Alexia Lacatena can throw in the high 60's. (New Jersey Herald Photo)
No matter how the experience turns out for her, Kentucky is still going to be an Olympian on its softball team next season. Signee Alexia Lacatena of New Jersey has been named to Team Italy that will compete in the Tokyo Olympics. She helped Team Italy win the European Softball Championship over the weekend.
Lacatena is ranked as the nation’s 37th best player in the 2021 signing class by Extra Innings Softball as part of UK’s No. 9 recruiting class.
Kentucky assistant coach Brittany Cervantes will be representing Team Mexico in the Olympics as well.
Lacatena has been a New Jersey phenom.
She went 23-4 as a freshman pitcher for Lenape Valley (N.J.) and had 285 strikeouts in 179 innings with a 0.94 earned run average. She had 12 shutouts, six one-hitters, and two no-hitters. She then spent the summer in Italy playing for Team Italy in the under-19 European Women’s Championship.
As a sophomore, she had a 14-4 record with 246 strikeouts in 126 innings and gave up just 12 earned runs.
However, one reason coach Rachel Lawson liked her so much was her versatility. She also plays shortstop and second base but she does throw in the high 60’s and could be a dominant pitcher UK needs.
“It’s just a whole different level of competition,” Lacatena, who has had two sisters play Division 1 softball at Youngstown State, told the New Jersey Herald after signing with Kentucky. “All the best people go there, all the best athletes, it’s just a whole different level.
“Being able to play against that, play with people like that, it’s just going to make me better. As a team, it’s a whole different environment. Being able to play at that level has always been a goal.
“Growing up, it’s always been that I’m going to play in the SEC and next step I’m going to go to the Olympics or play for a pro team. It’s always been a goal of mine and it’s just insane to think that it’s happening. I’m only 18, it’s really insane. It’s so overwhelming and exciting and it’s amazing.”
