Mines (1-5) vs Black Hills State (0-0) (DH) – Sunday, 12 p.m. (DH) – Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (1-5) vs Black Hills State (0-0) (DH) – Monday, 11 a.m. (DH) – Golden, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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NO PLACE LIKE HOME
After opening the 2023 season with six games in the Sunshine State against some top competition, the Colorado School of Mines softball team returns to Golden and Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field this weekend to kick off Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play against the team they ended the season against last spring in Black Hills State.
 
PLEASE BE ADVISED
Due to inclement winter weather that affected Golden and the surrounding areas in the middle of the week, this weekend's series originally scheduled for Saturday and Sunday will now be played on Sunday and Monday. Both dates will be played as doubleheaders with a 12 p.m. start Sunday and an 11 a.m. start Monday.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
All games this weekend will be available free of charge on the RMAC Network and have live stats available on Sidearm.
 
AT THE HELM
Mike Coutts begins his second season at the helm of the Orediggers softball program and looks to improve off a 16-30 mark from 2022. Before arriving at Mines, Coutts was the head coach of the softball program at Maine for six seasons, where he posted a 94-129 record with two 20-win seasons in 2016 and 2018.
 
IN THE POLLS
The Orediggers were picked to finish in the exact middle of the RMAC this year in the preseason poll, checking in at #7. Defending tournament champions Colorado Christian were tabbed to win the league followed by the reigning regular season champs Colorado Mesa. On the national stage, one of the Orediggers' opening weekend foes, Nova Southeastern, received votes in the NFCA Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll.
 
WEEK 1 RECAP
The Orediggers took on a trio of teams from the Sunshine State Conference opening weekend and despite not having much time outside before making the trip south, they held their own against teams who already had a weekend of games and countless days of outside practice under their belt. Mines shutout on opening day against Palm Beach Atlantic 3-0 and 7-0 and looked poised to knock off Barry in game one Saturday but ultimately fell in a marathon 13-inning affair 5-4 before dropping game two 4-0. The Orediggers did break into the win column against #RV Nova Southeastern in game one Sunday 3-2 and had the Sharks on the ropes in game two before a late rally doomed them in a 6-4 loss. Freshman outfielder Kendall Aragon shined at the dish, batting .500 in her first weekend of college softball, hitting safely in four games and ending the weekend with three multi-hit games. She went 3-5 in game one against Barry with a double and two RBI and went 5-8 with an RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's DH against Nova Southeastern. Sadriena Rodriguez (1-0) shined in the circle in three appearances, starting twice in three appearances for 12.2 innings and striking out 10 against just two walks and allowing only two runs on five hits, both of which came in the late going of a six-inning outing that resulted in a win over NSU. Lauren Decker hit .267 and stole four bases while working 6.2 innings of relief in game one against Barry, allowing just three hits while Sara Larson hit .211 with three stolen bases as well. Sidney Wilson is currently tied for the team lead with three RBI and went 4-8 on the final day of the weekend against NSU. Taylor Wayne (0-1) also showed strong in the circle, starting twice in three games and working six innings in a no-decision in the extra innings game against the Bucs, allowing just one run on four hits. For the weekend, she worked 12 innings and struck out six and allowed seven runs, six earned, on 10 hits and currently holds a 3.50 ERA while holding opponents to a .208 average.
 
VETERAN CORE
Eight seniors can be found on this year's roster, including fifth-year seniors Aubree Karraker and Kailey Robb. The rest of the group is made up of 2022 Honorable Mention All-RMAC selections Renata Boyd and Lauren Decker, Grace Gonzales, Ellaena Rodriguez, Sadriena Rodriguez and Emilee Sloan.
 
Boyd started all 46 games in the outfield in 2022 and hit .321 with a team-leading 26 runs scored while driving in 15 with three triples, two doubles and going 19-23 in stolen bases. Decker started 42 times in 46 games and split time between the circle and the outfield. At the dish, she batted .341 and scored 24 times while driving in seven and going 16-20 on stolen bases. In the circle, she posted a 3-7 mark with 26 strikeouts in 56.1 innings of work over 21 appearances.
 
Gonzales started 22 times in 32 games and saw most of her action behind the dish. She batted .303 and slugged .438 with a home run, four doubles 12 RBI and four runs scored while striking out just three times in 66 at-bats. Ellaena Rodriguez started 26 times in 29 games at first base and hit .222 a season ago with eight walks, seven RBI, four runs scored and a home run. Sadriena Rodriguez anchored the pitching staff last season, starting 12 times in 28 appearances and finishing with a 5-6 record while also recording a save and leading the way with a 3.38 ERA in 80.2 innings of work, striking out a team-leading 79 and holding opponents to a .258 average. Sloan appeared in 35 games with 23 starts across all three outfield spots and hit .226 while slugging .358 with two doubles, a triple and a home run as she drove in six and scored 10 times herself, while Karraker will look to reestablish herself in 2023 after missing last season following a 2021 campaign that saw her start 25 times in 31 games behind the dish and in the outfield while batting .203 with 13 runs scored, eight RBI and six doubles.
 
HELLO THERE
Four freshmen and one transfer make up this year's group of newcomers to Golden. Pitcher and first base Allison Westbrook joins the program from Colby CC, where she earned All-KJCCC honors at pitcher, posting a 4.47 ERA in the circle while also batting .374 and slugging .496. Joining her are outfielder Kendall Aragon, pitcher/utility Kat Miller, outfielder/first base Sophie Furniss and catcher Kat Bauer. Aragon was a two-time All-State selection at Legacy High School and was a three-sport standout at the prep level. She slashed .671/.689/1.024 as a senior and stole 31 bases while driving in 32 more. Miller shined at Coppell (TX) High School where she was named District 6-6A Pitcher of the Year in 2022 in addition to earning All-District honors for the second time in her career. As a senior she went 18-6 in the circle and a 2.43 ERA and 125 strikeouts and at the dish, batted .405 with 19 RBI. Furniss, an Illinois native, played on the infield and in the outfield at Warren Township High School and batted .408 as a senior. A two-time Academic All-Conference honoree, she also shined on the club circuit on teams that were national finalists and among the top eight in the Midwest region. Bauer was a standout at Monte Vista High School in California where she batted .413 with a .416 OBP in her senior season and was named a Second Team All-Conference honoree after an Honorable Mention campaign as a junior.
 
BIG THREE
Sidney Wilson, Sara Larson and Kayleigh Krueger were a force to be reckoned with last season. That trio combined to slash .341/.394/.500 and drove in 83 runs last season while collecting 47 extra base hits, including 34 doubles. Wilson led the team with a .385 average and scored 23 times while driving in another 23 with 10 two-baggers and reached base a team-high 19 times via the free pass to post on OBP of .458. Larson hit .323 a season ago and was tied for the team lead with three home runs and drove in a team-best 32 while scoring 24 times and collecting 13 doubles and three triples to lead Mines with a .534 slugging percentage as 19 of her 43 hits went for extra bases. Krueger hit .313 and led Mines with 14 doubles and drove in 28 to trail only Larson in that department while leaving the yard twice and scoring 21 runs. Look for this trio to lead the way at the plate this season for the Orediggers.
 
PLAYING BOTH WAYS
Each member of the Orediggers pitching staff last season worked at least 53 innings in the circle in 2022 while also spending at least some time with a bat in their hand as well. Lauren Decker hit .341 with 47 hits and 24 runs scored and struck out 26 in 56.1 innings and winning three games in the circle, while Cassidy Chvatal batted .280 with three extra bases hits in 25 at-bats, including two home runs while being one of two five-game winners in the circle and striking out 71 batters in a team-high 98 innings. Sadriena Rodriguez also hit .200 while striking out 79 in 80.2 innings with a staff-best 3.38 ERA while Taylor Wayne hit a home run and drove in three while registering three wins and a save as a pitcher, striking out 24 in 53.1 innings of work mostly out of the bullpen.
 
KEEP AN EYE OUT
Three other Orediggers all turned in solid seasons at the plate in 2022. Hannah Roberts, Grace Gonzales and Trystin Oshiro-Sano all hit over .300 in 2022 and are eager to continue that success in 2023. In her debut season as a freshman, Roberts slashed .338/.424/.450 in 34 games with 27 starts mostly at second base. She drove in 12 and collected six doubles along with a home run and scored 15 times while being one of two players to work 10 or more walks. Gonzales hit .303 with six extra-base hits and drove in 12 while being an anchor of the pitching staff behind the plate. Oshiro-Sano had a breakout sophomore campaign, batting .301 and slugging .493 with eight doubles, two home runs and nine RBI as 10 of her 22 hits went for extra bases.
 
GOOD AS GOLD
Solid defense will go a long way in determining the outcome of a game and the outcome of the season. Last year, Cassidy Chvatal was one of the best in the RMAC at doing that, being named to the league's Gold Glove Team at pitcher with a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage, recording seven putout and nine assists in 16 chances defensively. Last season as a team, the Orediggers fielded .954, good for sixth in the RMAC, and will look to improve upon that mark this season.

SCOUTING BLACK HILLS STATE
The Yellow Jackets will be opening their 2023 season this weekend after being idle the first two weeks of play. Black Hills State, picked to finish 10th in the RMAC this season, went 13-29 overall and 11-29 in conference play in 2022. 1B/P Shayla Tuschen, the team's second leading hitter last season, is back after batting .357 with 11 doubles, five home runs, 30 RBI and 23 runs scored in 42 games. Outfielder Gianna Haley is also back after hitting .312 with nine doubles, a triple, four home runs, 20 RBI and 23 runs scored, as is catcher Bayleigh Hubbard, who despite batting .176 last season, hit five home runs and drove in 20. Of the nine players who started 32 or more games for BHSU last year, only the aforementioned trio is back in 2023. In the circle, Tuschen is the leading returner after going 6-10 with a save in 21 games with 18 starts and posting a 5.72 ERA in 100.1 innings while striking out 71 against 13 walks. Halie Litwin is also back, having made five appearances for three innings as a junior. The Yellow Jackets do have five transfers joining them in 2023 in Kayla Lee (Texas A&M-Texarkana), Taylor Klein (Western Nebraska CC), Adreanna Lance (Barton CC), Lexi Apodaca (Daytona State College) and Ashlynn Pauwells (LSU Alexandria), along with a group of eight freshmen who will look to contribute right away.
 
SERIES HISTORY
All time, the Orediggers lead the series with BHSU 25-8-1 after dropping three out of four in the final series of the regular season last year in Golden. Prior to that, Mines had won four of the previous five meetings. All-time at home, the Orediggers are 14-6 against the Yellow Jackets.
 
ON DECK
Following this weekend's four-game home series, Mines will return to the road February 25-26 as they continue RMAC play against Fort Lewis.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines softball on Twitter at @MinesSoftball and Instagram at @mines_sb. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.