Mines at Fort Lewis, Sunday 12/2 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]
Mines at Fort Lewis, Monday 11 a.m./1 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]
 

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OREDIGGERS HEAD ACROSS THE STATE TO FORT LEWIS
Following a series split with UCCS last weekend, Colorado School of Mines (10-10, 9-7 RMAC) remains on the road to visit Fort Lewis (4-8, 4-4 RMAC) on Sunday and Monday. The series was shifted back a day due to snow in Durango late in the week, but the forecast calls for sunshine and highs in the 50s both days. With the Orediggers on spring break this week, it will be the first of eight games in a seven-day span.

SPECTATORS POLICY FOR THIS WEEKEND
Per La Plata County regulations, up to 175 spectators will be admitted to each game with masking and social distancing guidelines in effect. Tickets are required and are sold on a first-come, first-served basis or online at goskyhawks.com. The series will also stream live on the RMAC Network.

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.

NORTHERN COLORADO DOUBLEHEADER CANCELED
Due to this weekend's schedule shift, Tuesday's non-conference doubleheader at Northern Colorado has been canceled.

LAST WEEKEND
Mines and UCCS split their series last weekend, each winning one per day as the Oredigger had a hot-cold weekend at the plate. After UCCS won 5-0 in the opener, Mines rallied to win game two on Stefanie Brunello's bases-loaded double in the seventh. Mines then blasted the Mountain Lions 12-2 in five innings to start Sunday, but UCCS won the getaway game 6-4.

SENIORS LEADING THE WAY
Senior Kylie Redding is having a career year at the plate, leading Mines in multiple categories near the halfway point of the season. Redding is hitting .407 with a team-high 22 RBI and has four doubles, two home runs, and 12 runs scored slugging .576. She is also a perfect 6-for-6 stealing bases. Classmate Stefanie Brunello is slugging .644 with 17 RBI and a team-best 10 doubles; she has more extra-base hits (12) than singles (10) this season as she leads the team with 20 runs scored. And Clara Larson continues to put up huge power numbers with a team-best .724 slugging percentage, five home runs, and 11 extra-base hits overall while scoring 18 runs.

MAKING HISTORY
Already the Mines career RBI recordholder, Larson became just the fifth player in RMAC history to surpass 200 runs driven in last weekend as she's now at 202. She is already the career record holder in home runs (44), and she now ranks fourth all-time at Mines in hits (240). Larson is also second in runs (165) and doubles (58), and tied for third in triples (13).

SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
The Skyhawks are 4-8 overall and 4-4 in RMAC play, getting back to action for the first time since March 7 due to COVID-19 protocol issues. Shelby Hotchkiss leads FLC hitting .433 while Brianna Leavell is slugging a team-best .743 with 12 RBI and four home runs in 12 games. Four different pitchers have starts led by Mandy Lorenson (4.67, 0-4) and Leavell (5.67, 2-3).

THE ALL-TIME SERIES
Mines and Fort Lewis have played 126 times previously, with Mines holding a 67-59 advantage in a series that dates all the way back to 1984. They have split their last six games, with Fort Lewis winning three of four in Golden early last season but Mines taking both games they played in a pod in 2019.

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 will have a quick turnaround as they host Adams State on Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3 in pre-Easter play. No spectators will be admitted for the home series.