Mines (15-8, 6-6 RMAC) vs. Adams State (6-20, 3-9 RMAC) – Friday, 1 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines (15-8, 6-6 RMAC) vs. Adams State (6-20, 3-9 RMAC) – Saturday (DH), 12 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Mines (15-8, 6-6 RMAC) vs. Adams State (6-20, 3-9 RMAC) – Sunday, 12 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
 

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ON THE RMAC NETWORK
Every Mines home game and RMAC road game can be seen live and for free on the RMAC Network at www.minesathletics.com/tv. Additionally, Oredigger home games will have play-by-play commentary provided by Mines alum Michael Tanner who pitched for the Orediggers from 2013-17. The RMAC Network can also be found on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Android TV devices by going to the app store and searching "RMAC".
 
PARDON OUR DUST (MAP)
As the final touches are put on the softball field renovation, fans are asked to stay out of the construction zone. In order to facilitate this, fans will need to enter the grandstand area via the east ramp behind the concession stand down the first-base and right-field line. Unauthorized personal are not allowed around or behind the press-box area. Also, there will be no parking available inside the Clear Creek Complex. The Mines administration appreciate your cooperation as we look out for your safety and well-being. Full map of entrance area and construction zone available HERE.
 
WEEKEND RUNDOWN
The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team returns home this weekend for the first time since March 10 following an eight-game, RMAC road trip. Mines will play host to Adams State in a four-game set running Friday-Sunday. The series marks the start of an eight-game home stand for Mines. The Orediggers enter the weekend looking to get back in a groove after going just 2-6 on the road at Colorado Mesa and Regis. Adams State makes the trip to Golden currently on a four-game skid of its own. Weather could play a huge factor as Friday's game has already been moved from 3 p.m. to 1 p.m. to try and avoid any rain and snow. Mines continues to battle for its RMAC Tournament life while Adams State sits just three games out of a postseason berth.
 
WEATHER REPORT
As mentioned in the rundown, weather will certainly come into play this weekend. Friday's new game time of 1 p.m. projects mostly cloudy skies with temperatures hovering around 50 degrees. The chance of precipitation continues to fluctuate but sits around 25 percent at the time of this preview (Thursday noon). Saturday promises to be cold and mostly cloudy. The high is currently set at 40 degrees to be reached around 5 p.m. On the plus side, there is minimal chance of rain or snow during the actual games. Sunday looks to be slightly warmer with a game-time temperature of 42 degrees. Mostly cloudy skies and a light breeze could make the "real feel" much lower. Fans who plan to attend should bundle up and pack the umbrellas and hand warmers.  
 
LOOKING BACK
Last weekend, Mines traveled to Regis Baseball Field in Denver to take on the Rangers and ended the four-game series with a 2-2 split. The Orediggers took game one in dominant, 10-1 fashion as Tyler Blomster notched his fourth win of the season. Game two also went to Mines as Walter Pennington escaped with a 5-4 win, also his fourth of the season. However, the Oredigger bats went mostly silent over the last two games as the visitors fell 3-1 and 9-2. Despite the losses, Drew Hill flirted with a no-hitter and game three while striking out nine batters. Additionally, Ben Stinson hit the first home run of his career in Sunday's finale as he accounted for all of Mines' offense in the final game of the series.
 
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
Despite its current four-game losing streak, Adams State is experiencing a season of nearly exponential improvement. The Grizzlies have already doubled their overall win total from 2018 and matched their RMAC win total as well. At 6-20 on the year and 3-9 in conference, ASU sits just three games out of a berth in the RMAC Tournament. All three of Adams State's league wins came in Alamosa against Colorado Christian. The Grizzlies also swept a three-game series at then regionally-ranked UT-Permian Basin. Jared Gay is ASU's clear-cut top slugger, hitting .395 on the year with 19 runs and 25 RBI on five home runs, two triples and three doubles. On the mound, it's Troy Gutbub serving as the Grizzlies' pitching ace. Gutbub is 2-3 with a 7.78 ERA including 38 strikeouts in 37.0 innings of work. He is Adams State's only starting pitcher to hold opposing batters under a .300 average. On the national stage, ASU ranks #28 in NCAA Division II in total triples and #30 in double plays per game.
 
GRRRRRRRIZZLIES
Adams State Athletics currently carries the nickname Grizzlies which refers to a large population of brown bear in North America. Scientists prefer the term North American brown bear over grizzly. The term is originally tied to explorers Lewis and Clark who first described the creature as grisly which transformed to grizzly in reference to the mammal's golden and grey tips of hair. ASU was previously known as the Indians.
 
HISTORIC JIM DARDEN FIELD
Jim Darden Field, or Darden Field, is located in the heart of the Clear Creek Athletics Complex and provides one of the most beautiful settings in the world for baseball. The fully-lit stadium has seating accommodations for 500 spectators with commanding 360-degree views of Golden and North Table Mountain behind the outfield fence and Mount Zion and Clear Creek Canyon rising behind the third-base line. Named in honor of longtime Mines coach Jim Darden, the stadium was originally built in 1937 as a Depression-era project of the Public Works Administration. The ampitheater-style seating is built of fieldstone with flagstone bench seating carved into the hillside. Substantial renovations in 2007 restored the original historic seating bowl, added a new press box and dugouts, and saw a new scoreboard built in right field.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Adams State has been a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference since 1956. Colorado School of Mines was one of the founding members in 1909. However, the Grizzlies' baseball program was dormant (nonexistent) from the late 1970's until the 2013 season. Since 2013, Mines leads the all-time series against Adams State 22-6. The Orediggers have swept three different four-game series against the Grizzlies including last year's showdown in Alamosa. Mines also swept ASU in 2013 and 2016. Adams State won one series in the ongoing rivalry as it took three from the Orediggers in 2015. In last year's sweep at the Grizzlies' home field, Trevor Kehe raked with 10 runs on 10 hits including four doubles and three RBI. Additionally, Mikey Gangwish batted .500 with 12 RBI and two home runs.
 
HOT-HITTING OREDIGGERS
Nearing the halfway point of the 2019 regular season, Mines continues to establish itself as one of the top slugging teams in all of NCAA Division II. As of March 26, the Orediggers ranked #6 in the nation in home runs per game, #23 in total home runs and #32 in slugging percentage. Individually, Derek Daly ranks #2 in DII in home runs per game and #6 in total home runs. Daly also sits #4 in the nation in RBI per game and #15 in slugging percentage.
 
GOING STREAKING
The 2019 campaign has been one of many streaks for Mines baseball. Earlier this season, the Orediggers broke the program record for most consecutive wins with 12 in a row. Currently, Joe Popp is riding a nine-game hitting streak and a 10-game reached base streak. Fellow senior Mikey Gangwish has reached base safely in 13 consecutive games.
 
LAST 10 GAMES
Over its last 10 games, Mines sits 4-6 overall. While the record is less than stellar, a number of Orediggers have put together some impressive individual performances. Trevor Kehe has started all 10 of those games while racking up 17 runs scored on 14 hits with seven RBI including three home runs, three doubles and one triple. Driving him in have been Derek Daly and Jace Selsor who, over that 10-game period, tout a combined 23 RBI, six home runs and six doubles with 15 runs scored between the two infielders. On the mound, Drew Hill has struck out 28 batters in 16.1 innings of work over three appearances. For those keeping score at home, that's an average over 9.0 strikeouts per outing. As a team over the last 10 contests, Mines has smacked 13 home runs, one triple and 15 doubles with 79 runs scored.
 
BITS AND PIECES
Sometimes, there's just no good title for a bunch of random things. So, here you go. Mines is 14-1 when leading after the sixth inning. On the other hand, the Orediggers are 1-7 when trailing after the sixth inning. Mines is 5-0 when limiting opponents to two runs or less. The Orediggers' magic number is still three as they are 15-3 when scoring at least three runs in one game. Mines' best overall innings are the first frame and final stanza. The Orediggers are outscoring their opponents 25-9 in the first inning and 15-2 in the ninth inning. That's an overall margin of 40-11 in the bookends of any game. Finally, it should be noted that Mines' is undefeated when leading after the ninth inning.
 
FRESH FACES
Despite the return of seven solid seniors for the 2019 season, there have been a number of fresh faces making their Oredigger debuts. A total of 10 individuals have made their first appearance in a Mines uniform in competition in 2019. Four of those debuts have come at the plate and in the field with Noah Kuzma, Danny McDermott, Jason Hall and Lucas Ciacco all making their first appearances. On the mound, six Orediggers have made their collegiate debut including Cannon Sims, Ian Durgin, Nate Giefer, Colin Morris, Will Scott and Nash Neff.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines continues its eight-game home stand April 5-7 as it hosts nationally-ranked Dixie State at Jim Darden Field. Live stats and video of the three-game series will be available at www.minesathletics.com.