SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University softball team (10-17, 9-13 RMAC) is set to return to Yellow Jacket Field for a mid-week Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) series against the Orediggers of Colorado School of Mines (16-14, 12-10 RMAC) on Thursday and Friday, March 28-29.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Black Hills State (10-17, 9-13 RMAC) vs. Colorado Mines (16-14, 12-10 RMAC)
Date: Thursday-Friday, March 28-29
Time: 12:00 PM (MT) (DH) // 11:00 AM (MT) (DH)
Location: Spearfish, S.D. (Yellow Jacket Field)
Watch: rmacnetwork.com // Live Stats: bhsuathletics.com
 
AROUND THE HORN

• Black Hills State looks to get back in the win column against Colorado Mines this week, sitting 7-1 in games played at Yellow Jacket Field.
• Mines and BHSU sit fifth and sixth, respectively, in the RMAC standing to enter a huge mid-week series.
• Kayla Lee holds a six-game hit streak entering the Mines series.
• BHSU continues to sit third in the RMAC in stolen bases with 47 as a team; led by Tyler Whitlock's and Kayla Lee's 13 for the Jackets.
• Three Yellow Jackets remain perfect on the season in stolen bases: Whitlock (13-for-13), Lee (13-for-13), and Taylor Dowden (11-for-11).
• Shayla Tuschen comes into the series sitting eighth in the RMAC in strike outs with 47.
• Alyssa Wong leads the team with her eight multi-RBI games, while her and Ashlynn Pauwels lead the team with five multi-RBI games each.

STILL CHASING PROGRAM RECORDS

• Black Hills State hunts for a new NCAA Division II era for wins in a season, the record being 13 back in 2022.
• The all-time program record for wins in a season is 17 in 2009 when the Jackets finished with a 17-16 record, the only winning season in program history.
• The 10 wins already this season is just the fourth season in the Division II era the Yellow Jackets have posted double-digit wins.
• The most wins in RMAC play in program history is 11, done back in 2022.
• BHSU looks to be just the third squad to post double-digit wins in RMAC play.
• One more win at home (played at Yellow Jacket Field) will set a BH Division II record for most wins at home in a season (7 back in 2015).

THE JACKETS WHEN…

• Black Hills State is 6-0 on the season when they lead after five innings of play.
• When scoring 6-9 runs in a game, BH is 5-1 this year & 3-0 when scoring 10+ runs.
• When holding opponents to 0-2 runs, BHSU is a perfect 6-0.
• Out-hitting opponent tends to lead to victories, sitting 8-0 when doing so in 2024.
• BH is 7-1 at Yellow Jacket Field.

RMAC RANKINGS

• A trio of Yellow Jackets sit in the top-10 in stolen bases: Tyler Whitlock and Kayla Lee both sit T6th in stolen bases (13), and Taylor Dowden sits T10^th (11).
• Shayla Tuschen sits 8^th in the RMAC with her 47 strike outs in the circle.

SWIPIN' BAGS!

• BHSU is 47-for-50 (94%) in stolen bases this season, still third in the RMAC.
• In league games only, BH sits second the RMAC with 40 stolen bases (40-for-43).
• The single-game high this year for BH has been five stolen bases, done twice against CSU Pueblo (March 1) and Adams State (March 9).
• Tyler Whitlock continues to lead the team in stolen bases with her 13 stolen bags (13-for-13), now also joined by Kayla Lee with 13 as well.
• She has now surpassed her grand total in the 2023 season (8) through just four weekends of the 2024 season.
• Taylor Dowden also sits in double digits in swiped bags (11-for-11).
• All three Yellow Jackets in double figures already this season sit top-10 in program history for a single season.
• The single-season record is 36 stolen bases held by Nia Shumpert in 2015.

100 HITS CLUB

• A pair of Yellow Jackets on the 2024 roster have joined the 100 hits club in their BH careers: Shayla Tuschen (126) and Gianna Haley (124).
• Tyler Whitlock is on the 100 Hits watch list, currently entering the weekend with 86 hits to her name.
• Kayla Lee also goes on watch, entering the weekend with 74 hits as a Yellow Jacket.
• Note: Counting only hits had in a BHSU uniform, hits at other institutions not included.

A GLANCE AT THE RECORD BOOK

• A look at where individual Yellow Jackets would stand inside the top-10 in single-season records, if the season ended today:
• DOUBLES (single-season record - 12): Ashlynn Pauwels enters the weekend with eight doubles to her name. Taylor Dowden and Alyssa Wong both sit with six.
• PITCHING WINS (single-season record - 9): Shayla Tuschen picked up her fifth win in New Mexico, while Laci Peskey sits right behind her with four wins.
• Already mentioned above is where stolen bases stand for single-season records.
• More information can be found on page seven of the game notes (linked above).

SERIES HISTORY – COLORADO MINES

• Colorado Mines leads the all-time series 29-8-1.
• Black Hills State looks to win, at least, just their second game against the Orediggers in Spearfish (Mines leads 10-1-1).
• The Orediggers swept the series last year in Golden, Colorado.

SCOUTING THE OREDIGGERS

• Mines was picked to finish fifth in the RMAC standings this season, entering the weekend in fifth with a 12-10 league record.
• The Orediggers are coming off a busy week where they played six games and held a 5-1 record, including an RMAC sweep of Fort Lewis last weekend.
• Mines enters the weekend with the best fielding percentage in the RMAC (.976).

RMAC PRESEASON POLL

• Following an 8-36 record in 2023, the Yellow Jackets were picked to finish tied for 11^th in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced on January 24.
• BHSU was tied to finish along with Adams State in this year's poll.

Up Next: Black Hills State will return to the state of Colorado next weekend with a four-game set against the Rangers of Regis University (19-13, 15-7 RMAC), who currently sit fourth in the RMAC, slated for Saturday-Sunday, April 6-7.