GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – Oredigger baseball put together a defensive stand during their Sunday finale at #3 Colorado Mesa, but it wasn't enough as Mines lost 7-1.
 
Tyler Easter was the Oredigger star on offense, churning out three hits with one run and a double. Jackson Babock also recorded a double and Joe Reitz accounted for the lone RBI. Matt Potter (0-3) was Mines' starting pitcher and took the loss following five runs (three earned) on five hits with four walks and a strikeout in 2.0 innings. Brandon Schaff and Tai Nugyen combined for 2.1 innings of shutout baseball to finish the game. Luke Parker also came out of the bullpen. Bridget Clontz (1-0) got the winning decision in relief.
 
Overall, Mines (9-21, 6-10 RMAC) recorded more hits than Colorado Mesa (30-3, 16-0). The Orediggers notched seven knocks including two doubles. The Mavericks had six hits with none for extra bases. Mines' defense did commit one error in the field which resulted in two unearned runs. The CMU defense was errorfree in the field. The visiting pitching staff posted seven strikeouts and five walks. The home arms totaled eight strikeouts compared to one walk.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Colorado Mesa scored four runs (two earned) on three walks, two hits, and one error in the first inning. After that, Mines' defense locked in and limited the Mavericks' high-powered offense to just three runs across the next seven frames. Potter held CMU hitless in the second inning and Parker retired the home team in order in the third. Parker bounced back from a one-run fourth inning and used 14 pitches to produce a 1-2-3 fifth inning. Colorado Mesa manufactured one more run in the sixth inning. Easter started the seventh with a double and eventually scored thanks to Reitz's two-out single. That marked the end of the scoring for both teams. Schaff shrugged off a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh and added another zero to the scoreboard with a strikeout. The Orediggers went down in order in the eighth while Schaff and Mines' defense answered with another shutout frame. In the end, CMU's whole-staff approach on the mound worked out with a fresh arm keeping the Orediggers from a late rally in the top of the ninth.
 
NOTABLES
- Alex Dunagan and Tyler Pina also recorded hits for the Orediggers on Sunday.
- Brody Duvall was another baserunner for Mines after being hit by a pitch.
- Easter is now hitting .343 in 26 games this spring, and Babcock is up to 10 doubles so far in 2026.
- For the weekend, Pina batted .500 with one run, one RBI, and one double.
- Head Coach Robby Bales is now 168-161 in his eighth season at the helm.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines hosts CSU Pueblo next Friday-Sunday at Jim Darden Field.
 
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.