DENVER – MSU Denver is doing all anyone could hope for heading into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference softball tournament.
"I think we're playing the best we have all year," Metropolitan State University of Denver coach
Annie Van Wetzinga said. "I think our offense looks as good as it has all year. I just want us to continue with the mindset we've had."
The double-elimination tournament, hosted by RMAC regular-season champion Colorado Mesa, starts Thursday in Grand Junction, Colo.
The Roadrunners (28-25) have won nine of their last 12 games, including five in a row, heading into their 1 p.m. first-round matchup with Colorado School of Mines (26-19). MSU Denver finished fifth in the regular season at 23-13, while Mines was fourth at 25-12.
The teams split a four-game series at Mines on April 19 and 20.
Due to the strength of the Lone Star and Heartland Conferences this season, it's possible that the RMAC will have only one team – the tournament champion – advance to either of the four-team NCAA Division II South Central Regionals.
Only Colorado Mesa, at No. 6, is ranked in the region's top eight and would stand the best chance of receiving an at-large bid if it doesn't win the RMAC tournament. Mines is ninth in the rankings and RMAC third seed Dixie State is No. 10. Second-seeded Colorado Christian isn't in the regional top 10. (A new set of ratings is due out Wednesday.)
A potentially wide-open tournament could present an opportunity for MSU Denver.
"We believe we can win this, and a lot of teams think they can win it, but I don't think the spotlight is on us," Van Wetzinga said. "So I don't think there's any extra pressure on us. We want to continue to have fun and get better. This team has come a long way. Let's have the seniors continue to make the most of their time here, and let's have the young players keep developing and getting better. If those things happen, we could put ourselves in a good position."
Pitcher-shortstop
Darby McGhee, an All-RMAC first team selection, said last weekend's four-game sweep of Regis has given the team an extra dose of confidence.
"We know going into the tournament that we could definitely win it," McGhee said. "But there's also a couple of other teams that have the same chance. Coming off the sweep, we all feel good about it."
The Roadrunners are coming off their first four-game sweep since the opening weekend of RMAC play, back on Feb. 23 and 24 against Chadron State.
"We just need to keep playing together," senior second baseman
Ashlee Kim said. "These past couple of weeks, we've been even more 'jelled' than we were earlier, and with all the new girls we have, you expect that to happen. If everyone goes out and plays hard, good things will happen for us."
Kim and center fielder
Megan Sansburn have keyed the Roadrunners' resurgent offense from the top of the order. Kim was 8-for-12 against Regis, while Sansburn was 7-for-10.
"We're just trying to stay relaxed," Sansburn said. "It's going to be exciting. There will be some nerves running through our bodies because we want to do well and we want to win it."
