Mines at Chadron State, Sunday, 12 p.m. (DH) [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]
Mines at Chadron State, Monday, 11 a.m. (DH) [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]

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OREDIGGERS MAKE FINAL ROAD TRIP OF THE REGULAR SEASON
Only eight games remain in the regular season, and Colorado School of Mines hits the road for Nebraska to face Chadron State in a four-game series. The Orediggers (14-26, 14-16 RMAC) find themselves needing wins to jump back into the RMAC Tournament hunt as they visit the Eagles (10-32, 9-21 RMAC). The series has been altered due to weather and will be played a day later than originally scheduled on Sunday at noon and Monday at 11 a.m.

GAME COVERAGE
Every conference game this season will stream live and for free on the RMAC Network, which has relaunched for  the 2021-22 school year. Fans used to watching on their smart TV or other device must download the new app by searching "RMAC" in your device's app store. The new watch portal is available at minesathletics.com/tv or rmacnetwork.com. 

THE FORECAST
Sunday will be tough conditions with temperatures in the 40s and high winds sustained at 25-30 mph. Monday will be a much nicer day with a high around 60, sunshine, and calmer winds. 

LAST TIME OUT
All four games came down to the wire, but Regis took three of four from the Orediggers at home last weekend. Mines won game two of the series 11-8, but Regis won the other three with two one-run victories and a 7-5 win to cap the weekend. The Orediggers were led by the red-hot bat of Sidney Wilson, who was 9-of-13 (.692) with four RBI, four walks, and four runs in the series. Lauren Decker also hit .500 with six runs, and both Kayleigh Krueger and Lexie Semeyn drove in a team-high six runs as Semeyn homered twice with a grand slam. 

IN THE HUNT
Mines enters this weekend in seventh place in the RMAC, with the top six making the tournament. Just one winning percentage point - .468 to .467 - separates Fort Lewis and Mines for that sixth spot, and the Orediggers need to either finish the final eight games of the season with one more win than the Skyhawks, or win five or more games and have FLC win the same number, in order to leapfrog into the postseason. Fort Lewis faces Black Hills State this weekend and then finishes with Regis. This weekend could also decide the regular-season champion in the RMAC as first-place Colorado Christian and Colorado Mesa (both 29-1) collide in Lakewood.

BOYD, WILSON HIGHLIGHT RMAC ACADEMIC TEAM
Renata Boyd and Sidney Wilson were named RMAC First-Team All-Academic to lead the Orediggers in the awards announced Thursday. Also earned RMAC Academic Honor Rolls status were Lauren Decker, Sara Larson, Sadriena Rodriguez, Grace Gonzales, Kayleigh Krueger, and Kailey Robb. All honorees are sophomores and above with a 3.3 or higher GPA. 

CLEARING THE BASES
Lexie Semeyn's grand slam against Regis was the third by an Oredigger this season, all coming in RMAC play. Sara Larson hit one at UCCS back on March 19, and Cassidy Chvatal did it against Fort Lewis on March 26. 

A TOUGH OUT
Sidney Wilson has been one of the RMAC's toughest outs this season as she's raised her average to a team-leading .393 with 17 walks and an on-base percentage of .467. Wilson has struck out only five times in 117 at-bats this year, and this past Wednesday marked a full month since her last K which came at UCCS on March 20 - a streak of 66 straight plate appearances. Only one other player in the RMAC - CSU Pueblo's Raelynn Rogers (5 K in 122 AB) - has struck out so few times in 2022 over 100+ at-bats.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Chadron State is 10-32 overall and 9-21 in RMAC play but enters on a four-game win streak after sweeping Black Hills State at home last weekend. The Eagles have a balanced offense with five players recording 17+ RBI led by Addison Spears (26 RBI, 5 HR), Aliyah Rothstein is hitting .306 with 21 stolen bases and 21 runs scored, while Paige Propp is the team's batting leader hitting .352 with a .905 OPS. The Eagles' pitching staff has a 5.81 ERA with the trio of Kenzi Garner (4.83, 3-8), Gabby Russell (4.93, 2-6), and Tia Kohl (5.82, 5-14) in the rotation.

IT'S BEEN AWHILE
Mines is 30-6 all-time against Chadron State as the two meet for the first time since the 2019 season when Mines swept two games in a pod weekend in Pueblo. Their last four-game regular-season series was back in 2018 when the Orediggers won three of four in Nebraska. It's been so long since Mines and Chadron State played that no active Oredigger has appeared in a game against the Eagles. 

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines finishes the regular season on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30 at home against Black Hills State. Should the Orediggers make the RMAC Tournament, they would begin play on May 5 at the highest seed.