Mines (11-7, 4-0 RMAC) at Colorado Mesa (10-8, 3-1 RMAC) – Saturday, 2 p.m. – Grand Junction, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (11-7, 4-0 RMAC) at Colorado Mesa (10-8, 3-1 RMAC) – Sunday, 1 p.m. – Doubleheader – Grand Junction, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (11-7, 4-0 RMAC) at Colorado Mesa (10-8, 3-1 RMAC) – Monday, 12 p.m. – Grand Junction, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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RMAC ROAD TRIP
Conference play started at home last weekend for the Colorado School of Mines Baseball team. This weekend, the Orediggers take their RMAC show on the road as they head to Grand Junction, Colo., for a four-game series at Colorado Mesa. After one weekend, Mines sits alone at #1 in the conference standings. However, perennial power CMU which has won the league multiple years running is right behind at #2. While there is plenty of baseball left to play, 28 games to be exact, the next four games could have big implications on which team wins the RMAC.
 
CHANGE IS INEVITABLE
This is especially true when trying to play baseball in Colorado in the spring. Due to the major snowstorm that moved across most of the state Wednesday through Thursday, Mines and Colorado Mesa had to shift the series. Now, the Orediggers and Mavericks will open on Saturday at 2 p.m. There will be a doubleheader on Sunday at 1 p.m. The finale is slated for Monday at 12 p.m.
 
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 Firestick, and Android TV devices by going to the app store and searching "RMAC." Fans can also follow @OrediggersBSB on "X" (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
 
WEATHER FORECAST
Saturday looks a bit sketchy with cloudy skies, a chance of rain, and a high around 50 degrees. However, on Sunday and Monday, the skies clear and temperatures will climb towards 60 degrees. Those familiar with the Western Slope know there is always a chance for a quick shower. Needless to say, the series should not be in limbo. Even so, fans should keep an eye on www.minesathletics.com and social media for any potential schedule changes.
 
STRONG START
Mines was the only team in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference to start league play with a 4-0 record. The Orediggers did it last weekend against Colorado Christian at Jim Darden Field despite a schedule change due to weather. Game one featured a 14-2, run-rule victory for the home team thanks to Luke Folsom tossing a complete game on the mound. Alex Honeyman provided a complete game in the second contest which fueled a 12-1, Oredigger win. Games three and four went to Mines, 8-3 and 9-4. Jackson Bakovich and Marcus Lee came out of the bullpen to earn those wins. At the plate, Mason Andrews carried the big bat all weekend. He hit .750 and slugged over 2.000 with five home runs and three doubles while scoring nine times and driving in 13.
 
WEEKLY AWARDS SWEEP
Mason Andrews' performance against Colorado Christian netted him a sweep of the weekly awards from the RMAC and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association (NCBWA). He was voted RMAC Player of the Week, NCBWA South Central Region Hitter of the Week, and NCBWA National Hitter of the Week. Andrews is the first Oredigger since Luke Folsom to win the regional and national awards. He earned the honors by hitting .750 with 10 runs and 12 RBI. Five home runs and three doubles fueled a 2.250 slugging percentage. He also walked four times and was hit twice on the way to a .833 on-base percentage. The McKinney, Texas, native was only putout three times and helped with 22 of Mines' 43 runs.
 
HEATING UP
Mines baseball started its 2024 campaign 3-6 including a sluggish 0-5 mark through the first five games. However, the Orediggers are 8-1 over their last nine games and 12-1 over the last 13. Mines totaled 12 runs in its five losses while being one-hit on two occasions. Since Feb. 10, the Orediggers have scored 128 runs in 13 games for nearly 13 runs per game. They nearly doubled their season hits total in just three games at home, tallying 55 on the road to start the season with 51 total against Minot State, Colorado Christian and University of Mary. In the field, Mines' pitchers and defense have allowed just a total of nine earned runs in their last four games (30 innings). As of Friday, the Orediggers are hitting .305 as a team with a staff ERA of 4.68.
 
THE PURSUIT OF HISTORY
Multiple Orediggers are currently approaching many milestones. However, two individuals are at the top of the list in their pursuit of Mines baseball history in Luke Folsom and Mason Andrews. With six doubles so far this season, Folsom has 49 in his career and is now tied with Logan Smith (2014-17) for #4 on the Orediggers' all-time list. Folsom's two home runs in 2024 have also pushed him to 23 long balls in his career. That's #9 in the program record book. Andrews jumped ahead of Folsom on the all-time long balls list last weekend. His five home runs against CCU were his first of the year and give the Texan 26 in his career, ranking #8 in the program record book.
 
SCOUTING COLORADO MESA
Colorado Mesa has had an abnormally slow start to its season, but it has come against an extremely difficult schedule. The Mavericks are 10-8 (3-1 RMAC) with non-conference games against four nationally or regionally ranked opponents. Last weekend, CMU returned to form with a series win at MSU Denver. After dropping the opener, Mesa totaled 59 runs over its last three games to take the series. Individually, Rob Sharrar, a preseason all-American bumped his batting average nearly 50 points during the series with the Roadrunners. He's now hitting .342 with 12 runs and 19 RBI thanks to five doubles, one triple, and four home runs. Additionally, Jonathan Gonzalez made his season debut last weekend and is already hitting .500. On the mound, Cole Seward has usurped Liam Hohenstein as CMU's ace. Seward touts a 3-0 record and a 2.42 ERA thanks to 20 strikeouts compared to four walks across 22.1 innings. On the backend, Evan Bunevich, Ethan Voss, and JJ Almeda each have saves.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE MAVERICKS
Colorado School of Mines has won 20 games in the all-time series against Colorado Mesa. The Mavericks have won 114. The Orediggers' biggest stretch of success against CMU came in 2018 when they took three straight games off the Mavericks. Last season, Mines and Mesa played five times with the later winning all five. That being said, the last three games, including a RMAC tournament showdown, were decided two runs apiece. In the 2023 postseason contest that eventually ended the Orediggers' season, Alex Honeyman pitched 6.1 innings and limited CMU to two earned runs. Jackson Bakovich shutout and no-hit the Mavericks across 1.2 innings of relief. Mason Andrews also had a home run. Mines hasn't won a game in Grand Junction since 2017.
 
WALTER PENNINGTON UPDATE
Those who have been reading these previews know that Walter Pennington was promoted to the Kansas City Royals' big-league roster and reported for Spring Training on Feb. 14. Since that time, Pennington has made six appearances in spring training. His current resume includes an 0-0 record with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.86 WHIP thanks to 10 strikeouts and one walk across 4.2 innings. The Broomfield, Colo., native is currently listed as a "non-roster invitee." Last year in the minor league system, Pennington went 7-2 with a 3.18 ERA in 49 appearances including one start. He earned one save as well while striking out 75 batters in 70.2 innings of work.
 
IN THE PROS
Over the last six 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 2024 campaign marks Mines' sixth season with Robby Bales as head coach. During his tenure as the Oredigger skipper, Bales holds an overall record of 128-92 with a mark of 79-59 in RMAC play. He has coached 17 All-RMAC players, 10 all-region players, three all-Americans, two RMAC Pitcher of the Year winners, one RMAC Freshman of the Year, seven 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 three times, 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, 2021, and 2023 as the team boasting the highest combined GPA in the conference.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Mines returns home next weekend to host CSU Pueblo on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased online or at the gate. Live stats and free video on the RMAC Network will be offered at www.minesathletics.com.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines baseball on "X" (formerly Twitter) and Instagram at @OrediggersBSB. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, "X" and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.