Hard Hitting Softball Team Ends Record Season

The Colorado School of Mines softball team started out the 2007 season slowly, but came on by midseason to finish the year with a school-record 25 wins. The victory total surpassed the previous record of 22 wins set in 2002 and repeated in 2004.

CSM’s opening two weekends were both snowed out in early Feb., meaning the Orediggers did not play their first doubleheader until Feb. 25 at Colorado College. But the wait was well worth it.

In the season opening doubleheader, the Orediggers swept Colorado College, 30-0 and 6-0. In game two, sophomore pitcher Taylor Cayou fired a perfect game. She didn’t walk a batter, struck out eight, and was aided by CSM scoring three runs in the third inning and three more in the seventh. Cayou retired seven Tigers via groundballs and six by flyouts.

The Orediggers then opened up conference play by dropping seven of their first eight games, but rallied during its spring break trip to Tucson to post a 5-3 record in the desert.

After the trip south, the Orediggers returned to Colorado and went 17-12 over the final seven weeks of the season. Included in the streak were four-game splits on the road with Western New Mexico and UC-Colorado Springs, the teams that finished second and third in the conference.

Over the final two weekends of the season, the Orediggers won a combined 6-of-8 games from New Mexico Highlands and Chadron State and wound up winning nine of its final 14 games. Despite the hot streak to end the season, CSM missed out on qualifying for the RMAC Tournament as it finished seventh in the overall standings. The top six teams qualified for the tournament.

Several CSM players enjoyed outstanding seasons, but none more so than seniors Beth Skidmore and Brianne Brennan. The senior duo finished their careers by winning 81 games, the most by a senior class in softball history.

In addition, Brennan finished her career as the all-time leader at CSM in home runs (16), runs batted in (107), hits (169), runs (113) and walks (88). Skidmore leaves as the all-time program leader in at-bats (534) and doubles (45).

Both Brennan and Skidmore were named to the Honorable Mention All-RMAC Team. For Brennan, it was the fourth consecutive season that she was named to the team.

In addition, five other Orediggers garnered all-conference honors. Sophomore utility player Katie Kocman was named to the First Team, while freshman rightfielder Jackye Lagen was an Honorable Mention pick, as well as the Co-Freshman of the Year.

Sophomore second baseman Sara Eickelman, junior shortstop Melissa Stratton and freshman centerfielder Kaleigh Starr were all named to the Honorable Mention team.

Spring Sports Wrap-Up

Baseball

Golf

Senior Mark Vallee played in the 2007 NCAA Division II Northwest/West Super Regional Golf Championships at Fox Hollow Golf Course held May 7-9. Vallee fired a three day total of 220 (71-78-71) en route to a tie for fifth place. It marked the third straight year he qualified for the Super Regionals. In addition, Vallee captured the 2007 NCAA Division II Spring Regional Head-to-Head Title played at The Pinery Country Club, April 16-17. He shot a 218 total (71-73-74) and won the tournament with a birdie-eagle finish on the final two holes.

Track and Field

CSM competed at the RMAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Alamosa, May 6-8 and both teams placed fifth. Nick Maynard was the lone CSM athlete to win a conference title as he captured the 800-meters. On the women’s side, Savannah Afoa (discus), Kaity Edmiston (100 hurdles-photo above), Mellisa Rhodes (pole vault) and Gina Nichols (triple jump) all placed second in their events. CSM’s men’s squad finished 25th at nationals held May 24-26.

Oredigger Overtime

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• Dan Lewis was named the head wrestling coach on April 10 after Steve Kimpel resigned the position in March. This will be Lewis’ second stint as head coach of the Orediggers, as he previously held the position from 1992-2002. During that time, he coached four NCAA II National Champions, 10 All-Americans and was named the 1996 NCAA II Coach of the Year after leading the Orediggers to a seventh place finish at the Division II national championships. Four of Lewis’ teams at CSM captured the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team Championship.

• Clint Rountree and Chad Bostwick were named assistant football coaches by Head Coach Bob Stitt on March 14. Rountree comes to CSM from The University of Tulsa, where he spent the 2006 season as a graduate assistant with the defensive backs. Bostwick comes to Golden from Maryville, MO, where he served as a graduate assistant coach for the last two years at Northwest Missouri State with the Bearcat linebackers. Over the last two years, Bostwick helped lead NWMSU to a pair of Southwest Regional Championships and two NCAA Division II National Runner-Up finishes.

• Senior indoor track and field athlete Heather Beresford was selected as the 2007 U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) North Central Regional Indoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year. Beresford earned All-American honors at the Division II Indoor National Championships by placing third in the mile run (4:47.86). It marked the third straight season that she placed in the top three.

• The Colorado School of Mines baseball, softball, golf and outdoor track and field teams combined to place 31 student-athletes on the 2007 Spring Academic All-RMAC Team. To qualify for Academic All-RMAC, student-athletes must have a GPA of 3.20 or better, be a starter or key reserve, and have completed two consecutive semesters or three quarters at their current institution.