Kayla Kowalik could have a "huge breakout" year. (Kentucky Athletics Photo)
Kentucky softball coach Rachel Lawson believes junior catcher/outfielder Kayla Kowalik could have a “huge breakout” season this year. Actually, Kowalik was on her way to that breakout season last year when the pandemic stopped play. She hit .373 and knocked in 13 runs. She led the NCAA with eight triples in only 24 games that broke the UK single-season record set by Tiffany Kruse in 2000.
Kentucky opens the season with a three-game set at Samford this weekend.
“She is probably the best leadoff hitter I have ever had here,” Lawson said.
That’s a big statement from a coach who has won 452 games in 13 seasons, including 142 SEC wins and 107 wins against top 25 teams. Obviously, she’s had some terrific players, including 50 who earned all-SEC honors.
So what makes Kowalik the best leadoff hitter?
“She is strong, fast, can shorten up (and bunt), and has now added the home run ball,” Lawson said.
The coach expects her junior star to have an “immediate impact” this weekend and continue to build on that. “She actually did last year but the season was cut short but she is really, really good and could have a huge breakout season,” Lawson said.
Kowalik had a 27-game on-base streak as a freshman that broke the mark current UK assistant coach Brittany Cervantes set in 2011. She played center field but moved behind the plate last year.
“She’s going to spend a lot of time behind the dish this year but she is so fast she can’t catch all the time or we will wear her out,” Lawson said.
The Cats also bring back sophomore outfielder Rylea Smith, who hit .420 in 24 games in 2020. She reached base safely in 18 straight games and had a 16-game hitting streak last year.
“Last year she was tremendous offensively but her defense needed work,” Lawson said. “She has put in a lot of work. She is a lot better now at running down balls and finishing catches with a lot more range.
“She has added a little more power at the plate. The really effective players can drop a bunt but when you come in they can cram it down your throat. They are the ones who can take over a game against an outstanding pitcher. Last year she was at the top of a lot of our offensive statistics and there is no indicator she can not do that again.”
Also remember the name Renee Abernathy, a junior outfielder. She played behind Bailey Vick the last two years but Vick has graduated and now Abernathy is taking advantage of her opportunity to shine.
“She was our leading hitter in the fall. She is incredibly strong and fast. She is just a really good outfielder who is going to have a big impact on our team this year,” Lawson said.
