Kentucky Softball Signs Four Players to National Letter of Intent
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Kentucky Softball team led by 15th-year head coach Rachel Lawson announced four players signed a National Letter of Intent to play softball at the University of Kentucky on Thursday afternoon.
The class has received national praise from multiple outlets, ranking inside the top half of the Southeastern Conference overall, as well as inside the top-30 nationally for the sixth-straight season under Lawson’s direction.
“Our 2022 class is small in numbers, but mighty in what they will add to Kentucky Softball,” Lawson said. “All four of these Wildcats will bring strength up the middle to Lexington and in keeping with our program’s established culture, each of the four players are great students, high-character winners and from elite travel ball organizations.”
Lauryn Borzilleri | Riverside, California | @Lo_Borzilleri
- Infield
- Bats: R/Throws: R
- Travel ball team: Athletics Mercado
- Ranked as the No. 15 player in the class of 2022 by Extra Innings Softball
- 2021 Alliance Champion, 2020 Top Club national champion
- Hit .625 at Top Org Nationals, leading the team in runs batted in
Karissa Hamilton | Flat Rock, Indiana | @Karissala02
- Utility
- Bats: R/Throws: R
- Travel ball team: Indiana Magic Gold
- Ranked as the No. 22 overall player by Extra Innings Softball and the No. 7 catcher in the nation
- Last season, hit .604 with 22 HR’s, 55 RBI, 11 doubles and two triples en route to a single-season record tying season with her 22 HR’s. She was also named first team all-state and all-conference as well as a first-team all-American.
- Also a swimmer where she was a 2021 state qualifier in the 50m freestyle and 200m freestyle relay and a member of the National Honor’s Society
Taylor Hess | St. Augusta, Minnesota | @Taylor_Hess5
- Pitcher
- Bats: L/Throws: L
- Travel ball team: Fury Platinum Polk
- 2019 PGF National Champion and 2021 Top-20 finisher in Alliance
- 2019 and 2021 first team all-state, first team all-conference and all-section for Maple Lake High School
- Gatorade Player of the Year nominee in Minnesota in addition to being three-time conference champions, a 2021 state participant, and a two-time section champion
- In her junior year, she had a 0.61 ERA with five no-hitters, 18 shutouts, three perfect games, 249 strikeouts and a .449 batting average at the plate.
Chelsea Mack | Brecksville, Ohio | @Chelseamackkk
- Outfield
- Bats: L/Throws: R
- Travel ball team: Beverly Bandits 18U Premier
- Led the state of Ohio with 73 stolen bases in 2021, the second-most ever recorded in a single-season in Ohio softball history. She also hit .570 with 61 hits and 46 runs scored on the season in her junior year
- With the Bandits, she had a .462 batting average to the tune of 54 hits, 36 stolen bases and 36 runs scored
- NFCA High School All-American, PGF High School All-American in 2021, Extra Innings High School All-American, two-time member of the all-state team in Ohio, NFCA All-Region twice, 2021 county player of the year and 2021 league MVP.
- No. 19 overall player in class of 2022 by Extra Innings Softball, including the No. 7 OF.
Players who signed in the November 2021 window for Kentucky will be eligible to participate for the Wildcats in the 2023 NCAA Softball season.
For the latest on UK Softball, follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram at @UKSoftball.
