Andrew Pogue knew if he could find the strike zone, he would unlock his potential.
The 6-foot-5 right-hander always had ability on the mound, but he struggled to harness it. He started his career at Illinois, then got cut. He went to Arizona State and was cut again. By the time he landed at Colorado Mesa last fall, he got cut for a third time as he still lacked the control to pair with his 98-mph fastball.
“When we cut him in the fall, he didn’t make excuses, he didn’t challenge us,” Colorado Mesa skipper Chris Hanks recalled. “He knew what the issue was, and he knew we gave him an avenue to get back on the team.
“I didn’t specifically tell him that we needed to see him working, but behind the scenes, us coaches pretty much said to ourselves, ‘Let’s see how bad this guy wants it.’ And he was out here all the time, throwing on his own. The perseverance is a great story, and if he can keep it going, it can have a really interesting ending.”
On Wednesday, Pogue takes the mound in CMU’s opening game at the RMAC Baseball Championship in Grand Junction. After starting the season as a bullpen arm who appeared in low-leverage situations, Pogue stair-stepped to relieve in close games before finally earning status as the team’s No. 1 starter.
“Getting cut three times, it feels like three strikes and you’re out,” Pogue said. “But I guess last year was a foul ball. I got one more chance at it, and I was determined to make the most of it.”
Now, Pogue is a central factor in Hanks’ belief that the Mavericks can make another deep postseason run.
Hanks says that with Pogue as the team’s unexpected ace, CMU could make this spring one to remember. The Mavericks will host this week’s RMAC tournament after winning their 13th straight regular-season conference title.
The goal is the same as always for the Division II power, which has produced four College World Series appearances and two national runner-up finishes in Hanks’ 27 years at the helm.
“If Pogue can keep pitching well, we really have a shot at (another College World Series appearance), because he’s a difference-maker with that fastball and slider as long as he’s throwing strikes,” Hanks said.
“This team is, in many ways, as good and in some ways better than the previous World Series teams we’ve had. The two teams that have played for national titles (in 2014 and ’19), this team has every bit the personnel of those teams.”
Leadoff center fielder Paul Schoenfeld, two-hole right fielder Kolby Felix and three-hole left fielder Cameron Cartwright (Legend High School) constitute what Hanks says is “probably the best outfield we’ve ever had.” Shortstop Kennedy Hara and second baseman Joey Blank, Vin Scully’s grandson, are also key contributors in the Mavericks’ lineup.
The Colorado Mesa baseball team acknowledges the crowd at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colo., after a win over Metro State in RMAC play on Thursday, May 1, 2025. (Courtesy of Shelby Streeter, Colorado Mesa)On the mound, CMU’s No. 2 starter is right-hander Sage Ferguson (Elizabeth), its No. 3 is right-hander Liam Hohenstein (Rock Canyon) and its No. 4 is right-hander Gauge Lockhart (Delta). Senior right-hander Ethan Voss is the top reliever. Like Pogue, Ferguson did not start the year in the rotation. The club got him going around midseason after he recovered from elbow tendonitis.
For his part, Pogue says his emergence as a rotational pillar for CMU down the stretch was three-fold.
He built confidence outside of baseball amid all the cuts. After ASU didn’t work out, he went back to Illinois, graduated and passed the Chartered Financial Analyst exam. Then Pogue put himself on the cusp of an MBA from CMU and lined up a job in the financial sector upon his graduation in a few weeks.
He worked closely with longtime CMU pitching coach Jeff Rodgers, who helped him simplify his delivery and thought process. That allowed Pogue, who registered an alarming 14 walks per nine in two partial seasons at Illinois, to cut that rate down to a career-low 4.4 this year.
“The biggest thing for me was to stop thinking about mechanics when I’m out on the mound,” Pogue said. “Previously, I had an internal focus: I was thinking about where my arm should be at this point in time (during my delivery), how I should finish. Instead of that, I now have an external focus, and that’s on my catcher, where his glove is at, where he wants me to throw this pitch.”
His consistent training led to a breakout moment at intersquad games in January, when he hit 97 and 98 mph for the first time while blowing the ball by surprised teammates.
“An object in motion stays in motion: I was able to execute in the classroom, I was able to stay consistent with my training,” Pogue said. “Taking care of things outside of baseball at that time was huge for me, and passing the CFA exam was also huge for me to build my confidence. That’s really all I needed.
“And it was realizing that baseball was going to go away. Now, here I am with a few weeks left of college baseball and I finally get to start again. I couldn’t be more thankful to be in this position.”
Pogue complements his heater with an effective slider and changeup. That repertoire has scouts interested. While Hanks isn’t sure if anyone from the RMAC will get drafted in mid-July — ever since the draft got cut to 20 rounds in 2021, it’s been much harder for D-II players to hear their name called — he believes Pogue has a shot at a professional future.
“I’ve fantasized about giving my future financial employer a call, and saying, ‘Hey, I just got drafted by the Cubs, I can’t come,'” Pogue said. “Until then, I’m keeping my head down and working and trying to help this team win and get to Cary, North Carolina, (for the Division II College World Series) so an opportunity like that can present itself.”
Three Stars to Watch at RMAC championship
Regis University catcher Adam Paniagua is hitting for average and power in 2025 as he was named to the Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List. (Courtesy of Makayla Salter, Regis Athletics)Sr. C/LF Adam Paniagua, Regis University: The 6-foot-2, 225-pound standout was the lone D-II player named to the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List for the award presented to the top amateur baseball player in the country. After his 2024 season ended prematurely because of a broken wrist on a hit by pitch, Paniagua returned to the diamond with force in ’25. He is third in D-II with 26 homers and is second in slugging at .958 as a centerpiece on a Regis team that set a new regular season wins record at 34.
“The fall was a little bit of a challenge, because I was having a hard time getting back into the flow of things because I had been out of baseball for about two months,” Paniagua said. ” … But towards the end, I started to get back into my comfort zone, and once the spring season rolled around, I was ready and I quickly got into a groove.”
Sr. 1B Easton Amundson, Metro State: In his first season at Metro State after transferring from Division I Liberty, the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder is mashing. The lefty is second in D-II with 28 homers with pull-side power. There’s some K in his approach, but if he can cut those down, he believes he’ll get a chance in pro ball. He is two homers off the national leader, Brevin McCool of Lubbock Christian, and a hot streak could help him overtake McCool.
“I’ve always had the power to do what I’m doing this year … but this year has been the most homers I’ve ever hit in my life. I’ve developed even more power throughout my college career,” Amundson said. “(To lead D-II in homers) would be really cool. I can’t be thinking about it during the games, but I definitely am capable of doing it.”
5th Yr. 1B/OF Christian Castaneda, CSU-Pueblo: With an up-the-middle, line-drive approach, Castaneda’s been a tough out. He leads the RMAC and is sixth in D-II with a .444 average, and is 10th with a .549 on-base percentage. The 6-1, 220-pounder’s provided quality defense at first and in the corner outfield. Chris Hanks describes him as “very dangerous, and one of the best hitters in the league.” He steps into the box with the memory of his late friend Eddie Cruz, who drowned in September 2019, heavy on his mind.
“Being able to play for (Cruz), and continuing his legacy through me, that really drives me every day,” Castaneda said. “I say a prayer before every game and ask the Lord to help continue his legacy and help me play for what he stood for as a person and as a (would-be college) athlete. I know the next day is not given. I appreciate every moment I have on the field.”
RMAC Baseball Championship
Schedule for the first round of games on Wednesday in Grand Junction. See full bracket here.
Entering the RMAC tournament, Metro State first baseman Easton Amundson is second in Division II with 28 homers. (Courtesy of Edward Jacobs Jr., Metro State Athletics)No. 3 CSU-Pueblo vs No. 4 Metro State — 11 a.m., RMACNetwork.com
No. 1 Colorado Mesa vs No. 6 UCCS — 3 p.m., RMACNetwork.com
No. 2 Regis vs No. 5 Adams State — 7 p.m., RMACNetwork.com
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