Mines at UCCS, Saturday, 12/2 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines at UCCS, Saturday, 11 a.m./1 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

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THE SERIES
Mines begins an eight-game road swing with a trip to Colorado Springs to take on UCCS. The Mountain Lions are 2-11 overall and 1-7 in RMAC play; they will play a Saturday doubleheader at noon and a Sunday twinbill at 11 a.m.

OFF TO A GOOD START
Mines comes into the weekend 7-1 in RMAC play, sitting second place tied with Colorado Christian after two weekend of play. Mines is 10-4 overall, their best start since 2013.

LAST TIME OUT
Mines took three of four from Regis last weekend. After dropping the opener, 3-1, Mines got a four-hit shutout from Hallie Smith to win 3-0 in the second game of the series, then swept Sunday's doubleheader with a pair of comebacks. Mines came back from 2-1 down with three runs in the sixth, including a two-run double by Kara Jones and a Boston Ludlow single, to win 4-2, then used a Katie Leiker walkoff base hit in the final game of the series to win 5-4 in the seventh.

IN THE CIRCLE
Hallie Smith has been the workhorse of Mines' pitching staff this season, throwing 50.2 innings to compile a 4-2 record, 2.62 ERA, and .226 opponent average. Smith also has an RMAC-best three saves. But Smith hasn't been the only one producing in the circle – Claire Stringfellow (5-1) is second in the RMAC with a 2.26 ERA, holding batters to a .212 clip, while Maddie Rogers (1-1) has a 4.20 ERA in 13.1 innings pitched. As a result, Mines owns the best staff ERA (2.73) and opposing average (.240) in the RMAC.

AT THE PLATE
Among everyday players, Clara Larson and Katie Leiker continue to lead Mines, with Larson slashing .417/.434/.771 and Leiker .385/.490/.615 as each have driven in 14 runs. Larson also has a team-best 13 runs scored with three home runs. Sonoma Toot is hitting .333 with 7 RBI and 10 runs, while Paige Noehring has driven in 11 batting .326. Freshman Kelsey Buechler had the hottest bat in the Regis series, going 3-for-5 at the plate with a double among two starts at DP; she is batting .556 in five games this season.

NOEHRING NEARS 200
With 195 career hits, senior centerfielder Paige Noehring is sixth on Mines' all-time hits list, and could become the sixth Oredigger in program history to reach 200 career hits this weekend.

TAKING ONE FOR THE TEAM
It all counts the same as long as you get on base, and Mines has proven that early in this season. The Orediggers draw an RMAC-best 1.5 hit-by-pitches per game, with Boston Ludlow being plunked six times and Kara Jones four. That has helped Mines have a .395 on-base percentage, which ranks third in the RMAC.

LAST YEAR
Mines won three of four against UCCS at home last season. Mines and the Mountain Lions split the Saturday doubleheader, with the Orediggers winning 3-2 before losing 3-0, but Mines won 13-4 in 5 innings in Sunday's opener and held on to win the finale 3-2 thanks to all three runs coming off Sonoma Toot's bat.