DENVER – MSU Denver has for decades been a leader in providing equal opportunities for women in intercollegiate athletics.
 
Today is the 48^th installment of a 52-part tribute by Roadrunners Athletics to pioneers and leaders in intercollegiate athletics at MSU Denver. The series coincides with the passage of Title IX.

Each Thursday, a key female figure in Roadrunners athletics history will be recognized.
 
Today, former softball star Aubree Maul is featured.

The RMAC Pitcher of the Year in 2014, she made the Daktronics All-Region second team in both 2012 and 2014 as well as the NFCA All-Region second team in 2014. An All-RMAC first team selection in both 2012 and 2014, she was a four-time RMAC Pitcher of the Week during her career. She ranks ninth in program history in ERA (3.69 in 443 2/3 innings), third in strikeouts (270), sixth in opponent batting average (.272), fourth in wins (44) and tied for fifth in shutouts (six). She's also tied for first for most strikeouts in a single season (132) and is fourth in wins in a single season (19). As a hitter, she's tied for eight in program history with 30 home runs. As a pitcher, she compiled a career mark of 44-27 with a 3.69 ERA. As a hitter, she batted .289 with 30 homers and 115 RBIs.
 
Maul played for the RMAC regular season champions three times (2010, 2011, 2014), and for two RMAC Tournament champions (2010, 2014), and made three NCAA Tournament appearances in her career, including the 2010 NCAA Central Region champion and national championship semifinals team. She played for teams that were a combined 146-68, including 107-40 in RMAC regular-season play (excluding 2013). During the 2013 season, Maul was making her inspirational comeback from ovarian cancer – Maul played the opening weekend in 2013 before being diagnosed.
 
She returned in 2014 to lead the teams to the RMAC Tournament championship and the NCAA Tournament, while earning RMAC Pitcher of the Year after going 13-11 with a 3.93 ERA and 64 strikeouts.
 
Since Maul's comeback, MSU Denver's softball and baseball teams recognize Strikeout Cancer Day one day each season, wearing teal uniforms to raise awareness.

Title IX, the groundbreaking law prohibiting sex-based discrimination at schools that receive funding from the federal government, went into effect just over 50 years ago – on June 23, 1972.