2021 RMAC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT
Game 1 - Mines vs. Regis, Thursday, 11 a.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats] [Bracket] [Tickets]

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THE POSTSEASON BEGINS THURSDAY
Colorado School of Mines (21-13-1, 20-10-1 RMAC) heads to Grand Junction this weekend for the 2021 RMAC Softball Tournament, which begins Thursday morning at 11 a.m. with the Orediggers playing Regis in Game 1 of the double-elimination bracket. Should Mines win, they would play Colorado Mesa in game 3 on Thursday at 4 p.m.; a loss would send them to an elimination game with the Fort Lewis/Colorado Christian loser at 11 a.m. Friday in game 5.

FAN INFORMATION
A daily capacity limit of 400 will be in place for the RMAC Tournament. Digital tickets are required and should be purchased in advance at rmacsports.org.

THE FIELD
Host Colorado Mesa earned the #1 seed, with MSU Denver the #2 seed, to earn first-round byes in the six-team tournament bracket. Colorado Christian is the #3 seed, Mines #4, Regis #5, and Fort Lewis won a tiebreaker for the sixth and final seed. The bracket will have four games on Thursday and Friday, plus two or three games (the final being if necessary) on Saturday. The tournament winner will earn an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament, whose finals will take place in Denver starting May 27.

MINES VS. THE FIELD
Mines went 6-6 against the field this season, sweeping Fort Lewis, splitting with CCU, and being swept by Colorado Mesa. Mines was not scheduled to play MSU Denver, and had two dates versus Regis postponed by either COVID-19 protocols or weather.

MINES IN THE RMAC TOURNAMENT
The Orediggers are making their fifth consecutive RMAC Tournament appearance (skipping the canceled 2020 tournament) dating back to 2016. They reached the final as recently as 2017 but have won the tournament only once, in 2013. In 2019, Mines beat MSU Denver 7-6 in nine innings in their opener, lost to Colorado Mesa, beat UCCS 7-5, then fell to MSU Denver 10-4 in the elimination game.

OREDIGGERS GARNER POSTSEASON AWARDS
Wednesday saw a bumper crop of postseason awards come in for the Orediggers. Five players were named All-RMAC, led by first-team selection Kylie Redding at first base along with second-teamers Sydney Marchando at pitcher and Clara Larson at shortstop, and honorable mentions Renata Boyd in the outfield and Sidney Wilson at second base. Redding also appeared on the NFCA's list of All-Region players with a second-team nod in the South Central, while Marchando picked up the RMAC's Summit award, given to the student-athlete with the top GPA at the RMAC Tournament.

GETTING THAT SILVER
While the Orediggers are in Grand Junction, the rest of the Mines community will be celebrating the Class of 2021 commencement ceremonies on Thursday and Friday. Four current and two former Orediggers will earn degrees, including Stefanie Brunello (B.S. in statistics), Clara Larson (M.S. in computer science), Sydney Marchando (B.S. in chemical engineering), and Kylie Redding (B.S. in mechanical engineering). Marchando has been named the chemical engineering department's most outstanding graduating senior. Those four will have their own virtual commencement ceremony in Grand Junction, including a video message from President Paul Johnson. At Marv Kay Stadium, two former softballers will cross the stage as 2020 seniors Kelsey Buechler (M.S. in hydrology) and Claire Stringfellow (B.S. in metallurgical and materials engineering) earn their silver diplomas.

LARSON ADDS TO RECORD COLLECTION
As senior shortstop Clara Larson's career winds down, she has a chance to cement herself as one of the program's all-time best. Larson is already the Orediggers' all-time leader in home runs (47), RBI (218), and now doubles (65); she is one short of the triples record with 14, and her 182 runs are ten short of the Mines record. Larson ranks second all-time in hits (260), and her .723 career slugging percentage would be the program record as of today.

BOYD HEATS UP
Outfielder Renata Boyd has impressed at the plate this season, hitting .404 with a team-leading 12 stolen bases primarily out of the second spot in the lineup. Although she didn't play in the BHSU series, Boyd will hope to carry her hot hitting into the RMAC Tournament: she has hits in nine of her last 10 games, including seven multi-hit games to score 11 runs in that span.

LAST TIME OUT
Mines last played on May 2, an unusual 4-4 rain-halted tie at Black Hills State a day after Mines took two off the Yellow Jackets. Mines and BHSU battled in the ninth inning before rain cut the game and series short; Sam Wade's two-run double in the top of the seventh sent the game to extras. Sydney Marchando threw all nine innings for Mines, striking out seven and not issuing a walk with two of her four runs allowed being earned. It was only the second tie in program history and first in RMAC play.