By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Adams State University freshman designated hitter Osaias Hinojosa and University of Colorado Colorado Springs senior right-handed pitcher Ryder Mancuso are the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s Baseball Athletes of the Week, announced Tuesday.

Nationally-ranked Colorado Mesa University pushed its win streak to 17 games – now the longest in Division II – with a four-game sweep of New Mexico Highlands. Also sweeping their RMAC-opening weekends were Metropolitan State University of Denver and UCCS. Adams State and Colorado School of Mines split their league-opening series.

Week 2 of the RMAC season sees Colorado Mesa make its second road trip, traveling to Colorado State University Pueblo, which opens its RMAC schedule. UCCS hosts Regis in a four-game set while Adams State hosts Colorado Christian University, and Colorado School of Mines travels to New Mexico Highlands. MSU Denver has the off week in the league schedule, but hosts the University of Mary in a four-game nonconference set.

Player

Osaias Hinojosa, Adams State (Freshman, Designated Hitter, Escondido, California)
Hinojosa powered his way to five home runs and 18 RBI in a four-game series against Colorado School of Mines. He batted .563 (9-of-16) with a .632 on-base percentage and a 1.563 slugging percentage in the series. Hinojosa opened with a mundane 1-for-4 effort that included a two-run home run in the ninth inning of a 13-11 loss. In the first game of the Sunday doubleheader, he belted two home runs, including a ninth-inning grand slam, and was 2-for-4 with six RBI in a 17-9 loss. Hinojosa didn’t slow down in the nightcap, providing a 3-for-4, five RBI effort that included a three-run home run, an RBI single, and a bases-loaded walk in a 26-12 victory. He capped the series on Monday with a second 3-for-4, five-RBI performance with another three-run home run that put ASU ahead for good and a two-run single that provided the game-winning RBI in a 9-7 victory.

Others Nominated: Logan Kelly, CSU Pueblo; Kennedy Hara, Colorado Mesa; Jackson Babcock, Colorado School of Mines; Noah Wicks, MSU Denver; Truett Ross, New Mexico Highlands; Mason Pettingill, Regis; Bryce Peterson, UCCS.  

Pitcher

Mancuso powered his way to a seven-inning complete game 16-1 victory against Colorado Christian on Saturday. He scattered five hits a walk over the seven innings and struck out four of the 27 batters he faced. Mancuso retired 12 of the first 13 batters he faced and kept the Cougars off the scoreboard until the fifth inning, when he allowed a leadoff double and a two-out double to surrender his lone run of the outing.

Others Nominated: Jack Novak, CSU Pueblo; Cole Seward, Colorado Mesa; Alex Honeyman, Colorado School of Mines; Brayden McCollough, MSU Denver; Andrew Baltazar, New Mexico Highlands; Gio Casas, Regis.

Previous Weekly Award Winners

Week	Player	Pitcher
Week 1: Feb. 3	Trevor Dale, UCCS	Garret Erickson, UCCS
Week 2: Feb. 10	Jack Moulin, Regis	Brayden McCollough, MSU Denver
Week 3: Feb. 17	Trevor Dale, UCCS	Jacob Petersheim, CSU Pueblo
Week 4: Feb. 24	Ayden Harrison, Regis	Jackson Eisenhauer, Colorado Mesa
Week 5: March 3	Tyler Genrich, UCCS	Justin Schramm, Colorado Mesa
Week 6: March 10	Osaias Hinojosa, Adams State	Ryder Mancuso, UCCS

 

About the RMAC

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 71 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.

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