#4-Seed Mines (39-13) vs. #5-Seed West Texas A&M (41-10) – Thursday, 7 p.m. [Live Stats] [Live Video]
Sam Suplizio Field – Grand Junction, Colo. [Bracket] [Tournament Central]
 

---

THE 2019 NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Colorado School of Mines Baseball team earned its first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament last season. Now, the Orediggers are making back-to-back trips to the national postseason – also for the first time in program history. Mines will journey over the Rocky Mountains for the second time in less than a week as it faces fifth-seeded West Texas A&M on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Sam Suplizio Field in Grand Junction, Colo. after Colorado Mesa earned the #1 seed and hosting rights for the regional round. Thursday's matchup will mark the Orediggers' sixth game in eight days at Suplizio Field after Mines made a deep run in the RMAC Tournament starting last Wednesday. Despite falling in the conference championship game, the Orediggers enter the NCAA Tournament as one of the hottest hitting teams in the nation and look to do some damage and benefit from a new bracket format.
 
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The 2019 NCAA Baseball Tournament brings the debut of a new, super-regional format. Historically, the South Central Region has been a six-team, double-elimination tournament run exactly like the RMAC Tournament. However, this year the bracket has been broken up into a pair of three-team regionals. As noted above, top-seeded Colorado Mesa will host #4 Mines and #5 WTAMU. On the other side, second-seeded Angelo State will welcome #3 Lubbock Christian and #6 Rogers State to San Angelo, Texas. It is still a double elimination format. The lower seeds will play in a first-round game on Thursday night. The higher seeds host the winner at 12 p.m. on Friday. While many contingencies exist, the endgame features the winner of each three-team bracket facing off in a super-regional May 24-25 at the highest remaining seed. While that may have been hard to follow, the summary is simple. Win three games before you lose two games and you're on to the next round. The winner of the super-regional will earn the right to represent the region at the 2019 NCAA Division II College World Series in Cary, N.C. running June 1-8.
 
WEATHER REPORT
Similar to Mines' trip for the RMAC Tournament, this week's weather looks to be hit or miss. Thursday's game-time forecast features mostly cloudy skies and a temperature right around 75 degrees. Wind looks to gust up to 15 miles per hour, but as of Wednesday morning there is no chance for precipitation. Friday features partly to mostly cloudy skies and a high of 67 degrees. There is a chance of rain late, but with the Mesas around the city, anything could happen with the rain. Championship Saturday boasts a high nearing 70 degrees, partly cloudy skies and only a 20-percent chance for precipitation. Essentially, none of this weather is a sure thing and fans should pack everything from layers to umbrellas to sun screen.
 
RMAC TOURNAMENT REVIEW
Last week, the Orediggers played in the 2019 RMAC Tournament. Despite dropping its opening game to MSU Denver by score of 10-9, Mines ran all the way back to the championship game thanks to wins over CSU-Pueblo (6-4), MSU Denver (10-3) and Dixie State (8-7). Unfortunately, the Orediggers could not complete the run as they fell to top-seeded Colorado Mesa, 13-2, in the championship game. Softening the loss was all-tournament honors for Trevor Kehe, Mikey Gangwish and Drew Hill. In five tournament games, Kehe batted .588 with 10 hits while scoring seven runs and notching one double and two home runs. Gangwish was a monster, hitting .579 with eight runs and 13 RBI on three doubles and five dingers. Hill dominated on the mound by posting a nine-inning, complete-game victory that featured just three runs on five hits and nine strikeouts. Additionally, Tyler Blomster earned a save with one inning of work then struck out 13 batters in a six-inning victory. Walter Pennington spun 8.2 innings and got the win behind 10 strikeouts.
 
SCOUTING WEST TEXAS A&M
West Texas A&M rolls into the NCAA Tournament after winning the Lone Star Tournament in 11-1 fashion over Cameron on Sunday afternoon. Despite 39 wins in the regular season, WTAMU dropped from #4 in the region to #5 over the last three weeks. That being said, the Buffs swept seven series on the year and only split or lost three series. At the plate, Kyle Kaufman leads West Texas A&M with a .408 batting average that has resulted in 50 runs and 57 RBI with 18 doubles, three triples and eight home runs. On the mound, Joe Corbett is a national pitcher of the year candidate. He boasts an unblemished 12-0 record with a 1.43 ERA and 131 strikeouts over 88 innings. Additionally, Dominic Yeargo holds up the back end with 11 saves in 21 appearances. Yeargo's ERA is 3.58 with a 1-2 record fueled by 53 strikeouts in 32.2 innings. As a team, West Texas A&M is making its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance which is the second-longest streak in the South Central Region.
 
WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM…?
West Texas A&M University's nickname for its athletics programs is Buffaloes, Lady Buffaloes or just Buffs. Presumably referring to the American Bison, a buffalo is a North American species of bison that once roamed the grasslands of North America in vast herds. They became nearly extinct in the 19^th century but have made a recent resurgence. While typically associated with the Northern Plains, there is a heard located near the southern banks of the Rio Grande and around the grassland state line with Texas and New Mexico, making WTAMU's nickname acceptably appropriate. Some fun facts about buffalo (more accurately bison) include their poor eyesight but acute hearing and excellent sense of smell. The life expectancy of bison is about 15 years in the wild and 25 years in captivity. While bison can weigh upwards of 2,000 pounds, they are quick on their feet with a top speed of 40 miles per hour, if necessary. What many may not know is that on May 9, 2016 then President Barack Obama officially made the American bison the national mammal of the United States. And now you know.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO MESA
Just like West Texas A&M, Colorado Mesa is fresh off a conference tournament title after defeating Mines last Saturday. The RMAC Tournament run boasted the Mavericks from #2 in the region into the top spot. Mesa boasts the longest streak of NCAA Tournament appearances in all the region, but have not been the #1 seed since 2016. Oredigger fans are pretty familiar with the Maverick's heavy hitters, but we'll give you the rundown any way. Hunter Douglas is Mesa's top hitter, touting a .363 average that has fueled 50 runs and 42 RBI on 12 doubles and 13 home runs. It should be noted that Spencer Bramwell was named RMAC Tournament MVP with his hot run in the postseason. Last week's overall performance brought Bramwell's batting average up to .397 with 38 runs and 39 RBI on 11 doubles, one triple and seven home runs. Mesa's top pitcher is also the RMAC Pitcher of the Year Garrett Hutson. The D-I transfer from Abilene Christian enters the NCAA Tournament with a record of 10-1 and a 2.56 ERA. Hutson's 96 strikeouts have come over 77.1 innings and five complete games. Will Dixon fills the closer role for Mesa, notching 12 saves in 22 appearances with one win and a 0.60 ERA. Dixon also has 42 strikeouts in 30.0 innings. And that's enough about Colorado Mesa.
 
FUN COW FACTS
For those who may have forgotten, a quick review reminds us that a maverick – Colorado Mesa's athletics nickname and mascot – is an unbranded calf or yearling – a cow. We'll ignore the gross inaccuracies between the Mavericks' logo and actual definition of their name and move right into fun cow facts. While America is (somewhat) historically known for its red-meat eating, carnivorous ways, the U.S.A. does not actually have the most cows. As of 2016, India had the largest cattle inventory on the planet followed by Brazil and then China. There are over 800 different cattle breeds and none of them eat meat – ever. Possibly the most interesting fact about cows is they can see almost 360 degrees – allowing them to watch for predators from all angles. Ironically, they don't see so well straight in front of them. Cows can detect odors of to six miles away and don't like to be alone. Bovine have 32 teeth but no upper front teeth. All that being said, the author never imagined writing nearly 200 words about cows, but here we are.
 
SAM SUPLIZIO FIELD
Sam Suplizio field is touted as one of the premier baseball stadiums in the country. It was opened in 1949 and recently underwent an 8.3-million dollar renovation. It's owned by the city of Grand Junction and also hosts the NJCAA Division 1 National Tournament as well as home games for the Colorado Rockies minor league affiliate, the Grand Junction Rockies. The 10,000-seat stadium offers luxury boexes, concessions, chairback seating with dugouts up to major league size specifications. The surface is natural grass with measurements of 365 feet to left field, 400 feet to center field and 350 feet to right field.
 
NCAA TOURNAMENT HISTORY
With only one national postseason appearance in its history, Mines' NCAA Tournament history is brief. In 2019, the Orediggers started 2-0 with an 11-3 win over St. Edward's and 9-7, extra-innings victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville. Unfortunately for Mines, the Javelinas avenged that loss in the very next game by a score of 5-2. Then, Colorado Mesa ended the Orediggers' season with a 11-4, extra-innings affair. Jace Selsor was Mines' top hitter in the tournament with .500 batting average that featured 10 hits with four runs and seven RIB on two doubles and a home run. Mikey Gangwish raked with 10 RBI on two home runs and double while hitting .316.
 
GENTLEMEN AND SCHOLARS
Amid Mines' run in the RMAC Tournament, four Orediggers were named Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-District. Walter Pennington, Mikey Gangwish, Jace Selsor and Joe Popp all garnered the prestigious academic honor. The quartet marked the most representatives across District 6 which includes the Heartland, Lone Star and Rocky Mountain Athletic conferences. They were oted to the prestigious squad by sports information directors across the region. To be considered for the Academic All-Distrct teams, a student-athlete must carry at least a 3.3 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) as a sophomore or above and be a starter or significant contributor to their team. With the announcement, Pennington, Gangwish and Popp become back-to-back Academic All-District honorees while Selsor garners the first such honor of his career. All four Orediggers now move onto the Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-America ballot. The quartet is yet another highlight in a season that has featured nearly 20 tied or broken program records.
 
LAST 10 GAMES
Over its last 10 contests, Mines is 8-2 with a 4-0 record at home while splitting 1-1 on the road and going 3-1 at neutral sites. As a team, the Orediggers are hitting .347 over that span with 83 runs and 77 RBI on 23 doubles, two triples and 22 home runs. For you mathematicians out there, that's over 8.0 runs, 2.0 doubles and 2.0 home runs per game. Individually, Trevor Kehe's 10-game batting average is .571 fueled by 20 hits with 16 runs and 11 RBI on three doubles and six home runs. Mikey Gangwish isn't far behind, hitting .514 while scoring 14 runs with 19 RBI on five doubles and seven home runs. On the mound, Mines' pitching staff has turned in two complete games and one shutout over the last 10 games while striking out 97 batters. The top hurler has been Drew Hill who is 3-0 in his last three starts with a 1.96 ERA, two complete games and 25 strikeouts in 23 innings. Opposing hitters are managing just a .193 average off of Hill in his last three starts.
 
BITS & PIECES
This season, Mines is 21-0 when leading after the 7th, 8th and 9th innings. The Orediggers are outscoring their opponents by a total of 436-314. Defensively, Mines is 13-0 when holding its opponents to two runs or less. The Orediggers' most successful inning this season is the first inning as they have put up 69 runs in the opening frame compared to just 20 from the opposition. Additionally, Mines has scored over 50 runs in each of the first five innings in 2019. The Orediggers are undefeated in extra-inning affairs this season, both coming at CSU-Pueblo. It should also be noted that Mines is 0-8 when scoring two runs or less. A total of 17 Orediggers have combined to produce 151 multi-hit performances this season while 17 more have turned in 96 multi-RBI performances on the year. That is all for now.
 
OREDIGGER RECORD BOOK
As of May 14, the 2019 Colorado School of Mines Baseball team had broken or tied at least 20 different program records ranging from career to single-game marks. In comparison, the 2018 Orediggers broke or tied 15 program marks. The most recent records to fall included single-season wins as Mines shot past the previous mark of 37 and now seek the first 40-win season in program history. Additionally, the Orediggers' power surge at the RMAC Tournament pushed them to 89 home runs on the year which topples the previous single-season mark of 86. Additional fallen records include career home runs (Mikey Gangwish), career RBI (Mikey Gangwish), career hits (Jace Selsor), career total bases (Jace Selsor), career at-bats (Jace Selsor), career wins (Tyler Blomster), single-season wins (Tyler Blomster), single-season strikeouts (Drew Hill), the longest winning streak in program history and numerous single-game marks. With at least two games remaining in the NCAA Tournament, additional records are in danger as well. We invite you to stay tuned all the way to the finish with this record-setting squad.
 
RMAC RECORD BOOK
The Orediggers' record-setting season is not just limited to program history. Five individuals are also climbing the RMAC ranks in eight different categories. Keep in mind, the conference record book dates back to 1909 which means the accomplishments rank in nearly 110 years of history. Arguably the most impressive is Mikey Gangwish who ranks #2 in RMAC history in career home runs with 46 thus far. The #1 mark is 58, but Gangwish is just one of two on the entire list to have played in the BBCOR bat era. The other BBCOR-era slugger on the list is Trevor Kehe who is tied for #7 with 37 career bombs. Gangwish also ranks #5 in all-time RBI at 184 with the #4 mark sitting at 191. Jace Selsor is #3 in conference history in all-time hits at 276. Selsor is also #4 in all-time total bases (429) and #2 in all-time at-bats (764). On the pitching side, Tyler Blomster is tied for #3 in all-time wins with 24. The #2 mark for career wins in the RMAC is 26 with #1 at 27. Rounding out the impressive field is Drew Hill with his 107 strikeouts this season. That mark sits just outside the top-10. Hill needs only two more strikeouts this season to make the list.
 
NATIONAL RANKINGS
They don't matter anymore. It's win or go home in the NCAA Tournament with a double elimination format all the way through.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
If Mines wins three games this week before it loses two, the Orediggers will be playing a best-of-three super-regional May 24-25 at the highest remaining seed. Stay tuned to www.minesathletics.com for all the scores and information on Mines' NCAA Tournament run. Fans can also follow the Orediggers on Twitter at @OrediggersBSB.