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2019 SEASON OPENER
The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team will open the 2019 season this weekend at Angelo State in San Angelo, Texas. Mines opens the series and the season with a single game Friday at 1 p.m. (CT) followed by a doubleheader Saturday starting at noon and the finale Sunday at 1 p.m. This marks the third time in the last four years the Orediggers have opened their campaign in the Lone Star state. Mines will look to capitalize on a historic season as it chases its first RMAC title in the modern era and a second straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
2018 – THE CLIFF NOTES
Last year was a historic one for Mines baseball with numerous records broken including single-season wins, home runs, runs scored and many more. The video game numbers put up by the Orediggers resulted in Mines' first-ever NCAA Baseball Tournament appearance where they went 2-2, just one win short of playing for a regional title and a trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series. Overall, Mines posted a record of 37-18 while going 25-11 in RMAC play. The Orediggers finished second in the conference standings and advanced to the RMAC Tournament championship game in Grand Junction, Colo. In total, the 2018 Orediggers combined to tie or break 23 records with a grand total of 56 entries into the Mines Baseball record book.
 
SCOUTING ANGELO STATE
Angelo State's 2018 campaign was what many might call an off year for the Rams. After going 33-17 in the regular-season, ASU went one-and-done in the Lone Star Conference Tournament and missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2014. However, it's safe to say Angelo State will be back with a vengeance. The Rams have gone to two NCAA Division II College World Series in the last five years and boast an overall record of 184-99 in that same time. The biggest name to watch for ASU will be Nicholas Novak who enters the year as a preseason all-American. As a sophomore in 2018, he batted .353 with nine doubles, two triples and five home runs – racking up 41 RBI. At shortstop he fielded .952 with 121 assists and 58 putouts. On the mound, Tyler Lesley returns as a preseason all-Region selection, bringing back a 2.92 ERA after going 9-2 with 69 strikeouts in 77.0 innings pitched. The Ram's roster breaks down into 13 freshman, five sophomores, seven juniors and 12 seniors (by eligibility).
 
JUST A BUNCH OF UNGULATES (HINT: SHEEP)
Angelo State's men's teams are known as the Rams while the women's programs are known as the Rambelles. By definition, a ram is a male sheep. In the animal kingdom, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla or even-toed ungulates. That pretty much just means they're hooved animals that bear weight equally on an even number of the five toes. Interestingly enough, Texas is not mentioned once in Wikipedia's 8,700 word article on sheep. Furthermore, female sheep are known as ewes, yet, ASU adopted Rambelles for their women's programs which is a completely fabricated word/noun. So really just a lot of confusion around this mascot selection.  It should also be noted that Angelo State baseball didn't really exist until 2005 when it was resurrected after a "long hiatus." And that's about all there is to say about that.
 
FOSTER FIELD AT 1ST COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION STADIUM
Angelo State baseball plays its home games on Foster Field inside of 1st Community Credit Union Stadium. The complex was originally built in 2000 for the San Angelo Colts, a minor league baseball team that played in a variety of leagues. After the Colts' disbanding in 2014, Angelo State took full control of the stadium which is located on campus. The facility capacity is 4,200 with artificial turf, Triple A lighting and a Spectrum inning-by-inning scoreboard. Left field and right field measure 325 feet down the line with center field sitting 390 feet from home plate. Power alleys measure in at 370 feet. Foster field was named after Walton A. Foster, a radio and television pioneer who served as the radio broadcaster for the original Colts franchise in the 1950's.
 
OPENING DAY BY THE NUMBERS
Since 2016 (when the seniors were freshman), Mines is 1-2 on opening day and 6-3 in season-opening series. The Orediggers' last win on opening day came in 2017 when they hosted MSU-Billings. Last season, Mines narrowly (3-0) fell to eventual South Central Regional Champion and World Series qualifier Texas A&M-Kingsville at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. It was Mines' only shutout of the season. Still working from 2016 – the Orediggers have outscored their opponents on opening day, 13-10. Individually, Jace Selsor has been stellar on opening day, batting .455 with two doubles and a home run in his career.
 
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
Mines touts a roster of 40 Orediggers. This includes seven seniors, 12 juniors, six sophomores and 15 freshman (by eligibility). Fifteen Orediggers on the 2019 roster saw action last season with eight returning starters in the field and four returning starters on the mound. In total, nine Oredigger hurlers return to the mound from last year's squad.
 
STELLAR SENIOR CLASS
The 2019 baseball senior class is made up of Daniel Ciraula, Mikey Gangwish, Jace Selsor, John Howard, Joe Popp, Owen Pigati and Phil VanZale. Last season, this group of Orediggers combined to hit .338 with 67 doubles, seven triples, 46 home runs and 238 RBI while scoring 235 runs. Those numbers account for more than 50 percent of Mines' offense. Additionally, those numbers do not include starters Derek Daly, Trevor Kehe and Walter Pennington. That trio pieced together 149 runs on 51 doubles and 35 home runs with 131 RBI. Seems like the Oredigger upperclassmen are doing okay for themselves.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
Mines baseball enters the 2019 campaign ranked #25 in the nation according to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. Fans should note that these rankings have zero bearing on whether teams advance to the NCAA Tournament. That being said, the Orediggers cracked CBN's top-25 and received votes from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). It marks the first time in program history Mines enters the season with a national ranking. Other notable teams in the CBN rankings include Colorado Mesa at #12, Texas A&M-Kingsville at #5 and West Texas A&M at #18.
 
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Mikey Gangwish, Trevor Kehe, Joe Popp and Tyler Blomster all garnered preseason all-America honors. Gangwish and Kehe brought home a pair of all-America nods with distinction from the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper and the NCBWA. Popp and Blomster were honored by the CBN as well. The duo of Gangwish and Kehe were also named all-America in 2018 – Gangwish as a consensus, first-team selection. Taking home all-region accolades were Jace Selsor, Nash Neff, Gangwish, Kehe and Blomster. At the conference level, Gangwish and Blomster earned RMAC Preseason Player and Pitcher of the Year. Selsor, Kehe and Gabe Garvens were all named Preseason All-RMAC.
 
BALES AT THE HELM
For the first time since 2012, Mines enters the season under new leadership. Skipper Robby Bales was named head coach of the Orediggers Aug. 7, 2018. He takes over for Jerod Goodale who coached Mines from 2012-18, going 180-160 during his tenure – the only Oredigger skipper with a career record above .500. Bales is no stranger to Mines after serving on Goodale's staff the last three years. Prior to his time with the Orediggers, Bales coached at Denver-area Ralston Valley High School and Thomas Jefferson High School. He also coached at Colorado Northwestern Community College and Grand Junction High School Kyle Freeland and Evan Walter are two notable names that have played under Bales.
 
SCHEDULE RUNDOWN
Mines' 2019 salte features 50 games with 26 to be played at Jim Darden Field in Golden, Colo. The Orediggers are set to play their home openers Feb. 9-10 against MSU Billings before traveling back to Texas to face St. Edward's Feb. 22-24. Mines closes out the nonconference season at home against Sioux Falls March 1-3 and opens RMAC play March 8-10 at home against New Mexico Highlands. The Orediggers' first RMAC series on the road will be at #12-ranked Colorado Mesa March 15-17. Mines closes the regular season May 3-4 on Jim Darden Field against MSU Denver.
 
VOICE OF THE OREDIGGERS
Mines baseball is making big moves in 2019, adding alum Michael Tanner as the play-by-play voice for the Orediggers home games. Tanner's call can be heard on the RMAC Network at www.minesathletics.com/tv for all of Mines' home games. Tanner pitched for Mines from 2013-17.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines' next contests will be Feb. 9-10 at Jim Darden Field against MSU Billings. Live stats will be available at MinesAthletics.com.