Mines blows New Mexico Highlands away in four-game series

Orediggers score combined 65 runs in two doubleheaders

BY CORINNE WESTEMAN CWESTEMAN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Over the April 1-2 weekend, the Colorado School of Mines baseball team took a cue from the Colorado wind and blew their opponents away.

e Orediggers swept all four home games against the New Mexico Highland Cowboys, winning the April 1 doubleheader 15-3 and 16-0, and the April 2 doubleheader 27-7 and 7-6. e last one was a walk-o victory for Mines, after the game went into extra innings.

Overall, the Orediggers scored a combined 65 runs during the four-game series.

“( e players) bought into the concept of what we were trying to preach at the plate,” Coach Robby Bales said after the April 1 doubleheader. “ ey came out swinging the bats pretty hot.” anks to their strong o ensive e orts over the weekend, the Orediggers are now tied for third in conference standings with a 9-7 RMAC record and 13-15 overall.

Among those with strong at-bat stats, fth-year senior Adam Houghtaling had multiple doubles and one home run over the weekend.

He hoped the Orediggers could build on this momentum through the latter half of the season, saying the team can’t take “any innings o ” and must work on putting teams away.

“It all comes down to having complementary at-bats, passing it o from one guy to the next,” Houghtaling said. “When we have nine people who are committed to having team at-bats, then we’re a dangerous lineup.”

Along with Mines’ monster o ensive e orts, Bales also commended his pitchers for giving the team a great defensive start April 1. Redshirt senior Blake Ripp opened the rst game, racking up six strikeouts and allowing one hit in six innings. Fellow senior Kevin Zapanta started the second game, and had eight strikeouts and allowed two hits across ve innings.

“It was a great feeling to get out there and do the job that we were supposed to do,” Zapanta said of the April 1 wins. “ … Five innings and two hits is never something you can complain about.”

How many at-bats are left?

With the Cowboys now defeated, the Orediggers are now more than halfway through the season, with 19 games remaining — 10 of them at home.

us, it’s the nal stretch for the team’s seven seniors, including Houghtaling and Zapanta. Both are graduating this spring, with pitcher and rst baseman from the Houston area, started his college baseball career at a Texas junior college. He’ll graduate with a degree in electrical engineering, after using the COVID-19 year of eligibility to play three seasons for the Orediggers. ond of it … (and) not really taking any days for granted,” he continued. “I’m not sure how many more at-bats I’m going to get in the future.” a mechanical engineering degree, is graduating with a master’s in engineering and technology management. In re ecting on his nal season, he remarked how much fun it is to play at home and believed Mines was “in a good spot” record-wise for the rest of the season.

Houghtaling starting a job in Centennial and Zapanta still exploring job opportunities.

“We have the capabilities to compete with the top teams in the RMAC … but sometimes we don’t always play like that,” he said. “ …We just got to keep our heads down and keep working.”

Houghtaling and Bales felt likewise, saying Mines has struggled in close games this season. Both said the seniors must continue leading the team by setting the tempo for the younger players.