RamWire: No. 25 Colorado State softball one win away from Mountain West title

By Mike Brohard

There were no hints, no suggestions.

Colorado State's softball team has been all about action in 2019.

The Rams provided no incremental moves up the conference standings the past few seasons, no massive changes to the roster. There were no clues to the outside world heading into the campaign.

Yet senior Lauren Buchanan made a bold declaration to Colorado State softball coach Jen Fisher before Mountain West play began.

"I think LB said it best when she said the conference doesn't know what's coming," Fisher said. "I remember her saying that before conference play. I think the team felt that way, I think the coaches felt that way."

Then the Rams went out and proved Buchanan correct, not that she was worried in the least. She had no reservations about her commitment to the comment.

"We're just different this year," she said. "I felt like we have all three aspects. In the past, it's either like, we don't have the defense that can finish the game, or we don't have the offense or the pitching. This year, I think we're firing on all cylinders. We're just really a team this year that wants to do it, we're a team that wants to go out and make something for ourselves.

"My freshman year, we had to run laps because a girl didn't complete all their reps in the weight room. Now we have girls going in and getting extra. It's a different mentality and a culture, and I think it's just a culture of desire."

Now, without a winning record in Mountain West play since the 2014 season, Colorado State's softball team is on the brink of a momentous accomplishment.

Heading to Boise State for a three-game set this weekend to close out MW play, the No. 25 Rams need to win just one of those games to stake claim to its first conference title since the 2004 season and clinch an NCAA regional berth. The Broncos (32-10 overall, 10-8 MW) sit in fourth in the conference standings and are 7-2 in conference play at home.

CSU (36-8) is already seven games better in conference play (17-4) than it was a year ago with three more remaining. The Rams have won all seven conference sets to this point, sweeping the first three on the schedule.

Those came as part of a 20-0 run after a 9-4 start, a beginning which included big wins (over No. 16 Oklahoma State) and a head-scratching loss (Cal Poly), then the Rams posted a perfect 16-0 March.

Those games were all learning moments, as were the seasons prior. What Fisher witnessed was growth, as players and as competitors.

"I mean, I definitely think there's a lot of maturity on this team. A ton of maturity, a ton of leadership and a ton of great guidance of the younger players," she said. "There's a really heavy investment in what we're doing, so even the younger players have respect for somebody ahead of them. You saw Kaitlyn Cook get it done. She has a ton of respect for Corina Gamboa, who's in front of her, so I think those things go along with great teamwork, and winning comes when you have great teamwork. I also think our team overall kinda struggled with our confidence, and I think that's' been a big shift. We've worked hard on that. Not just maturity, but confidence."

Cook is a perfect example of the attitude shift. The freshman picked up five or her six at-bats on the season in the past series with San Diego State, producing a walk-off single on Sunday.

If you scan the Mountain West leaderboard offensively, you'll find Rams sprinkled all over the place, but it's not just one or two. Amber Nelson is found on more than one list, but you'll also spot Gamboa, Buchanan, Tara Shadowen and Ashley Ruiz. Ashley Michelena is there, as is Danni Klein.

Fisher gives much of the credit to the tone set by assistant coach Whitney Cloer, who set out to create a "suffocating offense," one which refuses to rely on two or three key bats.

"We know after we get our three outs we're coming back into the dugout and we know that anything can happen at any given moment and by any part of our lineup," said Nelson, who leads the team with a .434 average and 45 RBI. "It takes a lot of pressure off the top of the lineup, even the bottom of the lineup. I think we work so well together, and people take on their spot in the lineup no matter where it is. We know it doesn't matter where you are, because 1-9 is really solid."

As for all aspects doing their part, the offense ranks second in the conference in batting average (.336) and leads in runs scored (311), while the pitching staff sits second in team ERA at 2.45 behind the tandem of Bridgette Hutton and Jessica Jarecki, who have combined to win 28 games with nine shutouts.
Defensively, the Rams rank fourth at a .965 clip.

All aspects playing a key role.

The past is history. The present is working on creating some.

There is no pressure, just confidence heading into the final conference series.

"We were just talking about that. We're in the driver's seat right now, we can't stress about that," Buchanan said. "We have to only win one game, and it's one game at a time. San Jose State, the next team, has to win out six games, so we can't stress about it. I think we may have pressed a little bit at one point. We just have to keep our heads on our shoulders and keep winning like we have been all year. It's just one game."

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