Mines (5-12, 0-0 RMAC) at Adams State (4-14, 0-0 RMAC) – Friday, 2 p.m. – Alamosa, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (5-12, 0-0 RMAC) at Adams State (4-14, 0-0 RMAC) – Saturday, 11 a.m. – Doubleheader – Alamosa, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (5-12, 0-0 RMAC) at Adams State (4-14, 0-0 RMAC) – Sunday, 12 p.m. – Alamosa, Colo. [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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RMAC ACTION BEGINS
Non-conference play is in the books for the Colorado School of Mines Baseball team. This weekend, the Orediggers turn their attention to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) portion of their schedule as they being RMAC action at Adams State in Alamosa, Colo. The current schedule calls for one nine-inning game on Friday, two seven-inning games on Saturday, and a nine-inning finale on Sunday. Start times are currently 2 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. on Saturday, and 12 p.m. on Sunday.
 
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 either Miles Dunklin or Alex Becker. 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
It's not a promising forecast for baseball this weekend in Alamosa. But what do you expect trying to play baseball in March in Colorado? Friday looks to be cold with moisture in the forecast. The high temperature is set at 46 degrees with both rain and snow projected. Saturday is colder and still cloudy with light snow in the forecast. By Sunday, the clouds clear and temps soar into the 50s. It is a coin toss if the schedule stands or if games get moved. Either way, dress warm if you're headed to the San Luis Valley.
 
QUICK QUINCY RECAP
The Orediggers played four games at Quincy in Illinois last Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Mines dropped all four games by scores of 20-4, 10-9, 8-6, and 7-1. Friday's opener ended after seven innings. Saturday's first game lasted 12 innings. The last two contests went as scheduled. For the weekend, Jackson Woolwine batted .429 and scored four runs thanks to a double and a triple. Evan Bilter, Trent Nielsen, and Canon Humphreys all hit over .300 and notched one double each. Nielsen recorded five RBI as well. On the mound, Peter Lynch, Sam Monk, Matthew Dobberthien, and Will Niles took the losses. Grady Booth provided a bright spot with his 7.0 innings of one-hit, shutout relief. Also notable were nine strikeouts from Niles in his first collegiate start.
 
RMAC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
As mentioned above, Grady Booth provided elite relief for the Orediggers in Quincy. His lengthy appearance came in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader and game two of the series. Booth entered the game in the fifth inning and pitched through the 11th inning. His final line featured zero runs on one hit with seven strikeouts and three walks. He held opposing hitters to .048 at the plate. Booth's relief work stretched the game, originally scheduled for seven innings, into a 12th frame. Unfortunately, Quincy hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the 12th to steal the win. Booth still earned his first weekly honors after career bests in innings pitched, strikeouts, and runs allowed.
 
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
Adams State rolls into RMAC play fresh off an impressive series split against perennial, NSIC power St. Cloud State. Two wins and two losses moved the Grizzlies to 4-14 on the season. The start of league action also brings the first home games of the season for ASU. The Grizzlies had played their first 18 games of the year on the road. Their road trips took them to Hays, Kan., Weatherford, Okla., Plainview, Texas, Colorado Springs, Colo., and Phoenix, Ariz. Through 18 games, ASU is lead at the plate by Christian Altamirano who's hitting .424 with nine runs on 25 hits including four doubles, one triple, and one home run with 12 RBI. Also notable on offense are three home runs from Phil Carter, five doubles off the bat of Seth Reker, and four doubles with two home runs for Josiah Hall. On the mound, Connor Murray, Brian Walters, and Cesar Loma have combined for 64 strikeouts in a total of 14 starts. Murray and Loma are 0-4. Walters is 2-2. Loma also has one complete game. Phil Carter boasts two saves. Overall, two pitchers own 0.00 ERAs. Walters ranks third on the team at 6.48.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE GRIZZLIES
Mines and Adams State already played once in 2025. It was a non-conference game at UCCS in Colorado Springs. The Orediggers won, 19-10, with the game ending after eight innings due to darkness. Jackson Babcock hit for the cycle with two home runs. Gray St. Amant claimed the win in relief. With the victory, Mines improved to 37-11 against ASU since 2013. The Orediggers haven't lost a series to the Grizzlies since 2015, but they also haven't swept the Grizzlies since 2019.
 
CHASING HISTORY
Multiple Orediggers are attempting to rewrite the program record book. Currently, Mason Andrews is #4 and Jackson Woolwine is tied for #11 in career runs. Woolwine is tied for #8 in career doubles and Andrews is tied for #18. Andrews sits #2 in all-time home runs. He's just six shy of taking down Mikey Gangwish as the Orediggers' long ball king. Teammate Trent Nielsen is tied for #15 on the same list. Andrews' career RBI are #6 in program history. Career walks are the real race to watch. Andrews, Woolwine, and Wayne Moeck are each inside the top-eight and within five walks of each other as they chase Kyle Wallace's record of 84. Woolwine is up to #7 in career stolen bases at Mines. He has tied the single-game record of three stolen bases on two occasions including one instance this season in Quincy. Another for Andrews are his career total bases.  At 340, he's tied for #8 in program history. Finally, on the mound, junior pitcher Alex Honeyman sits at exactly 100 career strikeouts in less than three seasons. He's also five wins shy of entering the program's top-10. Brief, but gives fans an idea of what is happening.
 
CYCLE FOR BABCOCK
Oredigger true freshman Jackson Babcock hit for the cycle against Adams State in Colorado Springs on Feb. 22. For those who don't know, hitting for the cycle in baseball involves an individual recording at least one single, one double, one triple, and one home run in the same game. Babcock became the first Mines player to hit for the cycle since Adam Houghtaling did it at Colorado Christian in 2023. Houghtaling actually hit for the cycle twice in his career with the first occurrence coming at UCCS in 2022. Babcock started his quest with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning. He notched his triple as the leadoff man in the second inning. The third baseman homered again in the fourth. It was a grand slam – his second of the season. Babcock recorded his single in the sixth inning and then doubled in the eighth inning just before the game was ended due to darkness. Overall, the League City, Texas, native finished the game 5-for-5 with five runs and six RBI. He reached base in all six plate appearances. Additionally, Babcock's five runs tied the program's single-game record.
 
8-FOR-8
Another notable stat from Babcock's outstanding weekend in Colorado Springs was recording a hit in eight straight at-bats. That streak dated back to the doubleheader against Fort Hays State on Feb. 14. From his last at-bat against the Tigers until his third at-bat on Sunday against UCCS, the true freshman was not put out and each recorded at-bat (not plate appearance) resulted in a hit. That streak ties Babcock for the second-longest in program history. He's tied with Elliott Riege who had eight straight from Feb. 12-19 in 2011. The record belongs to Kyle Wallace who went nine consecutive at-bats with a hit in 2012. Jackson Woolwine (2024) and Luke Folsom (2022) both pieced together seven straight at-bats.
 
IN THE PROS
Over the last seven years, three 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).
 
WALTER PENNINGTON
Walter Pennington had a milestone season in 2024. After spending 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 in the Kansas City Royals minor league system, the former Oredigger left-handed pitcher broke into the big leagues. He made his MLB debut with the Royals against the Rockies at Coors Field, just miles from his childhood home. That appearance made the Broomfield, Colo., native just the second Mines player to ever make the big leagues and the first in over a century. Eventually, Pennington was traded to the Texas Rangers for known-veteran Michael Lorenzen. Pennington moved between triple-A Round Rock and the Rangers' big-league club. For the year, the lefty's big-league resume featured a 1-0 record with a 3.00 ERA in 16 games and one start. He struck out 17 and walked 11 across 18.0 innings of work. For his career in the minor leagues, Pennington is 23-11 with a 3.49 ERA in 149 appearances and four starts. He also boasts 10 saves and 258 strikeouts with 245.0 innings under his belt. To round it all out, Pennington named to the International League (AAA) All-Star team. More to come on Pennington as the season progresses.
 
THE SKIPPER
The 2025 campaign marks Mines' seventh season with Robby Bales as head coach. During his tenure as the Oredigger skipper, Bales holds an overall record of 151-118 with a mark of 95-71 in RMAC play. He has coached his players to 26 All-RMAC awards, 19 all-region awards, eight all-America nods, seven CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, one MLB Draft Pick and had one player signed as a free agent in the MLB. Furthermore, Bales touts two RMAC Pitchers of the Year during his time at the helm including RMAC Pitcher of the Year, NCBWA South Central Region Pitcher of the Year, D2CCA South Central Region Pitcher of the Year and the RMAC's all-time wins leader in Tyler Blomster. Additionally, Bales has guided Mines to the NCAA Tournament once, and RMAC Tournament four 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
After its trip to Alamosa, Colo., returns home for a RMAC series against New Mexico Highlands March 14-16. Free live stats and video on the RMAC Network will be available for all four contests 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.