Mines (7-9, 3-1 RMAC) vs. #24 Colorado Mesa (12-7, 3-1 RMAC) – Saturday, 12 p.m. – Jim Darden Field [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (7-9, 3-1 RMAC) vs. #24 Colorado Mesa (12-7, 3-1 RMAC – Sunday, 12 p.m. – DH – Jim Darden Field [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (7-9, 3-1 RMAC) vs. #24 Colorado Mesa (12-7, 3-1 RMAC) – Monday, 12 p.m. – Jim Darden Field [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

---

RMAC ACTION AT HOME
Last weekend marked the start of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, and the Colorado School of Mines Baseball team started its league slate on the road. This weekend, the Orediggers bring RMAC action to Jim Darden Field for the first time in 2023 as they welcome #24-ranked Colorado Mesa to Golden. Both Mines and CMU are tied for first in the RMAC standings, making a normally spicy series all the more flavorful.
 
SCHEDULE CHANGE
The dates for this weekend's series are different than originally scheduled. Instead of Friday-Sunday, Mines and Colorado Mesa are playing Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Saturday features one nine-inning game starting at noon. Sunday is the doubleheader day with a pair of seven-inning affairs, also starting at noon. Monday's finale is a single nine-inning game at noon.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS
Tickets can be purchased online in advance with a credit card at www.minesathletics.com/tickets. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate with cash or card. Adult admission is $10. Children, seniors and military get in for $5. Kids 12 and under are free. Colorado School of Mines students can also get in free with their BlasterCard.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Every Mines home game and all RMAC games can be seen live and for free on the RMAC Network at www.minesathletics.com/tv. Additionally, the Orediggers' home games will feature play-by-play commentary from Miles Dunklin. The RMAC Network can also be found on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire and Android TV devices by going to the app store and searching "RMAC". Fans can also follow @OrediggersBSB on Twitter for live in-game updates.
 
LOOKING BACK
Mines started RMAC play last weekend at Colorado Christian in Lakewood, Colo. The Orediggers won the first three games to clinch the series before falling in the finale. Friday's opener was a 21-6, run-rule shortened win for the visitors. Saturday's doubleheader included scores of 17-3 and 6-3. Mines' loss on Sunday was by a score of 7-5 despite a ninth-inning rally. Top hitters for the Orediggers were Adam Houghtaling, Trent Nielsen, and Garret Nielsen. Houghtaling batted .556 with five runs on 10 hits including five doubles, one triple, and one home run with nine RBI and three stolen bases. He hit for the cycle on Friday afternoon. Trent Nielsen hit .545 with five runs on six hits including one double and two home runs with five RBI. Garret Nielsen accounted for 21 of Mines' 49 runs thanks to eight runs and 13 RBI with two doubles and three home runs while batting .444. Blake Ripp, Kevin Zapanta, and Luke Folsom all earned wins on the mound. Ripp was the top arm, posting a 1.93 ERA in two appearances and 4.2 innings of work. He struck out five and walked zero while surrendering just one run on one hit.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO MESA
Historically dominant, Colorado Mesa has started 2023 slightly slower than normal. The Mavericks come to Golden touting an overall record of 12-7 while sitting 3-1 in RMAC play. That being said, CMU has won six of its last eight including three of four against then-#13 MSU Denver on the opening weekend of conference play. Filling the shoes of last year's hard-hitting sluggers are Declan Wiesner, Julian Boyd, Harrison Rodgers, and Conrad Villafuerte. Wiesner's .447 batting average is tops on the team and he has 15 runs, 12 RBI, four doubles and two home runs. Boyd and Rodgers have both scored 25 runs apiece and combined for 47 RBI. Boyd is hitting .393 with eight doubles, one triple and four home runs. Rodgers is batting .360 and touts four doubles, one triple, and five home runs. Villafuerte rounds out the quartet with a .317 average while boasting 19 runs and 16 RBI thanks to four doubles and two home runs. On the mound, Cole Seward has taken over the role of pitching ace. He is 4-1 in five starts this season and owns a 5.33 ERA thanks to 25 strikeouts in 27.0 innings of work. Kannon Handy, who no-hit Mines last season, is still on the staff. He is 2-0 with a 7.25 ERA despite 32 strikeouts in 22.1 innings of work. Anthony Durbano mans the back end as evidenced by his three saves and 1.80 ERA in seven appearances.
 
MINES AGAINST THE MAVERICKS
Since the year 2000, Colorado Mesa has owned the ongoing series with Mines. The Mavericks own 109 wins compared to 20 losses. Last season, the Orediggers split their series with CMU in Golden, halting an 18-game win streak that dated back to 2018. Fourteen of Mines' 20 wins in the rivalry have come at Jim Darden Field. Since 2018, the Orediggers are 5-5 against the Mavericks when playing in Golden.
 
RMAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Garret Nielsen was voted RMAC Player of the Week on Tuesday after his performance during opening weekend of conference play. The graduate transfer claimed the first weekly award of his career after hitting .444 with eight runs on eight hits including two doubles and three home runs with 13 RBI. He accounted for 21 of Mines' 49 runs and produced two multi-hit games including a 4-for-6 performance on Saturday. He has hit a home run in three straight games and enters the weekend tied for #3 in the RMAC in slugging, tied for #5 in RBI, and tied for #7 in home runs. For the season, Nielsen is hitting .397 with 18 runs on 23 hits including seven doubles and five home runs with 25 RBI.
 
HITTING FOR THE CYCLE
Adam Houghtaling started RMAC play and the weekend by hitting for the prestigious cycle. For those who don't know, that means he hit a single, a double, a triple, and a home run all in the same game. The Texan started with the double in the first inning and scored Garret Nielsen for the first run of the game. His single came in the second inning and scored Garret Nielsen again. Then, Houghtaling hit a three-run home run in the top of the third inning. He found his triple in the top of the seventh inning and drove in Garret Nielsen a third time, marking the last run of the game in Mines' 21-4 win. It marked the second cycle of Houghtaling's career. He also accomplished the feat on the last day of the regular season in 2022 at UCCS. The Orediggers won that game, 19-6, as Houghtaling finished 4-for-6 with three runs and four RBI.
 
WALTER PENNINGTON UPDATE
With Major League Baseball's Spring Training well under way, the Colorado School of Mines alum Walter Pennington is back in action. Through 20 spring training games with the Kansas City Royals, Pennington has appeared in three games and flawlessly recorded three outs including two strikeouts. The left-handed hurler signed a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Royals in the summer of 2020 and played the 2021 season with the organization's Low-A affiliate, the Columbia Fireflies. In 2022, Pennington started with the Royals' High-A club in the Quad Cities (Iowa). He quickly moved up to AA and finished the season with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. In 2022, he went 6-3 with one start and a 5.19 ERA including 61 strikeouts compared to 30 walks in 67.2 innings of work. Pennington was also invited to the Arizona Fall League where he played for Surprise. He made eight appearances with two starts. He did not record a decision, but had one save, tossed 9.1 innings and struck out 10 batters while walking four.
 
IN THE PROS
Over the last five years, four Orediggers have entered baseball's professional ranks. Mikey Gangwish (2016-19) was the first as he played professionally in Australia before returning to a contract with the Evansville Otters of the independent Frontier League. He has since retired and earned his master's degree at Mines. The second was Trevor Kehe (2017-19) who was drafted in the 36th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Baltimore Orioles. He worked in the Orioles organization for three years and advanced as far as High-A ball with the Aberdeen IronBirds before retiring. Rounding out but leading the trio is Walter Pennington (2017-20).
 
THE SKIPPER
The 2023 campaign marks Mines' fifth season with Robby Bales as head coach. During his tenure as the Oredigger skipper, Bales holds an overall record of 102-69 with a mark of 61-45 in RMAC play. He has coached 14 All-RMAC players, nine all-region players, three all-Americans, one RMAC Pitcher of the Year, six CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, one MLB Draft Pick and had one player signed as a free agent in the MLB. Additionally, Bales has guided Mines to the NCAA Tournament once, and RMAC Tournament twice, advancing to the regional and conference tournament final in 2019. Bales' teams have also performed in the classroom as the squad brought home the RMAC Brechler Award in 2020 and 2021 as the team boasting the highest combined GPA in the conference.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines' season roles on March 24-26 with a four-game set at CSU Pueblo. Action starts Friday at 2 p.m. and ends Sunday at 12 p.m. Saturday's doubleheader is slated to start at 12 p.m. as well. Free live stats and video on the RMAC Network will be offered at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines baseball on Twitter at @OrediggersBSB. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.