6:05 p.m. in Grand Junction, Colo.
 
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions 
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
 
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics. 
 
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