DENVER — The MSU Denver baseball team capped off a dominant weekend Monday afternoon, completing a four-game sweep of cross-town rival Regis Rangers with a doubleheader sweep on the road at Regis Baseball Field.
With the pair of wins, the Roadrunners improved to 13-5 overall and 4-0 in RMAC play, opening conference action with a perfect series in their first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference matchup of the season.
The weekend also continued a historic start for Noah Wicks, who leads the RMAC through 18 games in batting average (.500), slugging percentage (.958), on-base percentage (.594), and OPS (1.552). Wicks powered the four-game sweep by going 10-for-15 with six RBIs, seven runs scored, four walks, three doubles, two home runs, a triple, three stolen bases, and a hit-by-pitch, highlighted by a 5-for-5 performance in Saturday's Game 1.
Game One – MSU Denver 16, Regis 8
The Roadrunners wasted no time seizing control, erupting for 10 runs in the first inning to set the tone early.
Back-to-back RBI singles from Erubiel Ortiz, Lathen Buzard, and Royce Vandine quickly gave MSU Denver a 3-0 lead before the lineup continued to roll through the inning.
Wicks punctuated the offensive explosion with a three-run home run, extending the advantage and continuing his standout weekend at the plate.
The Roadrunners added to their lead in the second when Vandine launched a solo home run to push the score to 11-0.
Regis chipped away with runs in the middle innings, but MSU Denver continued to answer offensively. Brooks Rasmussen ripped an RBI triple in the sixth to extend the lead to 12-3, while Buzard later added an RBI triple and Alek Martinez followed with an RBI single to cap another productive inning for the Roadrunners.
Wicks delivered another huge performance, finishing 3-for-3 with three runs scored, three RBIs, three walks and a home run. Buzard also starred at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, while Rasmussen went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Martinez chipped in with a 2-for-3 effort, scoring twice and driving in a run.
On the mound, Alejandro Maltos-Garcia earned the win to move to 1-1, throwing 5.1 innings while allowing four runs on four hits and striking out six.
Game Two – MSU Denver 9, Regis 5
The Roadrunners completed the sweep behind another balanced offensive effort and a key momentum swing in the middle innings.
After Regis jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the second inning, MSU Denver responded immediately with a five-run third inning that flipped the game. The rally featured timely hitting throughout the lineup, highlighted by run-scoring knocks that put the Roadrunners in front for good.
Michael Deitz led the offensive charge, going 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs, including a home run. Brayden Oram added a 2-for-4 performance with two RBIs and a home run, while Blake Wilson also went deep and finished with two RBIs.
Jared Swarbrick reached base four times, going 2-for-3 with two walks and a run scored to help set the table for the Roadrunner offense.
On the mound, Michael Banderas picked up the win to improve to 1-0, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts.
The bullpen was crucial in closing out the game, as Nick Vilims, Banderas and Carter Swan combined for 5.1 innings of relief, allowing just four hits and two walks after starter Nolan Livsey exited the game. Sam Fisher took the loss for Regis, dropping to 1-1.
The doubleheader sweep completed a four-game series sweep for MSU Denver, giving the Roadrunners early momentum in RMAC play as their offense continued to surge.
