Kentucky softball announces open tryout

The University of Kentucky softball program will be hosting an open tryout session for the upcoming 2023 season.

The tryout will be held on Thursday, August 25th, and is open to all full-time, academically eligible UK students. If you are interested, please email Director of Operations, Brittany Cervantes at [email protected]. The applying student will be required to have completed a current physical, sickle cell test result, and full-time enrollment verification.

UK Varsity Women’s Softball Announces Open Tryout Informationhttps://t.co/30GFYovUSA

— Kentucky Softball (@UKsoftball) July 28, 2022

UK finished the 2022 season with a 37-19 record, falling to Virginia Tech in the NCAA Regional in May.

Head coach Rachel Lawson brought in an exciting freshman class for the 2023 season, including Chelsea Mack, who was recently named the recipient of the New Balance Golden Shoe Award. The award is given to a high school senior who has shown excellence in the sport, particularly in base stealing.

Mack is on record for 81 stolen bases out of 83 attempts in her senior high school season.

Kentucky veteran Kayla Kowalik also recently announced she will be joining the team for a fifth year. The 2021 All-American finished her 2021-22 senior year with 57 runs and 28 RBIs. Kowalik has also been named an All-SEC performer three times in her tenure at UK and will begin her first year of graduate school in the fall.

🚨 HAPPENING NOW!! 🚨

Kayla Kowalik announces on @BBNTonight she'll be back for a 5th year with @UKsoftball 👏

Get to @LEX18News right now to catch the rest of her interview pic.twitter.com/xadLh0PM4j

— BBN Tonight (@BBNTonight) July 6, 2022

This year is Kowalik’s fifth and final season with the ‘Cats.

Along with Kowalik, All-American Erin Coffel will also be joining the Wildcats for her junior year of NCAA play. Coffel was named an All-American in the 2022 season after a spectacular sophomore outing in which she recorded 20 home runs, 68 RBIs, 32 extra-base hits, and six stolen bases.

When asked about Kentucky’s goal for the season, Kowalik’s answer was simple: “I think the first goal is OKC. That has been my goal since I walked in four years ago. I think we can potentially win the SEC.”

Hopefully we will see the ‘Cats in Oklahoma City for the College World Series next spring.