PUEBLO, Colo. — Colorado State University Pueblo Baseball returns to the road this weekend as the ThunderWolves travel to Golden, Colo., for a four-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference series at Colorado School of Mines.
The series opens Thursday, April 2, with a single nine-inning game at 6 p.m., followed by a Friday doubleheader beginning at noon. The four-game set concludes Saturday with a nine-inning finale scheduled for noon.
CSU Pueblo enters the weekend with momentum after winning three straight games and five of its last seven overall, including taking three of four games last weekend against Colorado Christian to secure its first RMAC series win of the season. The ThunderWolves improved to 13-16 overall and 5-7 in conference play following the series victory.
The Pack dropped the opener against Colorado Christian, 10-6, before bouncing back to sweep a doubleheader (9-7, 3-1) and closing the weekend with a 14-8 victory. The series win marked a turning point for CSU Pueblo after opening RMAC play with a four-game sweep at Colorado Mesa and a split series at Regis.
Historically, CSU Pueblo holds a 54-42 all-time advantage over Mines, including winning three of four meetings last season in Pueblo. The ThunderWolves lead 37-19 at home but trail 21-17 in Golden. Mines has won six of the last 10 meetings, though the Pack owns a 51-37 advantage in RMAC match-ups.
Following this weekend's road series, CSU Pueblo returns home April 10-12 for a four-game RMAC series, highlighted by the 21st Annual Pack the Park game on Friday, April 10 at Runyon Field.
ABOUT CSU PUEBLO
CSU Pueblo's offense continues to drive the team's success this season. The ThunderWolves enter the weekend hitting .314 as a team with 294 hits and 214 runs scored across 29 games. CSU Pueblo has also produced 57 doubles, nine triples, and 20 home runs while posting a .409 on-base percentage and averaging 7.4 runs per game.
The Pack has scored eight or more runs in 13 games this season and holds an 11-2 record in those contests, while going 2-11 when scoring five or fewer runs.
Junior outfielder Cooper Latino (Parker, Colo./Douglas County) has paced the ThunderWolves offensively and enters the weekend as this week's RMAC Hitter of the Week. Latino is batting .372 with six doubles, two home runs and 16 RBI, while posting a .698 slugging percentage. He has recorded five multi-hit games and enters the series riding a six-game reached-base streak.
Senior second baseman Devean Alvarez (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif./Chaffey College) has also been productive, hitting .370 overall and .440 over his last 10 games with 11 hits and nine runs scored. Junior catcher JJ Fontana (Fort Collins, Colo./Poudre) is batting .361 and has added speed on the base paths, going 6-for-7 in stolen base attempts.
Sophomore first baseman Tyler Clementz (Gilbert, Ariz./Basha) continues to provide consistency at the plate, hitting .356 with five doubles and 12 RBI, while senior rightfielder Jeremiah Sanchez (Pueblo, Colo./Pueblo West) leads the team with 38 hits and 10 doubles while batting .339.
Junior centerfielder Logan Kelly (Mission Viejo, Calif./Capistrano Valley Christian) has added offensive depth with 17 RBI, while senior utility player George Andrews (Overland Park, Kan./Coffeyville CC) leads the team with four home runs. Junior utility player Jason Arriola (Riverside, Calif./Norco) paces CSU Pueblo with 25 RBI, and senior infielder Taehyung Kim (Marana, Ariz./St. Cloud State) has contributed a .314 average with 16 RBI.
On the mound, CSU Pueblo owns a 7.03 team ERA with 162 strikeouts in 231.2 innings pitched. The ThunderWolves currently rank third in the RMAC in ERA.
Clementz leads the pitching staff with a 4-1 record and is expected to start Saturday's finale. Redshirt senior Jacob Petersheim (Broadway, Va./Broadway) leads the team with 25 strikeouts and has made seven starts, while sophomore Frank Flores Jr. (Colorado Springs, Colo./Air Academy) has logged 21 strikeouts in 30.2 innings.
Senior Luke Ruby (Fort Collins, Colo./Resurrection Christian) has been effective in both starting and relief roles, posting a 3.57 ERA, while senior Cole Bloomer (Arapahoe, Colo./Lamar CC) and senior Alex Oliver (Grove, Okla./Coffeyville CC) have contributed key innings out of the bullpen. Junior Jack Novak (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Thunder Ridge) leads the team with two saves.
Defensively, CSU Pueblo ranks sixth in the RMAC with a .954 fielding percentage and leads the conference with 31 double plays, which ranks fourth nationally in Division II.
Bobby Applegate is in his fifth season leading the ThunderWolves and owns a 123-116 career record at CSU Pueblo, including a 78-62 mark in RMAC play.
ABOUT MINES
Colorado School of Mines enters the weekend at 9-21 overall and 6-10 in RMAC play. The Orediggers have lost eight straight games after being swept in consecutive series against MSU Denver and No. 3 Colorado Mesa.
Despite recent struggles, Mines ranks fifth in the RMAC in hitting with a .339 team batting average and averages 8.9 runs per game.
Evan Bilter leads the Orediggers with a .427 batting average, 50 hits, 35 RBI and six home runs. Brody Duvall is hitting .426, while Tyler Hummell (.368) and Jackson Babcock (.357, 37 RBI) provide additional offensive production.
On the mound, Mines owns a 9.64 team ERA and has allowed 356 runs this season. Will Niles leads the staff with 39.2 innings pitched, while Alex Honeyman leads the team with three wins.
Defensively, Mines ranks eighth in the RMAC with a .947 fielding percentage and has committed 53 errors this season.
Robby Bales is in his eighth season as head coach of the Orediggers and owns a 168-161 record at Mines.
