Mines at Chadron State, Sunday, 12/2 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines at Chadron State, Monday, 11 a.m./1 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

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THIS WEEKEND
Mines hopes to bolster its postseason positioning as it visits Chadron State (11-24, 9-16 RMAC) on Sunday and Monday. The series was pushed back a day due to the forecast for late-week snow in Nebraska. The Orediggers (22-18, 16-12 RMAC) have won six in a row and seven of their last eight games.

LAST WEEKEND
Mines swept CSU-Pueblo to get back on the right side of .500, taking all four games from the Thunderwolves. Mines opened with a 4-3 victory thanks to two RBI by Clara Larson and another from Kara Jones, then cruised 9-4 as Larson drilled five RBI. On Monday, Larson again starred as her walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth gave Mines a 7-6 win in a see-saw game that included Sonoma Toot coming up a triple short of the cycle; in the series finale, Mines blasted the Thunderwolves 15-1 in five innings as Larson and Megan Dickson had three RBI apiece and Jones, Sydney Marchando, and Loren Dempsey each drove in a pair.

IN THE HUNT
Mies is one of five RMAC teams over .500 in conference play this season, currently sitting fifth in the RMAC standings at 16-12. #1 Colorado Mesa remains unbeaten at 24-0 in RMAC play with Colorado Christian (22-4), Regis (21-7), and MSU Denver (18-10) ahead of Mines; the Orediggers still have MSU Denver and CCU left this season.

LARSON EARNS RMAC HONOR
On Tuesday, Clara Larson was named the RMAC Player of the Week for the third time in her career. Larson had a monster offensive series against CSU-Pueblo slashing .625/.625/1.375 as she was 10-for-16 with seven extra-base hits, including two homers, four doubles, and a triple. She drove in 11 RBI and scored six runs. Her biggest hit came in game three as she drilled a walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth to win it for Mines. This season, Larson is hitting .426 and slugging .846 with 51 RBI, 12 home runs, 41 runs, and 17 doubles, all team-bests.  

BACK BACK BACK…
Larson launched her 11th and 12th home runs of the season last weekend, putting her into rare company on several fronts. Larson is only the fourth Oredigger in program history to hit double-digit home runs in two seasons (she also had 10 in 2016); she is also now the ninth Oredigger to crack 20 career dingers with 22. She is threatening the single-season mark of 15 set by Kamee Vassey in 2012 and Gina Ross in 2008, and long-term is well on track to attack the career mark of 34 set by Kaleigh Starr from 2007 to 2010.

ASATO TIES STOLEN BASE RECORD
Senior Brielle Asato enters this weekend tied the Mines program record for steals in a career with 45. She is knotted with Kaleigh Staff (2007-10) and former teammate Paige Noehring (2014-17). Asato is 45-for-48 in her career; this season, the speedy rightfielder has a team-high 11 thefts in 12 attempts.

MOVING ON UP
Senior Sonoma Toot has compiled some impressive numbers in her career, and she's quickly moving up the Mines record book in a number of categories. Toot - who has started all 180 games she's played in since 2015 - currently ranks among the Mines all-time top 10 in runs (112, 10th), doubles (43, 4th), RBI (107, 9th), and walks (66, 6th). She is also on the verge of cracking the top-10 in career hits as she is Mines' active leader with 171.

STRINGFELLOW SHINES
Chadron State enters the weekend 11-24 overall and 9-16 in RMAC play, having lost seven in a row including a sweep at the hands of MSU Denver last weekend. They are led by Leilani Niccum, who slugs .493 with a team-high 16 RBI and five home runs, and Kayla Michel, who is hitting a team-best .317 with 18 walks. CSC pitching has been solid, holding opponents to .232 as Jessica Jarecki (2.20, 7-12) and Megan Horn (3.56, 4-11) have split the bulk of the innings.

LAST YEAR VS. CHADRON STATE
Mines took three out of four from the Eagles in Golden last season, dropping a 2-1 opening game before blasting CSC 11-3 in five innings and working a pair of 4-0 shutouts to end the set. Claire Stringfellow and Hallie Smith had the shutouts on Sunday to key Mines' performance.

SCOUTING CHADRON STATE
Chadron State enters the weekend 11-24 overall and 9-16 in RMAC play, having lost seven in a row including a sweep at the hands of MSU Denver last weekend. They are led by Leilani Niccum, who slugs .493 with a team-high 16 RBI and five home runs, and Kayla Michel, who is hitting a team-best .317 with 18 walks. CSC pitching has been solid, holding opponents to .232 as Jessica Jarecki (2.20, 7-12) and Megan Horn (3.56, 4-11) have split the bulk of the innings.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will return to Colorado and head across town to MSU Denver on April 21-22. The Orediggers wrap up the regular season April 28-29 hosting Colorado Christian.