Kentucky Softball's Kayla Kowalik Named No. 1 Catcher in the Country
Kentucky softball star Kayla Kowalik has been ranked the No. 1 catcher in the country by Extra Innings ahead of the upcoming 2023 season.
Back in July, Kowalik announced that she would return for her fifth year of college softball. The three-time All-SEC performer and 2021 All-American was recently accepted into graduate school and will complete the first year of her MBA program at UK.
A star in the making
Kowalik has been a standout since her freshman year as a Wildcat in which she was awarded SEC Freshman of the Week twice.
The native of New Braunfels, TX continued to shine during her sophomore season. The talented Wildcat recorded the most triples in the country and broke the previous record for most triples in a single season at UK.
During her junior year, Kowalik was the lead-off batter for each game under head coach Rachel Lawson. Not only was she selected to the All-SEC team but she also led the NCAA’s Power 5 conferences in batting average.
Over her previous two seasons as a ‘Cat, Kowalik held a .450 batting average. She was in contention for the 2021 National Player of the Year award, but ultimately came up short.
Kowalik finished her 2021-22 senior campaign with 57 runs and 28 RBI across 181 at-bats while hitting .420. She owns the program records for total runs scored (214), triples hit (21), and career batting percentage (.419). Kowalik needs just 15 more career hits to own the program record in that category, too.
Softball season nearing
This preseason ranking does not come as a shock considering the exceptional resume that Kowalik has built during her previous four seasons at Kentucky.
Kowalik and the rest of the Kentucky softball team begin their season on Friday, Feb. 10 in Clearwater, FL. They will face off against five teams across a three-day slate, including a matchup against in-state rival Louisville, in the 2023 NFCA Lead-Off Classic.
The Wildcats’ home opener is on Wednesday, March 8 at 5 p.m. EST. UK will go up against the University of Dayton Flyers that afternoon at John Cropp Stadium in Lexington.
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