No hard sell needed for Mesa State College softball

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Recruiting.

To Kris Mort, it’s more than just bringing athletes to play softball for Mesa State College. Instead, it’s finding players who will fit within the school’s environment.

“I don’t spend a lot of time on the road,” Mort said. “I really try to focus on kids who have expressed interest in coming to Mesa.”

Again, not just for softball. But for their future.

“I tend to print off the kids who have contacted us who are interested in Mesa State. Interested in Colorado and interested in Division II,” she explained. “Then I tend to use my (recruiting) money to bring kids to our campus instead of spend the money to go out and about. Because they still have to come to the campus and see if they like it here.”

Once the current crop of recruits came in, three liked what they saw and eagerly signed letters of intent.

Rachel Romine didn’t need much convincing to commit to Mesa. The Central High senior played most of her team’s home games at the less-than-one-year-old, on-campus softball stadium.

As the overseer of the facility, Mort’s eye was drawn to Romine’s ability.

“With local kids such as Rachel, we’re looking for athletes who can make an impact on our program and can succeed and excel here. Rachel, I think, can do that,” said Mort.

“Physically she’s strong. She led the league in home runs. And she’s got that home run potential in college.”

Romine has been Central’s third baseman for two years. Since older players are in-line to play that position for Mesa when Romine joins the team next fall, she could wind up at third. Or first. Or in the outfield.

Mort’s other two signees — out-of-staters Danielle Axe, a pitcher from Missoula, Mont., and catcher Whitney Bailey from Austin, Texas — came on board after visiting the campus and an impressive workout in front of Mort and her coaching staff.

“Where I really tend to watch kids is during that two-hour workout,” she said. “I’ve made mistakes in recruiting before where I thought somebody could play here. And then they got here, (I) got a two-week look at them and realized they were not good enough. I like to think that a two-hour workout with them, I can see enough skills.”

Mort got her first look of Axe in a summer tournament in Denver playing with her Spokane, Wash., club team. “Being left-handed, she brings a different look, and left-handed pitchers are hard to find,” Mort said.

Axe is only the second lefty Mort will have on the roster in her 16 years as Mavericks head coach.

Bailey fits the mold of prior Mesa catchers. “She has a very strong arm and is a good hitter,” Mort said. And, with current catcher Meagan Hennessy graduating this year, Bailey could find herself in a starter’s role quickly.

While the new softball facility helped seal the deal for the three high schools to sign with Mesa, additional building projects on campus — combined with available regional scholarships — make decisions to relocate to Grand Junction easier.

“The campus growth is really impressive to these kids, especially in an era where (college) campuses are struggling,” said Mort. “You won’t see the amount of bulldozers, movement and projects going on like this on other campuses. In this economy, it’s not happening. For a small school with less than 10,000 students, our facilities are as nice, if not nicer, than any other school — public or private — within 250 miles in any direction from us.”

Mort explained the softball stadium is only the tip of the iceberg of the college’s commitment to having the best facilities for its students. “All these recruits are seeing the future right before their eyes. They go across campus and see these new dorms and another that’s equally as nice. It’s not a plan. It’s action. I think it’s exciting.”

Reach Phil Sandoval at psandoval@gjfreepress.com.