The pressure is building for the Mountain Lions as spring conference championship season is in full swing. 

Baseball and softball are still in the regular season, with their eyes on the championships. The men’s and women’s track and field teams each won their respective championships for the outdoor season, while lacrosse was beaten in the first round of their championship. 

Baseball earns RMAC Championship tournament spot when swept by MSU Denver 

The baseball team locked up their spot in the RMAC Championship tournament despite losing all of their games this weekend. The last time the Mountain Lions qualified for the tournament was in 2022. 

They got the final spot in the tournament by ending the weekend with an 11-15 conference record, four more wins than the next closest team, Colorado School of Mines.  

The first two games of the series were narrowly lost, 10-8 and 7-6. Game 3 saw a beatdown by MSU Denver, who ran away with the win, 18-3. The series closed with another narrow loss, 11-10, on April 27.  

The Mountain Lions will have their final regular season series at home against CSU Pueblo beginning on May 1.  

Softball splits series against MSU Denver 

Softball won the second game of April 26 and April 27’s doubleheaders against MSU Denver.  

The Mountain Lions dropped game 1, 11-3, with the run-rule in effect.  

They rebounded in game 2 with runs scored by sophomore infielder Jennavieve Goldsworth, sophomore catcher Gianna Pancost and freshman pitcher Tayler McCombs in the first inning. In the fifth, the Mountain Lions scored 5 more runs, essentially securing the game, 8-2. 

The doubleheader games on April 27 were both low scoring. In the first game, a couple of homeruns by MSU Denver helped them to a 6-3 win. 

In the final game of the series, MSU Denver put the first run on the scoreboard in the second inning. In the third inning, UCCS tied the game after a double by Goldsworth allowed junior outfielder Bailey Olerich to score.  

The fourth inning saw a double by sophomore infielder Laynee Case to take the lead after Pancost crossed home plate, 2-1. Case scored the eventual winning run after a fielding error allowed Edyn Lopez to reach first base. In the 3 remaining innings, MSU Denver posted just 1 run on the board, giving UCCS the win, 3-2. 

The softball team begins their RMAC Championship tournament run on April 30 at Colorado Christian. 

Pitcher #42 Ryder Mancuso pitches during an April 13 game. Archive photo by Josiah Dolan.