TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – The Rose-Hulman athletic department will be featuring multiple student-athletes across all of their varsity sports teams this summer in the Fightin' Engineers to Watch media campaign.
 
Softball's Fightin' Engineer to watch is catcher Jessica Newsom as she enters her senior season.
 
Newsom is coming off a sensational junior year where she led Rose-Hulman in nearly every statistical category. She recorded team-highs with a .398 batting average, .695 slugging percentage, 51 hits, 41 runs, 11 doubles, nine home runs, and 30 RBIs while going a perfect 16-16 on stolen base attempts. For her efforts, the Lawrenceville, Georgia native was named to the All-HCAC First Team and the All-Region Third Team.
 
"My experience on the Rose-Hulman Softball Team has been amazing thanks to my teammates," said Newsom. "Together, we were able to achieve some of the best seasons in program history, as we qualified for the 2025 HCAC Tournament, ending a 16-year drought. Not only do we hope to return to the conference tournament next season, but my goal is to win the 2027 HCAC Tournament Championship."
 
Newsom's name is etched all over the Rose-Hulman record books. She currently ranks second in school history with career totals of a .399 batting average, .659 career slugging percentage, 102 runs, 18 home runs, and 249 total bases. Additionally, Newsom ranks third in career totals of 151 hits, 38 doubles, and 28 stolen bases.
 
Newsom is pursuing a degree in civil engineering, and she is spending her summer interning with HNTB in Indianapolis, Indiana, as a Bridge Engineer. "I have been lucky enough to work in the same office as my teammate, Lucille Pyrz," said Newsom. "Outside of work, we have been making the most of our summer, where we have been to a Cub game, gone tubing and kayaking, and have been able to enjoy lots of good food."
 
Being a student-athlete has given Newsom an outlet from her schoolwork, while providing her with an incredible support system. "My teammates understand the challenges of balancing demanding academics, competing as an athlete, and still making time to enjoy life. They are the best part of being a student-athlete at Rose-Hulman, and they continue to push me to become a better athlete, student, and person."
 
The Fightin' Engineers will open the 2027 season in Melbourne, Florida, for the Space Coast Spring Games at dates that are yet to be determined.