CHADRON, Neb. -- April 19, 2016 -- After having last weekend's scheduled games against Colorado School Mines in Chadron cancelled because of the weather, the Chadron State College softball team will wrap up its regular season this weekend by hosting the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.

The double-headers will begin at noon Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. 

The Eagles enter this weekend's action with a 25-15-1 record overall and a 19-9 mark in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, good for third place in the 13-team standings. Regardless of the outcome with UCCS, this year's team will go down as one of the most successful since softball was reinstated at CSC 10 years ago.

Only the 2014 team, which finished 28-23 for the season and 23-11 in the RMAC, can match this year's record.  None of the others reached .500 either for the season or in the conference.

The Eagles also are headed to the RMAC playoffs for the third time.  That action will take place next week in Grand Junction with league-leader Colorado Mesa the host.  The Mavericks have won 29 consecutive games and are 33-1 in the conference.  Metro is next at 21-9, followed by the Eagles at 19-9, Regis 17-13, Colorado Mines 15-14, Colorado Springs 16-17, Western New Mexico 15-17, and Adams State 15-17.

Colorado Springs could make things interesting for the Eagles this weekend.  The Mountain Lions had lost seven of their eight games in April before edging Metro State 3-1 and 1-0 last Saturday. Snow in Colorado Springs forced cancellation of the Sunday twin-bill.

The Lions' ace pitcher, Haley Smith, threw both games, giving up just two hits and one run in the first game and six hits and no runs in the second contest.  Just a freshman, she's now 10-7 with a 3.16 earned run average for the season.

This will be the final home games for eight Chadron State seniors who have played a big role in this year's success.  They include both of the Eagles' primary pitchers—Tayler Hall and Cierra Cosslett—three regulars in the field—first baseman Katelyn Kruger, second baseman Rebekah Anthony and  rightfielder Shea Graham—along with utility players Amanda Einspahr, Caroline Johnson and Breeze Phillips.

Coach Rob Stack says Hall and Cosslett are the best pair of pitchers the Eagles have ever had. Both transferred a year ago from Otero Community College at LaJunta, Colo., and immediately took over most of the duties in the circle.

Hall is a strong candidate to be the RMAC's Pitcher of the Year.  After going 12-14 with a 4.95 ERA last season, she's 13-2 with a 2.48 ERA this spring.  She has the second most wins in the conference and the lowest ERA.  She's pitched 98.2 innings, has given up 86 hits, struck out 110 batters for the best K's per inning in the RMAC, and has walked only 37.

Cosslett's numbers aren't quite as gaudy, but she's also pitched well this season.  She has a 10-8 record and a 3.21 ERA.  In 111.1 innings, she has yielded 122 hits, fanned 49 and walked 39.

In particular, Kruger has been an offensive stalwart for the Eagles.  She's a three-year starter at first and earned second-team all-RMAC last season, when she belted 13 home runs, drove in 41 runs and hit .374, all team highs.  This year, Kruger hasn't displayed as much power, but she has four homers, leads the team with 11 doubles, has driven in 28 runs, second high on the team, and is hitting a robust .336.

Kruger has a .296 career batting average and has walked 68 times while striking out just 44 times during her four years at CSC.

Both Graham, a three-year starter in the outfield, and Anthony are hitting right at .260 this season.  Einspahr often is used as a pinch runner, and has swiped 32 bases in 42 attempts during her career, including 17 of 20 in 2013.

The seniors also do well academically.  Anthony, Cosslett, Einspahr, Johnson and Phillips all have at least 3.30 grade point averages and received honorable mention on the RMAC's Academic All-Conference team this week