 Coming up on this month's edition of the RMAC showcase we invade Lakewood, Colorado and the campus of Colorado Christian University It's a family affair on the diamonds around CCU will catch up with a family who are a big part of the baseball and softball teams Plus the track and field team partakes in the toughest league in the country that has kept their fighting spirit down We'll meet to the toughest on the squad and she spikes them hard Off the court Welcome to the campus of Colorado Christian University located less than 10 miles west of downtown Denver Hello, everyone. I'm Jason Carter your host for the next 30 minutes as we take a tour of CCU spring sports are in full swing And that's exactly where we're going to start as we sit down with one family who is a major region for the success on the baseball and softball diamonds At first glance baseball and softball are the same score Sure, there are minor differences in the rules, but the idea is the same That's what made the transition for Larry Hayes so easy after more than 40 years coaching college baseball my wife, but we were on a motor home as senior citizens are retirement driving along and Kind of talked about it and everything and I looked at her and she looked at me and she said it sounds like fun Let's do Larry who's a member of the College Baseball Hall of Fame took over after his son left for another opportunity But that wasn't the only reason he picked up after 52 years of living in Texas That's another reason why we're got two two grandsons Hunter and Heath and they're playing baseball here And so I had several good reasons to come and those are two important ones He's such a great coach and a great man and to have him here Not only coaching the softball team and just really being a great coach for them But also a mentor to my brother and I as well so having him up here has been a great experience as well With 11 grandchildren, this isn't the first time Larry has coached younger members of his family Four years ago had three of my or four of my granddaughters on the team their high school coach died nine days before the season started so filled in and Tough situation to take over but when you got four granddaughters on there was a lot of fun And of course the only problem that we ever got beat they blamed the hazes because it got so many hazes on there Having our dad leave we didn't really know what was going to happen yet And then our granddad stepping up and just coming coming back to coaching just even though He's not coaching our team just him being around and just being a presence is is huge hunter and Heath Who started nearly every game for ccu this year are out of the running for the postseason with the baseball team But larry has the softball team fighting for a conference championship You know at our age to have another opportunity like it and be around this team. This is a good bunch of girls and It's a fun team to coach and they they work hard and so all the things that you enjoy and coaching is here and Unfortunate to get to do it sometimes it's easy to take it for granted But ccu is such a small place and like such a family environment that I always see my grandpa around and even on campus Or at chapel and I think that's it's really been cool because We're heath and I even though we're in college. We're still we've had the opportunity to be close with our grandparents and Even when my dad was here. It was just awesome because Going away in college and not having your family can be tough, but We've had a nice mix and balance of having our space at the same time being able to be close to family And so it's been really a blessing All those things plus family is what keeps the cougars ticking Sticking with the diamonds in the early going jace hamstead introduces us to one cougar Who takes the term student-athlete to heart in this segment of our academics? ccu athletes are led by the dominant woman softball team Which is coming off their best season in school history Thanks in large part to third baseman Stephanie day a true student athlete who loves her campus and her team What gets me to come back every day are the girls And just how we come together and play for each other and there's just so many different aspects Especially with softball. It's the one sport where you're scoring without the ball And I think that's a really unique aspect of the sport coaching changes are nothing new in college athletics And the softball team went through one this summer But theirs had a special twist as their previous coach's father who has over 40 years of coaching college baseball Took over the reins last year was a fun year extraordinary year and then shannon This summer told us he was going to oklahoma christian, but in response. He was bringing on his father larry haze out of retirement to come coach us and so that was really fun just because We've known larry since my freshman year so for three years So it wasn't anything no crazy changes. It was a cool year To just integrate family to the the program you know at our age to have another opportunity like it and be around this team This is a good bunch of girls and It's a fun team to coach and they they work hard So all the things that you enjoy and coaching is here finding the keys to success varies from player to player and team to team For this squat, it's all about chemistry and one of the cool aspects about softball is that College softball is the highest you really can get so we really play for each other and when you play for the right reasons That's where you find success. The success stems to more than softball It's a lifestyle and stefanie day has put just as much of that energy back into her campus Or she has spread her influence into the administration and student organizations last year. I was just on sack And then also I took on the role of applying for the athletic senator here on campus And I really just like to hear the voice of the administration and students this year. I decided to take on and Run for student body president for my senior year and With all the support of coaches roommates teammates and just students here on campus I ended up winning and I'll be the student body president next year Alongside those extracurricular activities day adds some sporting accolades to a resume Including first team all armac and first team all region at third base and I got a phone call from shannon haze and he said Who am I talking to and I said it's it's stef day and he was like no I believe it's the first team all-american utility player the key thing about her. She's an all-american person She's an all-american student. She's a leader on campus president student body and You know just does everything right. I try not to focus on it at all I'm a teammate and I'm a person just like anybody else. Um, I'm just a third baseman Playing the game. I love for the armac showcase. I'm jay samstead Thanks jace that does it for the first quarter on this month's armac showcase when we come back We'll spend some time around the track. We'll be back after this time out