Mines at UCCS, Saturday 12/2 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]
Mines at UCCS, Sunday 11 a.m./1 p.m. [www.minesathletics.com/tv] [Live Stats]
 

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OREDIGGERS CONTINUE RMAC PLAY AT UCCS
Coming off a much-needed sweep of New Mexico Highlands last weekend, Colorado School of Mines remains on the road to visit UCCS this weekend. The Orediggers (8-8, 7-5 RMAC) will have a chance to solidify a top-six spot in the RMAC standings as they're currently fourth through three weekends of conference play, with UCCS a spot behind.

SPECTATORS POLICY FOR THIS WEEKEND
UCCS is allowing a limited number of spectators on a first-come, first-served basis. Social distancing and masking guidelines will be enforced.

GROUND RULES
The biggest change to this season for NCAA Division II softball is a truncated schedule as teams can only play a maximum of 44 regular-season contests this season. The RMAC schedule and postseason will operate normally, with the RMAC Tournament determining the conference's qualifier to the NCAA Championships. Until further notice, no spectators will be admitted to Mines home games due to university policy; road contests may have different policies and those will be posted on the Mines Softball schedule at minesathletics.com and on social media as they're determined.

LAST WEEKEND
Colorado School of Mines picked up a series sweep at New Mexico Highlands, including a pair of run-rule victories. Mines swept Saturday's doubleheader 8-5 and 7-4 led by Redding and Stefanie Brunello, and Clara Larson had three RBI in the second game. Sydney Marchando and Redding picked up the wins in the circle. On Sunday, the Orediggers pounded the Cowgirls with 12-4 and 11-3 victories as Larson had a three-RBI first game and Kayleigh Krueger drove in four in the finale. Marchando and Krueger earned the pitching wins.

REDDING EARNS RMAC RECOGNITION
Senior pitcher/first baseman Kylie Redding was named the RMAC Softball Player of the Week on Tuesday for the first time in her career. Redding powered Mines' offensive outburst at New Mexico Highlands, hitting .714 and slugging .929 over the four games, driving in eight RBI with three doubles among 10 hits. She reached base 11 times in 15 plate appearances. She was also outstanding in the field at pitcher and first base, going error-free in 22 total attempts.

OREDIGGERS HEATING UP
Redding is having a breakout senior season at the plate, and she's been particularly hot the last three weeks in RMAC play. In conference games, Redding is hitting .514 with a team-leading 16 RBI, adding four doubles. Clara Larson is right there with her hitting .457 and slugging .971 in RMAC games, driving in 14 runs with four home runs and seven walks. Stefanie Brunello has also flashed her power and patience with 10 RBI, six doubles, and eight walks, leading to a team-best 15 runs scored.

MAKING HISTORY
Already the Mines career RBI recordholder, Clara Larson has a chance to become just the fifth player in RMAC history to surpass 200 runs driven in as she enters this weekend with 198. She is already the career record holder in home runs (43), and she now ranks fifth all-time at Mines in hits (238) and is one away from tying Paige Noehring for fourth; Larson is now second in runs (163) and doubles (58), and tied for third in triples (13).

MAKING THE GRADE
Mines picked up a bevy of academic honors after the 2020 season, recognizing their classroom work in a challenging spring semester. Clara Larson was named a First-Team Academic All-American, while Sydney Marchando was an Academic All-District pick. Those two were also named to the RMAC All-Academic First Team, and Kylie Redding was named to the RMAC Academic Honor Roll.

EARLIER THIS SEASON
Mines and UCCS have already met once this season, a 5-2 Orediggers non-conference win on Feb. 21 in the West Texas A&M Invitational. Kylie Redding starred in the victory working a five-hit complete-game win in the circle while also hitting a three-run inside-the-park home run in a 2-for-3 game against Gabrielle Cronin. Megan Dickson also doubled in two runs in the game.

SCOUTING UCCS
UCCS is 6-8 overall and 5-5 in RMAC play splitting two games with Regis in a weather-shortened series last weekend. As noted, the Mountain Lions also played in the West Texas Invitational to start the year where UCCS went 1-3. This season they're led at the plate by Solana Martinez, who is slashing .467/.500/.867, and by Brianna Santos, who has driven in a team-high 17 RBI with five home runs hitting .347. In the circle, Lexi Rayburn is 2-2 with a 3.50 ERA and Braelyne Crenshaw is 2-2 with a 4.44 ERA.

THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Mines and UCCS have met 120 times since 1990, with the Mountain Lions holding a 65-54-1 all-time series advantage. The Orediggers have dominated recent years, however, winning three of four in their RMAC series last year and entering this weekend having won 13 of the last 15 games against UCCS since 2017.

RMAC TOURNAMENT MOVED
In late February, the RMAC voted to move back the RMAC Tournament by one week, to May 13-15. This change happened because the NCAA Tournament is also starting a week later than normal this season; with the regular season ending the weekend of May 1-2, the move will give teams scheduling flexibility to use the weekend of May 8-9 for make-up games, if necessary. Another change this year is a reduction to six teams in the tournament due to Dixie State's departure from the conference.

LOOKING AHEAD
The Orediggers are scheduled to visit Fort Lewis on March 27-28 before heading to Northern Colorado for a non-conference doubleheader on March 30.