Athletes of the Week: CMU Baseball

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KKCO) - Colorado Mesa enters the 2022 baseball season ranked number 4 in the country, but they say those preseason polls can actually be a distraction. They’re focused on being the best version of Mavericks baseball, one that will compete for a national title.

Last season ended in heartbreak. CMU, at one point ranked as the best team in the country, lost at NCAA Regionals in Texas. The Mavericks are returning almost every key player, and their sights are set on finally getting back to the national championship.

“We are very experienced -- we have a lot of guys who have played in big games, in postseason play,” says head baseball coach Chris Hanks. “We’re challenging those guys to go out and prove something.”

Spencer Bramwell is one of the most experienced players on the roster. He enters his fifth season as the starting catcher, coming off an impressive 2021 where he hit for a .357 average.

“We’ve seen a lot, but the one thing we haven’t seen is the national championship,” Bramwell says. “Having that on our minds, out in front of us is enough to be excited to play every day.”

These seniors have been through it all. Back in 2019, they were one win away from glory, but lost to the University of Tampa in the national championship game. Then in 2020, a canceled season. Last year, an early exit. The goal in 2022 could not be clearer.

“We lost the national championship game two years ago, and that still feels fresh,” Bramwell told us. “Just having a chip on your shoulder, going to practice every day, wanting to work hard to get better, that’s gonna fuel us throughout the year.”

The Mavs are off to a great start, sweeping #22 Azusa Pacific in four straight games this weekend. They won the season opener 28-4, breaking multiple school records in the process. CMU returns home on Thursday for a series with MSU Billings.