For the past 50 years baseball fans from all over the Western Slope of Colorado have congregated in Grand Junction during the last week of May to attend one of the best baseball tournaments in college sports:  The Junior College World Series. However, many baseball fans are deceived by the festive atmosphere, the large crowds, the local media frenzy and the sold out stadium each day of the tournament. You don't have to wait until Memorial Day weekend to watch the best baseball in Grand Junction. All you have to do is put on your ball cap, grab your glove and head over to Suplizio Field for ANY game that features the Mesa State Mavericks.

Year in and year out the Mesa State College baseball team competes for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference title and is nationally ranked. Most years the Mavs earn a spot in the NCAA Division II Regional tournament, and last year the Mavs were one win away from advancing to the Div. II College World Series in Alabama. You want to see good baseball? You've got good baseball in your own backyard! And there is no better way than to warm up for JUCO with a huge helping of Mavericks baseball.

Once again this year the Mavs hosted the RMAC tournament. And there was never a dull moment watching the Mavs play. They scored 22 runs in the second round game to eliminate Regis University and to advance to the semi-finals. Although the Mavs were eliminated in the semi-finals against New Mexico Highlands, it was a game for the ages. A game that I won't forget anytime soon.

As I set up for my live shot in the right field corner of the stadium for our 10:00 p.m. broadcast the rain started to fall and the Mavs were trailing 10-7. But if you let either of those factors convince you to stay home or to leave the ballpark early, you missed some great baseball. After I was done working I stayed at Suplizio until the game ended shortly after midnight. The Mavs began to chip away at the lead. The game was tied at 10 in the bottom of the seventh inning when big Matt Miller blasted a huge three run bomb over the right field wall to give Mesa a 13-10 lead. Two batters later, Chris Cassell lifted a two run jack over the wall to give Mesa a comfortable five run lead. But in the RMAC, five runs is almost never a comfortable lead.

Highlands responded with a nine run eighth inning to jump ahead of Mesa 19-15 thanks in part to a big time grand slam just inside the right field foul pole to give the Cowboys the lead. But Mesa wasn't done either. They fought their way back by scoring three more runs in the final inning and had two runners in scoring position when the final batter struck out. A heart breaking swing and a miss that put and end to the Mavs season.

But don't let the 19-18 loss deter you from going to Mesa State baseball games. Most of the players on this years team will be back next year and will be poised to be right back in the mix for their fifth straight RMAC title. What better way to spend your Friday night than at the ballpark huddled under a blanket with your sweetheart? What better way to get your tan then spending your Saturday afternoon in the outfield bleachers for a double-header? And through all of this you get the added entertainment of being at a great ballpark (Suplizio Field) and watching a great ball club (Mesa State Mavericks)!

I don't know if I will still be working in Grand Junction next spring or not, but I am calling you out! All of you so called "baseball fans" that show up for JUCO each spring had better show up more often to the Mesa State baseball games. Not to take anything away from the talented players that come with their teams to JUCO each year, but if you are a real baseball fan then you will recognize real baseball talent when you watch the Mavericks on the field.

So go out and support the Mesa State Mavericks during baseball season. After all Grand Junction, they are YOUR team! Show some support!