Karissa Hamilton was a prolific high school hitter in Indiana but she also qualified for the state swim meet three years.
Kentucky softball has a six-game fall exhibition season and one of the new players who should be fun to watch is freshman Karissa Hamilton, Indiana’s Miss Softball last season when she hit .526 in 30 games with 11 home runs after 39 runs batted-in.
Of course, as a junior she hit a single-season record tying 22 homers with 55 RBI’s and a .604 batting average.
She played catcher, center field and third base for Shelbyville High School but she also spent part of her offseason on the high school swim team.
Hamilton played basketball in elementary school but decided to try swimming in sixth grade because of a new coach but also has a way to stay in condition and build muscle.
“My sister, who is now a senior in college, started swimming. I was a little sixth grader and I also wanted to try and be like my sister,” Hamilton said. “I stuck with it and really liked it. My eighth-grade year I broke the 50 free (style) record.”
“My freshman year I had to get up at 5:30 (a.m. to swim) in the freezing cold water in the middle of winter. After school we would swim another two hours for about four months. I did that all through high school, so I am glad I liked it.”
Hamilton made the state swim meet as a freshman on a relay team that included her sister. She also got to the state meet two other times in her high school career and despite her softball success/commitments, she never slacked when it came to swim practice.
“My swimming career meant a lot to me also,” she said.
She managed to set six swimming records in her “second” sport.
“Softball is my passion but I think doing more than one sport is good for you and keeps you healthy and moving,” she said. “I liked the morning workouts and the 6 a.m. lifts at Kentucky are tough but I have already experienced those early morning workouts. I am not a morning person but I was prepared for those workouts. Now once I am up, I am up and ready to go.”
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2022 Kentucky Softball Fall Schedule
Sept. 18 – at Eastern Kentucky; 1pm ET
Sept. 23 – vs. Georgetown; 6pm ET
Sept. 29 – vs. Campbellsville; 6pm ET
Oct. 1 – at Dayton; 11am ET
Oct. 9 – at Louisville; 1pm ET
Oct. 29 – vs. Louisville (Big Blue Boo); 6pm ET
