GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – MSU Denver's baseball season came to an end Thursday with a 16-5 loss to CSU Pueblo in an elimination game at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Tournament.
 
"It was a tough one today," MSU Denver coach Ryan Strain said. "We didn't play the way we needed.
 
"It wasn't the year that we were expecting and what we're used to having. But these kids played hard, and that's all you can ask of them. It's a great group of guys. It just didn't end the way we wanted."
 
Caleb Albaugh had an RBI single in the third inning, giving him 247 hits for his career to match the program record set by Rusty Befus (1988-92). Earlier this season, he became the program's all-time leader in runs and at-bats.
 
"I couldn't be happier for Caleb," Strain said. "He was on deck (when the game ended) and I asked the baseball gods for one more at-bat for him, but he didn't get that chance. The baseball gods didn't like us much this year.
 
"Caleb is a tremendous kid and a tremendous competitor. It's rare to step into a program and play four years at shortstop like he did. The longevity and the competitiveness, to hold onto that job is something that not many would be able to do. I've built a special relationship with him, and he'll always be a big part of our program's history."
 
MSU Denver drew four consecutive two-out walks in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. After giving up four in the top of the third, the Roadrunners tied it with three in the bottom half of the frame.
 
CSU Pueblo scored two for a 6-4 lead in the top of the fifth, but a Gavin Schmeh sacrifice fly got the Roadrunners within 6-5 in the bottom of the fifth.
 
The ThunderWolves broke it open, though, in a nine-run seventh inning.
 
"It was a good game for a while, but it got away from us in that one inning," Strain said. "But I'm proud of our guys. They fought through a lot of things this year, and they fought until the end. We just came up short today."
 
Andrew Biddle had three of MSU Denver's eight hits.
 
MSU Denver bids farewell to 11 seniors, including Albaugh, All-Americans Jake Williams and Zach Schuler, all-conference level pitchers Jack Slominski, Reichle Arcilise and Andrew Hayes, speedy outfielder Jayden Cordova, and relievers Brady McLean, Carson Brown, Tyler Schultz and Gabe Austin.
 
"I'm really proud of the effort the seniors gave in their time here," Strain said. "They took a chance to come here – most of them came when we had never been to a regional – and they were part of some really, really good teams here.
 
"It's a great group of kids that gave me everything that they could. We just came up short this year. It wasn't our year for some reason, but they continued to battle and they'll always be a special part of this program and of my family."