Esports 2/23 Recap

Club Esports Battles Through Seven Matches in Full Week of Competition

2/23/2026 9:34:00 AM

By: Kellen Gormley

Club Esports Battles Through Seven Matches in Full Week of Competition

Mines Club Esports wrapped up one of its busiest weeks of the spring season, competing in seven matches across Rocket League, League of Legends (Varsity and JV), Valorant (Varsity and JV), and Rainbow Six Siege.

Rocket League Varsity

Rocket League Varsity opened the week with a 1–3 loss to California State University, Fullerton on Wednesday, February 18 (Meridian Collegiate Conference play).

The Orediggers bounced back on Friday, February 20, earning a strong 3–1 win over San Jose State University in PCL competition.

League of Legends Varsity

League of Legends Varsity improved to 2–0 on the season with a thrilling 2–1 series victory over Louisiana State University on Tuesday, February 17.

Game one was heavily impacted by technical issues, including mouse, microphone, and screen freezing problems that caused an extended pause. LSU capitalized to take the opening game.

In game two, Mines rebounded with a scaling composition featuring Smolder (Phoenix Archmage – Colin Ngo), Sion (Skul1ker – Aidan McIntyre), and Syndra. Skul1ker delivered a deathless performance, creating significant pressure in lane and helping Mines even the series 1–1.

The decisive third game showcased an aggressive early-game composition with Skul1ker (Sett), wiz (Jonah Oliver) on Rek'Sai, and CookieDoge (Seth Fry) on Ahri. Mines dominated objectives, kills, and gold advantage en route to a 27-minute victory. The Orediggers did not drop a single tower and conceded only one dragon in the match.

Series MVP: Skul1ker (Aidan McIntyre), who delivered multiple 2v1 outplays and strong early leads throughout the series.

VOD:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2700766839?tt_content=vod&tt_medium=mobile_web_share

League of Legends JV

League of Legends JV fell in a competitive 1–2 series against DePaul University on Wednesday, February 18.

Game one was a 50-minute battle that saw Mines secure Dragon Soul, Baron Nashor, and Elder Dragon after clawing back from a difficult early game. Despite controlling major objectives, key miscommunications allowed DePaul to regain momentum and close the match.

Game two featured an MVP performance from JOVI (Alex) on Olaf. After falling behind 0–9 early, Alex created a pivotal turnaround by eliminating both the enemy top laner and jungler, opening the map and allowing Mines to secure Baron and close out the game decisively.

Game three proved difficult as DePaul's fed assassins pressured Mines' backline. While JOVI (Alex) on Kennen and DemoPls (Ryder) on Miss Fortune combined for strong ultimate engagements, a key disruption from the opposing Mordekaiser halted Mines' momentum and sealed the series.

Valorant JV

Valorant JV delivered one of the most dominant performances of the week, sweeping St. Charles Community College 2–0 on Thursday, February 19.

Final map scores:

  • Corrode: 13–6

  • Bind: 13–0

Asterisks (Glenn Pocasangre-Cooper) posted a historic stat line, dropping 56 kills in the two-map series (56/19/9) with KAST percentages over 90% and 17 combined first kills — potentially a Mines program record for a two-map best-of-three.

Additional contributors:

  • wunderworld (Jadon) stepped into IGL duties and finished +10 with 16 assists.

  • Swizzle (Brendan) went +14 in lurk roles.

  • Theuglyuse (Benny), subbing in for unoseemek (Dustin), finished +15.

  • Tristen added +6 with 11 assists in sentinel and flex roles.

VOD:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2702449067

Valorant Varsity

Valorant Varsity fell 0–2 to San Jose State University on Thursday, February 19. Despite strong efforts in coordinated team play, Mines was unable to convert rounds against a disciplined SJSU squad.

Rainbow Six Siege Varsity

Rainbow Six Siege Varsity dropped a 0–2 match to Texas A&M University–Texarkana on Tuesday, February 17.

The Orediggers competed with three new roster additions and faced multiple technical challenges, including a mid-match setup change for MikeMinder, who relocated to play from Cospazy (Ian)'s station.

Map results:

  • Chalet: 4–7

  • Nighthaven Labs: 3–7

Mines showed strong defensive round wins through time management and utility burn but struggled to convert early picks and execute coordinated finishes.

VOD:
https://www.twitch.tv/videos/2700774227

Looking Ahead

Despite a mix of results, the week highlighted the depth of Mines Club Esports, with standout individual performances and multiple teams demonstrating growth early in the semester. With Varsity League remaining undefeated and Valorant JV establishing itself as a dominant force, the Orediggers continue building momentum as spring competition continues.

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