PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo Baseball opens the home portion of its Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedule this weekend as they host Regis University for a four-game series at Rawlings Field.

The two teams will open the four-game series with a single game on Friday, March 21 at 2 p.m., before playing a doubleheader on Saturday, March 22 beginning at 12 p.m. and concluding the weekend home RMAC series with a single nine inning game on Sunday, March 23 at noon.

CSU Pueblo comes into this weekend's series with Regis sporting an 11-11 overall record and a 1-3 mark in the RMAC after opening league play this past weekend at preseason RMAC favorite Colorado Mesa. The Pack dropped three of the four games to the Mavericks as they fell 10-5 in the series opener, before falling 8-4 in Sunday's first game of the doubleheader and then fell 13-8 in the series finale on Monday. The Pack's lone win was a 6-4 decision in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader.

The Pack, who is 7-7 at home this season, hasn't played at home since splitting a non-conference doubleheader on Feb. 28 and March 1 against Lubbock Christian. The 13-7 loss in the series finale against the Chaps snapped a three-game home win streak for the Pack. Dating to last season, the Pack is 22-16 at home, including being 11-5 at home in RMAC games.

CSU Pueblo and Regis have met 94 times previously on the diamond in a series that began in 2007. The Pack holds a 54-40 all-time lead in the series, but the two teams split their four game series last season at Regis. The Pack, though, has won six of the last 10 meetings in the series, including holding a 29-19 lead at home against the Rangers. The Pack also leads 23-20 in Denver and holds a 44-35 record all-time in RMAC play.

Following this weekend's four game RMAC series at home against Regis, the Pack will hit the road for a four-game series next weekend (March 28-30) in Lakewood, Colo., against Colorado Christian.

ABOUT CSU PUEBLO
Heading into this weekend's action, the Pack is fifth in the league in hitting with a .317 batting average as they've recorded 218 hits, scored 185 runs, hit 54 doubles, nine triples and 18 home runs. The Pack is averaging 8.4 runs per game, which is second-best in the RMAC and has scored double-digit runs in seven games, including two games of scoring 20 or more runs in the series against Northwest Nazarene. The Pack is also second in the league in triples with nine and is fourth in the league in doubles with 54.

Fifth-year senior first baseman Christian Castaneda (El Paso, Texas/Otero JC) currently leads the Pack and is eighth in the RMAC in hitting with a .413 average (31-for-75) and enters this week's action having hit safely in all 22 games this season and is in the midst of 23-game hitting streak dating to last season. Castaneda leads the Pack in hits (31), runs scored (24), on-base percentage (.522) and has a 1.255 OPS. In addition, he is second in doubles (9) and home runs (5) and tied for the team lead in RBI with 27. He ranks in the Top 10 in the RMAC in batting average, doubles, RBI, total bases, and on-base percentage.

In addition to Castaneda, two other Pack players are hitting .400 or better this season as senior second baseman Brad Stone (Las Vegas, Nev./College of Southern Nevada) is hitting .409 in 12 games, while senior outfielder Wyatt Reginato (Cottonwood, Calif./Folsom Lake) is hitting .400 as he is second in hits (30) and had has scored 20 runs, hit six doubles and has 16 RBI and leads the team with 12 multi-hit games and currently has a 10-game hit streak.

Castaneda and Reginato are two of the seven Pack players this season to have scored 10 or more runs and are two of the six players with 20 or more hits. Castaneda and fifth-year senior third baseman Kysen Howard (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley Northwest) are ranked in the Top 15 in the league in on-base percentage as Castaneda is seventh with his .522 and Howard is 14th with his .487.

Howard leads the RMAC in doubles with 10 and is ninth in the league in home runs with six and is tied for the team lead in RBI with 27. In addition, Howard has recorded 25 hits, scored 19 runs, and has been hit by a pitch seven times and has a team-leading .859 slugging percentage, which is second-best in the RMAC. Howard has had seven multi-hit games and a team-best eight multiple RBI games.

The Pack's 18 home runs are ninth-most in the league as along with Howard's six and Castaneda's five, freshman centerfielder Noah Williams (Carson, Calif./Redondo Union) has hit three and senior rightfielder Elijah Borjas (Denver, Colo./Lakewood) has hit two home runs. Williams and Borjas, though, are first and second in the RMAC in triples with three and two respectively.

Along with the 27 RBIs by Castaneda and Howard, Borjas has recorded 21 RBI and Williams has had 17 RBI.

Six Pack players have recorded three or more doubles this season as along with Howard's 10 and Castaneda's nine, Reginato has hit six, while Williams and senior shortstop Rob Mansour (La Verne, Calif./Cuesta College) have each hit four and Stone has had three doubles.

The Pack is fourth in the league in stolen bases with 36 as they are 36-for-49 on the season. Williams is third in the RMAC with 10 stolen bases as he is 10-for-12 on the season. Reginato is second with six steals as he is 6-for-7 on the season and sophomore outfielder Logan Kelly (San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Capistrano Valley Christian) is 4-for-4 on steals.

On the mound, the Pack has the fourth-best ERA in the league at 7.77. The Pack's pitchers lead the league in strikeouts per nine innings (8.8) and are fourth in the league in WHIP (1.89). The Pack's pitchers have struck out 169 batters in 173.2 innings of work and opposing hitters are batting .329 on the season. In addition, the Pack's pitchers have walked just 90 batters and have hit 34 opposing batters.

The top starter for the Pack is senior Travis Farrell (Las Vegas, Nev./Otero JC). Farrell enters the week leading the RMAC in ERA (3.74) and is second in wins (4), strikeouts (32) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.00). Farrell, who is 4-1 this season, has made six starts and has had four quality starts and has recorded five or more strikeouts in five of his six starts. He is fifth in the RMAC in innings pitched at 33.2 and has walked just eight batters on the year.

In addition to Farrell, the No. 2 starter this season for the Pack is junior Luke Ruby (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection Christian) as he is 0-1 with a 6.27 ERA. In 18.2 innings, he has struck out 18 and walked just seven and has allowed just 22 hits and 15 runs (13 earned runs), while fifth-year senior Nick Perry (Denton, Texas/Richland) is the No. 3 starter and he is 2-2 with an 8.41 ERA. In 20.1 innings, he has recorded 24 strikeouts and walked just four.

Leading the way for the Pack bullpen this season has been sophomore Jack Novak (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Thunder Ridge), who is 1-0 with a 2.13 ERA in a team-leading eight appearances and has earned two saves, which is fourth in the RMAC. In 12.2 innings, he has allowed seven hits and five runs (three earned), while striking out eight and walking a team-high 12. Along with Novak, junior Alex Oliver (Grove, Okla./Coffeyville CC) has the team's other save as he is 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in seven appearances. In 12.0 innings, he has allowed 13 hits, nine runs (six earned), while walking three and fanning nine.

Defensively, the Pack is second in the RMAC in fielding percentage at .970 as they have committed just 22 errors in 738 fielding chances and have turned 18 double plays, which is fourth-most in the RMAC. The 22 errors are second fewest in the league behind Colorado Mesa's 20 errors.

Leading the Pack this season is Bobby Applegate, who is in his fourth season as the program's head coach. Applegate, who was the Colorado Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year in 1995 playing for at the time University of Southern Colorado, has compiled an 89-91 overall record at his alma mater and is 52-48 in RMAC games.

ABOUT REGIS RANGERS
Regis comes into its third RMAC series of the 2025 season as one of the hottest teams in NCAA Division II baseball as the Rangers have reeled off seven straight wins since opening RMAC play with a 14-7 loss at MSU Denver. That seven-game winning streak is currently tied for the third longest active streak in Division II. Last weekend, the Rangers swept a four-game series against UCCS as they outscored the Mountain Lions, 46-15 in the four games.

The Pack and Regis has played one common opponent this season as both teams played a series at home against MSU Billings. The Rangers went 1-2 against the Yellow Jackets as they lost 7-6 and 10-9 and won 7-6 in eight innings, while the Pack went 1-3 against MSU Billings as the Yellow Jackets won 16-13, 6-4 and 11-7 and the Pack won 4-0.

In the Preseason RMAC Coaches Poll, the Rangers were tabbed to finish second as they earned 56 points and one first place vote. Last season, Regis went 32-24-1 and finished second in the RMAC with a 20-12 record, advanced to the RMAC Tournament championship game and also earned an at-large berth in the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament.

Statistically, Regis leads the RMAC in hitting as they are batting .356 (316-for-887) as a team. The Rangers lead the league in hits (316), runs scored (283), runs per game (10.9), slugging percentage (.613), walks (127), home runs (46), triples (11), stolen bases (51) and hit by pitches (78) and second in doubles (68).

Leading the way offensively for the Rangers is senior catcher Adam Paniagua. Paniagua, who has earned the last two RMAC Player of the Week honors, is hitting .436 and leads the league in hits (44), runs scored (39), RBI (59), slugging percentage (1.079), total bases (109), OPS (1,607) and is the Division II leader in home runs with 19. In last week's four-game sweep over UCCS, Paniagua hit .833 as he was 10-for-12 at the plate with a 2.167 slugging percentage and a .889 on-base percentage. He hit four home runs and had 11 RBI in the series and is batting .643 with eight home runs and 24 RBI in his first two RMAC series this season. He has had 16 multi-hit games and has had four games with two home runs each.

Seven Rangers have scored 20 or more runs this season as along with Paniagua's league-leading 39 runs, redshirt senior infielder Clayton Conn has scored 36 runs, which is second in the league, while junior outfielder Jack Moulin has scored 27 runs and senior infielder Peter Goldy has scored 24 times. The other Rangers with 20 or more runs scored are senior outfielder Maxim Fullerton (23), senior utility player CJ Difiglia (22) and senior outfielder Garrett Rede (22). In addition, four Rangers have had 30 or more hits and nine players have hit five or more doubles, including graduate student infielder Zach Barnao leading the way with eight.

Five regulars in the Regis line-up are hitting over .385 on the season with two players, Paniagua and Goldy each hitting over .400 on the season. In fact, Goldy is second in the league in batting at .443, while Paniagua is third with a .436 average.

The Rangers have stolen a league-best 51 bases and are 51-for-70 on stolen bases with Conn having stolen an RMAC-leading 18 in 21 attempts. The Rangers have also been hit by pitches a league and NCAA Division II-leading 78 times with Rede leading the way with 13, while Conn lhas been hit 12 times and Goldy has been hit 11 times.

Along with having one of the top offenses in the league, Regis is third in the league in ERA at 6.95. They are fifth in the league in WHIP (1.89) and fourth in strikeouts per nine innings (8.0) and sixth in strikeout-to-walk-ratio (1.42). Regis' pitchers have struck out 186 and walked 131 opposing hitters in a league-leading 209.2 innings.

The Rangers' top starter this season is senior Mason Ashcraft. Ashcraft is 2-0 with a 2.31 ERA in four starts. In 11.2 innings, he has allowed 13 hits and five runs (three earned), while striking out 10 and walking six.

In addition to Ashcraft, senior Nick Jacobs has made six starts and is 2-1 with a 5.27 ERA. In 27.1 innings of work, he has allowed 36 hits and 18 runs (16 earned runs), while striking out 24 and walking 12, while junior southpaw Ryan Garcia has also made six starts and is 4-1 with a 6.26 ERA. In 27.1 innings of work, he has allowed 35 hits and 21 runs (19 earned runs), while striking out 17 and walking nine.

The top arms out of the bullpen for the Rangers this season have been senior Noah McCandless, senior Stephen Moraski and graduate student Brenden Thome. Those three have combined to make 22 appearances and combined to have thrown 41 innings. McCandless had made a team-leading 10 appearances and has a 2-2 record and a 4.02 ERA and is second in the RMAC in saves with three. In 15.2 innings, he has struck out 15 and walked four. Moraski has made seven appearances, including six in relief and is 0-1 with a 6.11 ERA and in 17.2 innings, he has struck out seven and walked nine, while Thome is 0-0 with a 3.52 ERA in five appearances and has Regis' other save. In 7.2 innings, he has struck out seven and walked none.

Defensively, Regis is sixth in the league in fielding percentage at .961. The Rangers have turned 15 double plays and have committed 34 errors in 876 fielding chances, which is seventh-most in the RMAC.

Regis is coached by Pat Jolley, who is in his second season as the program's head coach in 2025 after spending the 2023 season as an assistant coach for the Rangers. In 2024, he led the program to an appearance in the RMAC Tournament title game and the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2012. Prior to his arrival at Regis, Jolley, who played collegiately at LSU-Shreveport and Centenary (La.) College, spent three years as the Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at the University of Northern Colorado.