Mines (9-13, 6-2 RMAC) vs. MSU Denver (16-6, 4-0 RMAC) – Friday, 4 p.m. – Jim Darden Field [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (9-13, 6-2 RMAC) vs. MSU Denver (16-6, 4-0 RMAC) – Saturday, 12 p.m. – Doubleheader – Jim Darden Field [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]
Mines (9-13, 6-2 RMAC) vs. MSU Denver (16-6, 4-0 RMAC) – Sunday, 12 p.m. – Jim Darden Field [Live Stats] [RMAC Network]

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BRING ON THE ROADRUNNERS
Mines baseball is fresh off an RMAC road sweep of New Mexico Highlands and set to host MSU Denver this weekend at Jim Darden Field. The Orediggers and Roadrunners start their four-game series with a nine-inning showdown on Friday at 4 p.m. Action continues Saturday with a noon doubleheader. On Sunday, the series finale starts at 12 p.m. With the Roadrunners tied for first and Mines alone at fourth in the conference standings, every game looms large with postseason implications.
 
GET YOUR TICKETS
Fans planning to attend the game on Friday are encouraged to purchase digital tickets online in advance at tickets.minesthletics.com. Tickets are available at the gate if needed. Mines students and employees can access their free tickets by logging in with their Mines SSO. Blaster Card scanning no longer works to get into any Oredigger home game. Admission to Monday's games is complimentary. Saturday and Sunday include complimentary admission with an encouraged gift to Blaster's Basket.
 
BLASTER'S BASKET
As stated above, Saturday and Sunday are part of Mines' Blaster's Basket series. This means fans don't need tickets. However, they are strongly encouraged to make a monetary donation to Blaster's Basket or bring a non-perishable food item to donate. Blaster's Basket is the food pantry on campus that provides non-perishable food, toiletries and basic school supplies to Oredigger students in need – no questions asked.

PACKED WEEKEND
Oredigger baseball isn't the only team in action this weekend at the Clear Creek Athletic Complex. Saturday features a Mines club lacrosse contest at 10 a.m. on the upper Stermole turf field. The Oredigger softball also plays on Saturday at 12 p.m. and on Sunday at 11 a.m. It'll make for a festive atmosphere, but fans should also be aware of foul balls and also parking regulations. Only game officials, team personnel, and those who need handicap access should be driving in the CCAC. Everyone else can park in Q Lot located south of the complex or in K Lot located north of the complex. Parking is free on Saturday and Sunday.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Fans can watch all Oredigger home games and conference contests with a subscription to the RMAC Network. There will also be free live stats linked above and at www.minesathletics.com. Miles Dunklin will provide play-by-play for a majority of the Orediggers' home contests with Alex Becker and Kienan Dixon joining the rotation as well.
 
WEATHER FORECAST
Friday and Saturday are going to be hot and sunny with temperatures peaking in the 80s. The forecast calls for minimal wind, but it is Colorado and the complex is located at the mouth of Clear Creek Canyon, so take that outlook with a grain of salt. Sunday cools to a high of 60 degrees but still features clear skies, minimal wind, and minimal humidity. Sunscreen is the name of the game for all who plan to attend.
 
LOOKING BACK
Mines took its first conference road trip of the season last weekend, and left Las Vegas, N.M, with four wins. The Orediggers rallied to beat New Mexico Highlands on Friday in extra innings by a score of 15-14. Evan Bilter hit a home run for Mines in that game, and Luke Parker was the winning pitcher. Mines rallied again in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader for a 13-11 victory. Ben Leiphart added an Oredigger home run and Jackson Kay pitched the win. Game two on Saturday was all Mines in a 17-5 boat race. That contest featured four hits from Alex Dunagan including two doubles and a triple. Will Niles was the starter and the winning pitcher. The Orediggers clinched the sweep on Sunday, 17-8, thanks to a Dunagan long ball and a stellar close from Kay on the mound. It marked Mines' first sweep of the season and the Orediggers' second series win of the year.
 
SCOUTING MSU DENVER
The Roadrunners of MSU Denver are running hot after winning seven of their last eight games. Last weekend was MSU Denver's open weekend in the RMAC schedule, so the Roadrunners hosted University of Mary in Denver. The Roadrunners took three of four from the Marauders, with all three wins coming by two runs or less. In late February, MSU Denver lost three to UCCS in a non-conference series. Earlier-season action included sweeps of Missouri Western and Newman. Noah Wicks and Brooks Rasmussen are both hitting over .400 so far this season and they have scored 26 runs each. Wicks touts 11 doubles, one triple and five home runs. Rasmussen boasts nine doubles, two triples, and one home run. Also notable at the plate is Buzard Lathen who has hit six home runs while batting .385 and slugging .744 with 30 RBI. Jake Syverson, a NCAA Division I transfer from Missouri State serves as MSU Denver's top arm. He's 3-0 in six starts with a 4.33 ERA and 1.22 WHIP fueled by 29 strikeouts compared to eight walks in 35.1 innings of work. Brayden McCollough also owns three wins and 34 strikeouts in 24.2 innings across six starts. Carter Swan has recoded three saves and touts a 3.86 ERA and 1.54 WHIP on the merits of 20 strikeouts and nine walks in 11.2 innings through nine appearances.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Since 2009, the Orediggers and Roadrunners have played 78 times. Mines has won 37 of those games while MSU Denver has won 41. Last season, the Roadrunners swept the Orediggers in Denver. In 2024, Mines hosted MSU Denver and won the series on the last weekend of the regular season. The teams split their conference series in 2023. Mines' best run against the Roadrunners in recent history was 12 wins in 13 meetings from 2017-19.
 
THE RETURNERS
The 2026 roster for Oredigger baseball features 19 players who saw action for Mines in 2025. That list includes 10 bats and nine arms with Luke Parker touting experience at the plate and on the mound. Highlighting the group of veterans at the plate are Evan Bilter, Tyler Hummel, Jackson Babcock, and Tyler Pina. Bilter, Hummel, and Babcock had the top three batting averages among everyday players on the team last year with Pina serving as the starting catcher and a 2024 Second-Team All-RMAC selection. On the mound, the Orediggers will benefit from returning starters Will Niles, Alex Honeyman, and Grady Booth who all started at least nine games in 2025.  
 
FRESH FACES
Mines Baseball Head Coach Robby Bales put in work during the offseason and brought in 19 fresh faces to bolster the Oredigger roster. The list of newcomers includes 14 true freshmen and four transfers, and one familiar face who worked his way back on the team. Logan Burchfiel, Owen Elser, Justin Kubojiri, Owen Hicks, Keyan Lundvall, Tai Nguyen, Justin Holcomb, Brandon Schaff, Alex Piscotty, Drew Fairman, Matthew Turner, Mateo Aldecocea, Brady Syers, and Sam Strong are the true freshmen. Alex Freund (College of the Canyons), Dylan Burke (Sacramento City College), Jake Verwiel (San Francisco), and William Schulte (Johnson County CC) represent the transfer class. Dillon Alcouffe was a member of the Mines squad in 2023 and 2024. He rejoined the team this fall.
 
IN THE PROS
Over the last eight 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 the trio is Walter Pennington (2017-20).
 
WALTER PENNINGTON
Walter Pennington is currently a free agent. He was signed as a free agent by the Kansas City Royals in the summer of 2020. Pennington spent 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023 in the Royals' minor league system where he found success including a nod to the International (AAA) All-Star team. In 2024, Pennington 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. Last year, Pennington was moved from the Texas Rangers to the Baltimore Orioles where he was eventually designated for assignment as he worked through injuries. Pennington was recently released by the Chesapeake Baysox, the double-A affiliate of the Orioles.
 
THE SKIPPER
The 2026 campaign marks Mines' eighth season with Robby Bales as head coach. During his tenure as the Oredigger skipper, Bales holds an overall record of 168-149 with a mark of 109-95 in RMAC play. He has coached his players to 27 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
Next weekend, Mines travels to #3 Colorado Mesa for a four-game, RMAC series in Grand Junction, Colo. Fans can watch the series with a subscription to the RMAC Network. There will also be free live stats 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.