DENVER – MSU Denver's record-breaking 2021 season included only 10 losses.
 
Five came to Colorado Mesa, which was ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division II for each matchup.
 
Three of the others came to pesky CSU-Pueblo, which finished fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and was 15-24 overall and 12-20 in league play.
 
The Roadrunners and ThunderWolves renew their rivalry this weekend, with doubleheaders in Pueblo, Colo., scheduled for noon Saturday and Sunday.
 
"They always play us tough – every time since I've been here it's been tough," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "Our battles with them have been pretty good. Hopefully our guys will be ready. We have to go down there twice this year, so we hope to get off to a good start."
 
While MSU Denver has moved into No. 24 in the NCBWA Division II poll after going 12-6 overall and 3-1 in the RMAC, CSU-Pueblo is off to a good start as well at 9-8 and 3-1.
 
The ThunderWolves were picked tied for fifth in the preseason RMAC coaches' poll. MSU Denver was picked third.
 
"You never know what it's going to be like with a new coach coming in, and they lost quite a few guys who played for them last year," Strain said. "But quite a few good new guys have come in. They've got a couple of new guys throwing pretty well and a couple of new guys hitting pretty well."
 
MSU Denver's surge up the national standings came on the heels of a 3-1 series win over then-No. 13 Colorado School of Mines last weekend. The Roadrunners' pitching staff was outstanding, yielding only nine runs all weekend.
 
"If you had told me last week we were going to give up nine runs to them in four games, I would've said then we got four wins pretty easily," Strain said. "Unfortunately we had one game where we didn't score any. The pitching staff did a really good job. I've been relatively hard on them, (particularly) after the loss to Sioux Falls and to Emporia State, games where we had leads and gave them up. We just hadn't pitched very well in our losses – scored enough to win in all of the losses.
 
"So that was good to see. They kept us in games when we needed it, and hopefully they can continue to do that."
 
The Roadrunners used only seven pitchers, as starters Reichle Arcilise, Tyler Phillips, Austin Stone and Brad Helton combined for a 2.70 ERA while surrendering only 15 hits and striking out 19 in 23 1/3 innings. Conner Nantkes was a workhorse in relief, allowing only one run while striking out 13 in seven innings over two appearances.
 
Arcilise pitched a nine-inning complete game, allowing one run on five hits while striking out 10, and Helton took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before settling for a no-decision.
 
Meanwhile the offense, 15^th in Division II with 27 home runs, had a one-game blip in being shutout for the first time in 78 games dating to 2019.
 
"We still haven't had everybody in the lineup swinging the bat well at the same time," Strain said. "When it happens, it's going to be a special group. Early on, two or three guys carried us, and now some of those guys are scuffling and some other guys are starting to swing it well."
 
Leadoff hitter Chase Anderson sets the Roadrunners up for success – he ranks in the top 100 in Division II in runs (30^th, with 24), home runs (32^nd, six), total bases (57^th, 47), RBIs (59^th, 22) and hits (77^th, 26).
 
"He's swung the bat well," Strain said. "It's always nice having Chase up there. It's a big deal when Chase has good games, because then he's on base and those guys behind him have a chance to drive in runs. He's a table-setter, and we go as he goes. If he has good at-bats, we're probably going to have a pretty good day."