Kentucky softball coach Rachel Lawson announced Tuesday that senior first baseman and team captain Lauryn Borzilleri will redshirt for the 2026 season following an injury.
Borzilleri suffered an undisclosed injury in the offseason that kept her on crutches for about eight weeks before recently getting off them.
She took her first swings since the injury on Tuesday, but Borzilleri and Lawson both came to the conclusion that redshirting would be best for both sides.
Lawson expressed the importance of making the most of every opportunity. Unlike football, which allows players to appear in up to four regular-season games and still maintain a redshirt, if a player enters a softball game at all, the redshirt is lifted.
This meant the decision to redshirt Borzilleri was necessary with only days left before the start of the season.
In her three years with the Cats, Borzilleri has recorded 109 starts at first base, the most on the roster.
Borzilleri was one of three players who started all 59 games for Kentucky last season, posting a .257 batting average, 13 extra-base hits and 24 RBIs.
She thrives in the field, posting a career .990 fielding percentage with only six errors in 138 career games played.
Not only is Borzilleri an everyday starter and producer for the Cats, but she is also a captain and leader who will be missed.
“She’s a big player on our team,” Lawson said. “She’s mature, she’s experienced, and other players need to take over this role.”
The player expected to replace Borzilleri at first base is senior catcher Karissa Hamilton.
Hamilton has established herself as a steady bat in Kentucky’s lineup over her first three seasons, starting 99 total games and appearing in 152.
Although Hamilton has college experience, that experience is not at first base. She did, however, have limited experience at the position in high school.
“It’s a change,” Hamilton said. “But I’ve been having fun, and I’m just learning as I go.”
Lawson complimented Hamilton on her selflessness throughout the process and added that Hamilton’s height and willingness to be a team player made her the ideal choice to replace Borzilleri.
“I’ve never really played first base up until this year,” Hamilton said. “I’m just very fortunate for the opportunities that Lawson can give me, and whatever she throws at me, I’m here to accept.”
Redshirt senior Ella Emmert is expected to replace Hamilton behind the plate on opening day.
Emmert has started 16 games and appeared in 37 over her four years at Kentucky.
“If you would have told me five years ago that she would be starting for an SEC team on opening day, I would say, ‘I don’t know about that,’” Lawson said. “It’s a really good, feel-good story. She’s doing great stuff behind the dish and really manages the pitching staff well.”
The Wildcats open the season Friday, Feb. 6, with a doubleheader at the San Diego State Season Kickoff. First pitch for game one against Miami (OH) is scheduled for noon ET, followed by a matchup with Loyola Chicago at 5 p.m. ET.
