Mines vs. Colorado Christian, Saturday, 12/2 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines vs. Colorado Christian, Sunday, 11 a.m./1 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

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THE SERIES
Mines hosts Colorado Christian this weekend in the final series of the regular season. The Orediggers (26-22, 20-16 RMAC) are battling to maintain position in the postseason hunt as they host the second-place Cougars (38-9, 28-6 RMAC). Saturday will be the annual Mines Softball Alumnae Tailgate, and Sunday will be Senior Day.

SENIOR DAY SET FOR SUNDAY
In between Sunday's games, Mines will honor its four-member senior class of Brielle Asato, Pua Fujinaga, Hallie Smith, and Sonoma Toot. All four have been integral parts of Mines Softball over their careers. Asato has started 99 games in 150 appearances and is a career .268 hitter; she will graduate as Mines' career stolen bases leader with 48. Fujinaga has started every game of her career in the infield, 187 in total, and is a career .272 hitter with 73 RBI at the plate. Smith is a three-time all-RMAC honoree and one of the best pitchers in program history with a career 3.80 ERA, 45 wins, and program-record 12 saves. Toot is a two-time all-RMAC pick also having started all 188 games she's appeared in and ranks in the Mines all-time top 10 in doubles (47), RBI (118), runs (118), and hits (180).

LAST WEEKEND
MSU Denver took three of four from Mines on Sunday and Monday. The Roadrunners won the opener 5-1 but Mines got revenge in game two with a nine-inning, 4-3 victory keyed by Clara Larson's RBI triple in the top of the ninth. MSUD won a close 4-3 game to start Monday, and the two teams went more than three hours in a lightning-delayed 8-5 decision to end the series.

THE PLAYOFF PICTURE
Heading into the final weekend, Colorado Mesa remains atop the standings despite two losses to Colorado Christian last weekend, with their 29-3 record putting their magic number at two to clinch the outright regular-season title. CCU is behind them at 27-6 followed by Regis (26-10), MSU Denver (24-12), Mines (20-16), and UCCS (18-18). The Orediggers clinched an RMAC Tournament berth last weekend, but cannot move up beyond the #5 seed and could potentially slip to the #6 depending on their results and the UCCS' results against Black Hills State.

OREDIGGERS EARN ACADEMIC HONORS
Four Orediggers were named to the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll on Wednesday for their performance in the classroom. Clara Larson (Electrical Engineering), Katie Leiker (Mechanical Engineering), Maddie Rogers (Computer Science), and Dani Valerio (Chemical Engineering) were all honored for holding cumulative GPAs over 3.3.

LARSON ON RECORD-SETTING PACE
This season, Clara Larson has hit an RMAC-leading 14 home runs, which has her threatening the single-season mark of 15 set by Kamee Vassey in 2012 and Gina Ross in 2008. She drove in her 60th RBI of the season at MSU Denver making her one of only two Orediggers to ever cross that threshold in a season, and is now two away from breaking that single-season mark held by Katie Kocman (2009). Currently slugging .830, Larson could be the first Oredigger since 1994 to slug .800+ in a season.

WHO'S ON FIRST?
After losing starter Boston Ludlow earlier in the season, Mines has turned to three freshmen – Megan Dickson, Sydney Marchando, and Kylie Redding – for starts at the bag this season, with Dickson taking over the role full-time. But with Dickson unavailable for the MSU Denver series, the Orediggers turned to junior catcher/designated player Kara Jones, who had only four collegiate games at first from the 2016 season. The result? Jones was a rock for Mines, going error-free in 32 total chances and even turning an unassisted double play in game one of the series.

LAST YEAR VS. CCU
Mines and CCU did not play during the regular season as their series was wiped out by snow, however, they met once in the RMAC Tournament with Mines winning 5-4 in the second round. That game saw the Orediggers walk off on Sonoma Toot's RBI single to cap a wild comeback, fighting back from 4-1 down in the sixth. Pua Fujinaga drove in two runs including the tying single in the sixth.

SCOUTING CCU
The Cougars (38-9, 28-6 RMAC) have been one of the region's top teams this year and received votes in this week's NFCA top-25 poll after halving their series with then-#1 Colorado Mesa. They are led at the plate by Kacie Burger, who is slashing .407/.510/.815 with 34 RBI, and Stephanie Day, who is hitting .410 with 54 RBI. CCU is one of the nation's top run-producing teams with 335 this year to opponents' 177. In the circle, the combo of Kenzie Mattey (2.95, 21-7) and Jennifer Romero (3.86, 15-2) have pitched the majority of innings.

LOOKING AHEAD
The RMAC Tournament will begin May 3 at the regular-season champion. Seeding and game times will be announced Sunday night.