Mines Hosts MSU Billings in Home Opener
GOLDEN, Colo. – After opening the 2026 season last weekend in Texas, the Colorado School of Mines softball team will play its home debut this Sunday with a doubleheader against MSU Billings at Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. Mountain Time.
Fans can watch the games on the RMAC Network, a pay-per-view service this season, with Kienan Dixon calling the action. Live stats will also be available free of charge. Links for both video and statistics can be found on minesathletics.com.
This year marks a change for RMAC Network broadcasts, moving to a pay-per-view model for all events. Monthly subscriptions cost $25, while annual subscriptions are available for $130. Single-game passes are priced at $10, granting access for 24 hours. Technical support is available through Hudl Support or by emailing the RMAC directly at rmac@rmacsports.org. Further assistance can be found on the RMAC Network Help page.
The weather forecast for Sunday predicts highs in the mid-60s with plenty of sunshine and northwest winds up to 12 miles per hour, creating ideal conditions for softball.
What we have is the second season under head coach Tobin Echo-Hawk, who is looking to return the Orediggers to the postseason after a 22-32 overall record and a 21-22 RMAC record in 2025. Echo-Hawk boasts a career record of 276-369 across 13 seasons at the NCAA level, including stops at Portland State and UTEP.
Joining Echo-Hawk’s staff this season is assistant coach Zoe Bacon, who will primarily work with the pitching staff, and Jordan Ruiz, who moves into a more prominent role after serving as a part-time assistant last fall.
Mines enters the weekend with a 2-3 record following the Top Gun Lone Star DII College Classic. They secured wins over Texas A&M Kingsville and MSU Moorhead, but faced tough competition from #24 Missouri Southern, Emporia State, and UT Dallas.
In the opening game against Texas A&M Kingsville, the Orediggers won 10-7, highlighted by Katie Bauer going 2-3 with three RBI and a game-tying triple in the seventh inning. Kat Miller earned the win in relief, pitching 5.2 strong innings. Lauren Romero, Emily Rogers, and Emiaj Self each recorded two hits. A 7-1 loss to Missouri Southern followed, despite the teams tying in the third inning. Emporia State defeated Mines 6-0, with Grace Weiler’s RBI double scoring Self to break up the shutout.
The Orediggers rebounded with an 8-3 victory over MSU Moorhead, scoring in all six innings. Kendall Aragon and Brooke Gonzales each drove in a pair of runs in the first, while Katie Bauer hit an inside-the-park home run in the fourth. Taylor Wayne pitched a complete game to earn the win. The weekend concluded with a game against UT Dallas that was called due to a travel curfew, resulting in an 8-4 loss.
This year’s team captains are Kendall Aragon, Taylor Wayne, Lauren Romero, Emiaj Self, Lindy French, and Kylie Bickford. Aragon has been a consistent leader since arriving in 2023, boasting a .409 batting average in 2025 and earning Second Team All-RMAC honors. Wayne returns after missing the 2024 season due to injury, bringing valuable experience to the pitching staff. Romero is expected to remain a fixture in the infield, while Self emerged as the everyday starter at shortstop last season, batting .349. French is back in action after an injury cut her 2025 season short, and Bickford is expected to contribute as a true freshman at the hot corner.
The Orediggers welcomed nine newcomers to the team this season, including Kylie Bickford, Rylee Church, Ariana Hughes, Madyson Ortiz, Sydney Pendowski, Morgan Stewart, Miquela Tammaro, Nina Sammoury, and Lucy Herston.
Mines was picked to finish sixth in the RMAC preseason poll, while MSU Billings will come to Golden after going 2-4 at the Minot State Beaver Bubble Invite. Grace Hood leads the Yellowjackets at the plate, batting .450 with three home runs and 11 RBI.
The Orediggers and Yellowjackets have met six times previously, with Mines holding a 4-1 advantage in the series. The last meeting was in 2019, a 4-3 extra-innings victory for Mines.
Following the doubleheader against MSU Billings, Mines will travel to Denver to face MSU Denver on February 14 before returning to Joe Coors, Jr. Softball Field for a single game against Regis on February 15.
Fans can follow Mines softball on X at @MinesSoftball and on Instagram at @mines_sb.
