GOLDEN, Colo. – Colorado School of Mines head softball coach Tobin Echo-Hawk has announced the addition of three more student-athletes who will join the Orediggers for the 2027 season. The latest round of newcomers will add depth in the circle and middle infield, and bring experience from the prep, junior college and Division I levels.
 
Kaelin Hicks // Pitcher // Crosby, Texas // San Jacinto College (Crosby HS)
Hicks will come to Golden after spending two seasons at San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas. As a freshman in 2025, she went 4-5 with a 4.87 ERA in 29 appearances with 14 starts for 96.1 innings and struck out 54. This spring Hicks led the Ravens to the NJCAA Division I World Series and posted a record of 17-9 in 40 appearances with 28 starts for 171 innings with 88 strikeouts and a 2.62 ERA. Hicks was named First Team All-South Conference, and also took home Pitcher of the Year honors. At the prep level, Hicks played at Crosby High School where she earned First Team, Second Team and Honorable Mention All-District honors. Off the field, Hicks was named both Academic All-District and Academic All-State. She competed for Hotshots Frederikson on the club level and plans to major in Mechanical Engineering at Mines.
 
Liz Phillips // Pitcher // Littleton, Colo. // Oregon State (Columbine HS)
Phillips comes to Mines after beginning her career at Division I Oregon State. She will be a second generation Oredigger, following in the footsteps of her mother and current Civil Engineering professor Cara Phillips (Liverant). With the Beavers, she appeared in two games and made her collegiate debut against #7 Tennessee and recorded a strikeout. She also worked two innings in relief against Arizona State. At the prep level, Phillips was a two-sport athlete at Columbine High School where she starred in tennis and softball. An four-year letter winner in each sport, Phillips led Columbine to a 2022 CHSAA Class 5A State Championship as a senior. That fall she pitched 137 innings and posted a 2.60 ERA while at the dish batted .357 with four home runs and a .402 on-base percentage. In her career she was named First Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-State in softball and earned Second Team All-Conference honors in tennis. Off the field, Phillips was four-year Honor Roll member and an Academic All-State selection. On the club circuit, she competed for the Colorado Batbusters. Phillips plans to major in Mechanical Engineering at Mines.
 
Kylie Smith // Infielder // Loveland, Colo. // Windsor HS
A two-sport athlete who competed at Windsor High School, Smith comes to Mines following a decorated career on the diamond and the hardwood with a combined eight varsity letters. A career .376 hitter, she batted .466 in her senior season preceded by marks of .359 and .321 as a junior and sophomore. Smith also racked up 106 career hits and 76 RBI while playing both middle infield positions and was named First Team All-State. On the court, she was a First Team All-Conference selection and team captain who averaged 9.0 PPG and 6.0 RPG as a senior. On the club tour, she competes for Triple Crown Gold-Kapelke. In the classroom, Smith was Salutatorian of her graduating class at Windsor Charter Academy. A four-year member of the Dean's List, she was also named Academic All-State in both softball and basketball. Smith also received the Clinton Percy Memorial Scholarship and the WCA Booster Club Scholarship. She plans to major in Civil Engineering at Mines.
 
Those three join the quintet of Cota Barmore, Katie Barrett, Quinn Corbett, Claire Kohlman and Hannah Walker who were announced in December. Read more about the first group of five newcomers here.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines softball on X at @MinesSoftball and on Instagram at @mines_sb. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, X and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.