SAN ANGELO, Texas – Last year, MSU Denver was thrilled to earn its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II baseball tournament.
 
This time around, the Roadrunners are looking to go one step beyond.
 
Or further.
 
"The job isn't done," said first baseman Jake Williams, the Division II leader with 85 RBIs. "Last year we were still excited, still on that high from winning at (Colorado) Mesa in the (RMAC) tournament. We didn't have much (NCAA) experience, and we were probably a little shell-shocked. Maybe some external factors got to us and we didn't really prepare the way we should have."
 
MSU Denver, ranked Nos. 26 and 21 in the major Division II polls, plays Nos. 22 and 27 Texas-Tyler in a 3 p.m. CDT/2 p.m. MDT game Thursday in the portion of the South Central Regional that is being played in San Angelo, Texas. The winner gets the rest of the day off, but the loser must turn around and face top-seeded and Nos. 2/3 host Angelo State (Texas) immediately afterwards.
 
The winner of this three-team, double-elimination event moves on to play a best-of-three series next weekend against the winner of the three-team affair hosted by Colorado Mesa that also includes St. Edward's (Texas) and Lubbock Christian (Texas).
 
Last year, MSU Denver may or may not have had to win its way into the South Central Regional as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Tournament champion. The Roadrunners poured everything into winning the league tournament and did so, perhaps at the expense of enhancing their chances in the NCAAs.
 
"This year, hopefully we're more ready than last year," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "Last year we really had to fight and claw to get through the (RMAC) championship, not knowing what would happen and if we were going to get in there. We kind of limped in (to the NCAAs) a little bit.
 
"This year, if there's any silver lining in not playing all the way through (to the RMAC Tournament championship round), it's that we didn't throw a lot of our (pitchers). I kind of made that decision, and it was difficult."
 
The Roadrunners finished third at the RMAC Tournament this time around, and perhaps getting an extra day of rest rather than having a chance to join hundreds of teams around the country that celebrate tournament wins with a dogpile on the field will ultimately be more rewarding.
 
A second regional trip to the same location as last year is also beneficial.
 
"We're more rested and healthy and ready to compete, and our guys also know what it's like," Strain said. "Last year I think we were a little bit just happy to get in and didn't really know what it's like. This year we're going back to the same place. We know the field, we know what the atmosphere is like, we know what the format is. Hopefully that gives us a little bit of an edge over what we had last year."
 
Center fielder Tanner Garner, the RMAC's Co-Player of the Year who last week recorded his 95^th hit of the season, breaking Brian Edwards' 2002 program record of 94, reiterated the second-time-around mantra.
 
"Last year we were excited to be there – it was one of our goals," Garner said. "This year we have bigger goals and hopefully we can make it further."
 
Fifth-seeded MSU Denver (42-12) and fourth-seeded Texas-Tyler (37-17) are meeting for the first time. The Patriots are in just their second official season after transitioning to Division II – they are already a Division II juggernaut in softball and have made the Division II volleyball tournament twice as well.
 
While the Roadrunners bring another record-setting offense to San Angelo, the Lone Star Conference typically has teams with deeper pitching staffs than many of the RMAC's.
 
"There's two different styles of baseball between our two leagues," Strain said. "Obviously they pitch really well, especially at the top end, but they may not have the offensive numbers that we have (in the RMAC).
 
"But the bottom line is that we're going to have to pitch well. Our offense is very good, but we're going to face some good arms. We need to pitch well, because you can't just outscore teams once you get to the regional – no matter who you're playing."
 
In last year's first round, the Roadrunners mashed seven homers, including four in a 10-run second inning, but lost to Texas A&M-Kingsville 18-15.
 
What's the key to breaking through this time?
 
"Focus for nine innings, no matter how many pitches are thrown," second baseman Cody Schultz said. "And then we have to play like we know how to play. If we do that, we can beat anybody, and we're all confident about that."
 
A second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament is a big step for the program, which set multiple school records in 2023, including a 17-game winning streak and 42 wins (and counting) in a season. MSU Denver is 111-44 over the past three seasons.
 
"To get in for a second year in a row kind of validates what our program is right now and where we're going," Strain said. "Technically, in a normal year (in 2021), without COVID, this would have been three years in a row – we were the fourth seed going into the RMAC Tournament (finishing 34-10) and unfortunately UCCS snagged the bid from us in a year where they only took four teams instead of six. We've been good enough to be in it the last three years."
 
Being part of a program on the rise has been a satisfying ride for seniors such as Schultz, the All-RMAC second baseman.
 
"It's cool," he said. "Coming here, the expectation was that after the RMAC Tournament is over, our season is over, and really that we weren't going to do much in the RMAC Tournament. I know that's kind of harsh, but that was kind of the reality of the situation. Back then, we weren't good enough to win it.
 
"Last year we finally broke through and won it. This year, unfortunately, we kind of ran out of gas. … But we're not done, which is nice."