SAN ANGELO, Texas – One of the greatest seasons in the history of MSU Denver baseball came to an end Thursday night as the Roadrunners took their second loss of the day at the Division II South Central Regional.
 
MSU Denver took an early lead against top-seeded host Angelo State (Texas), but the Rams – tied for No. 1 in one Division II national poll and ranked third in the other – pieced together three-run rallies in the fourth and sixth innings and gradually pulled away for an 11-1 victory.
 
The fifth-seeded Roadrunners (42-14) had lost earlier in the day to fourth-seeded Texas-Tyler 17-4.
 
"It was a rough day," MSU Dener coach Ryan Strain said. "We just didn't play our best. We didn't do enough to win. But I'm really proud of our guys. We had a great season."
 
The Roadrunners seemed to break a record every weekend during an historic 2023.
 
MSU Denver had a school-record 17-game winning streak from March 18 through April 28, eclipsing the 14-game streak set by the 2019 team. The Roadrunners have also set the program record with 42 wins this season, surpassing the 38-19 season of 2008.
 
Closer Eric Cox becoming the RMAC's all-time saves leader with the 24th of his career on March 4, and he finished with 26.
 
Outfielder Tanner Garner set the school single-game record and tied the conference mark with nine RBIs in a game at Regis. Garner also set the program record with 97 hits.
 
Ross Smith set program records for doubles (he had his 31^st on Thursday), total bases and runs – though he and Cody Schultz each had a run Thursday and will share the single-season mark with 81.
 
Pitchers Jack Slominski and Andrew Hayes each won nine games, tying the program record.
 
Hayes kept the high-powered Rams in check for three innings Thursday, and pitched much better than his final line (5 1/3 innings, nine hits, six earned runs) indicated.
 
"He did a really nice job against a really good offense," Strain said. "They play well here. But Andrew put up some zeroes for us early, and he had some tough breaks in the innings he gave up runs. He gave us a chance, and that's all you can ask for when you're facing a really good team. Usually our offense swings it, but unfortunately we just weren't able to do that today."
 
In the second inning, Cam Yuran singled and scored on Zach Schuler's double to put MSU Denver in front.
 
But, facing a second-team all-league pitcher from the Lone Star Conference for a second straight game, the Roadrunners couldn't get untracked offensively.
 
It was a tough and tearful post-game goodbye, as players and coaches shared hugs on the field a season that ended too soon.
 
"I love these guys," Strain said. "We spend so much time together. They believed in me to come here, their families believed in me and sent them here. To see the emotion they had afterward, it means that they care about each other as well. When you care about it, and you give everything that you have, you can look at yourself in the mirror and hold your head up high.
 
"It's always tough to lose you seniors. I went through it for four years as a player and now this is my 18^th year as a coach, and it never gets any easier."
 
It's the end of an era for Cox, who six years ago was the designated hitter in Strain's first game as MSU Denver's head coach.
 
"I look back and I'm happy about what I accomplished, and happy about what I've seen my fellow seniors accomplish," Cox said. "We left it all out there, and sometimes it doesn't go your way. I'm sure I'll come to a realization about all of this eventually. I'm sad about the loss and sad that we didn't come out of this with a trophy, but I'm happy about everything I've done and everything that this team has done."
 
Besides Cox, also saying goodbye are seniors Schultz, Garner, Colin Stone, Zach Paschke, Nate Madrid, Keegan Vialpando, Jake Barber, Brady Mello, Ryan Overboe and Clayton Burke.
 
That group has helped this program post a 111-46 record the past three seasons and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time last year before repeating the feat in 2023.
 
"It's been amazing," Cox said. "From where we started, a below .500 team that was squeaking into the conference tournament, to where we are now, it's incredible. It's a crazy step up from when I came in to where it is now. And it's only going to get better from here for the guys who come in next."
 
Said Strain: "I'm proud of where our program is at. We expect to get back here next year. And hopefully when we do we can play better and get some wins."