TYLER, Texas — An NCAA Tournament run that began with high expectations came to a close Thursday night for MSU Denver as the Roadrunners dropped both of their games in the South Central Regional at the campus of University of Texas at Tyler.

MSU Denver fell 5-1 to No. 3 seed Angelo State University in the tournament opener before suffering an 8-1 loss to regional host and No. 2 seed UT Tyler later Thursday evening, ending the Roadrunners' 2026 campaign with a 38-18 overall record.

Despite the disappointing finish, the Roadrunners still completed another strong season that included their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five years and a return trip to the South Central Regional.

GAME ONE
In the opener against Angelo State, MSU Denver stayed within striking distance for much of the afternoon before the Rams pulled away late for the 5-1 victory.

The Roadrunners managed six hits offensively, with Jared Swarbrick, Noah Wicks, Royce Vandine, Alek Martinez, Brooks Rasmussen and Marques Abulhosn each recording a hit. Wicks drove in MSU Denver's lone run with an RBI single in the fifth inning that tied the game at 1-1.

MSU Denver threatened to take control during the fifth inning after Rasmussen walked and stole second before Abulhosn reached base. Wicks followed with the RBI single through the right side, but the Roadrunners were unable to capitalize further after Angelo State cut down the potential go-ahead run at the plate.

Angelo State answered immediately in the bottom half of the inning, taking advantage of a pair of Roadrunner miscues to reclaim the lead. The Rams added two more runs in the sixth inning to create separation.

Jake Syverson battled through 5.1 innings on the mound for MSU Denver, allowing four earned runs while striking out four before taking the loss and finishing the season 7-2 overall. 

Alejandro Maltos-Garcia provided solid relief work, tossing 2.2 scoreless innings to keep the Roadrunners within reach late.

GAME TWO
Facing elimination later in the evening, the Roadrunners squared off against UT Tyler but were unable to slow down the regional host in an 8-1 defeat.

MSU Denver once again found itself chasing the game early as UT Tyler capitalized offensively and controlled the momentum throughout much of the contest. The Roadrunners continued to battle offensively despite the deficit, but the Patriots' pitching staff limited opportunities to mount a comeback. 

The two losses officially brought the curtain down on another successful season for the Roadrunners, who finished with 38 wins and secured an NCAA Tournament berth for the second consecutive year.

Throughout the spring, MSU Denver remained among the top teams in the RMAC thanks to a balanced roster that featured explosive offense, strong veteran leadership and quality pitching depth.

While Thursday marked the end of the 2026 season, the Roadrunners once again reinforced themselves as one of the premier programs in the RMAC with another postseason appearance and a 38-win campaign.