Lake Hamilton catcher signs to play at HSU
PEARCY — Lake Hamilton standout softball player Kaylin Kauffman signed to compete at the next level at Henderson State University during a ceremony inside Wolf Arena Wednesday.
The senior had been eyeing HSU for a while after building a relationship with the coaching staff.
“I love the coaches,” Kauffman said. “I’ve been going to them for lessons and camps for years now. I’ve just built a relationship with the head coach there. He originally was the assistant coach, and whenever he got moved to the head coach, it was just an automatic. I knew I wanted to go there because I just had such a good relationship with him, and it was the right fit for me.”
Lake Hamilton head softball coach Amy Teague said Kauffman is one of those athletes that is a dream for coaches.
“She’s a model student in the classroom,” Teague said. “She’s a hard worker. Obviously a leader.”
Kauffman plays catcher and caught every varsity game for the Lady Wolves last season.
“You’ve got to know that the catcher and pitcher relationship is pretty special,” Teague said. “Since Kaylin is our catcher, she’s also an extension of me on the field. Obviously I have a lot of trust in her. … A lot of stress is on our pitcher. If you just look back at Kaylin as catcher, she’s smiling; she’s enjoying it. That does a lot for (our pitcher).”
An All-State performer, Kauffman has led the team in batting average, RBIs and home runs. In Kauffman’s first-ever game for Lake Hamilton as a freshman, she stepped up to the plate and hit a home run against Bryant to set the tone for the rest of her career.
“She helps encourage her teammates,” Teague said. “Always smiling. Always saying, ‘Let’s go guys. We can do this.’ Very committed athlete. Not only does she go through the hours that we practice. Probably two nights a week she’ll drive, and her family before she could drive, to the Bryant or Little Rock area to have hitting or catching lessons for two more hours. So very excited to watch Kaylin at the next level.”
Kauffman said her worth ethic, her ability to be a team player and being able to build good relationships with her teammates are all aspects of her game she can carry over to the collegiate level. Kauffman
has a lot to look forward to at the next level.
“Probably how much it’s going to push me,” she said about what she looks forward to as a Reddie. “And the amount of new people I’m going to meet. I’m going to meet so many new people, and it’s going to help me just grow as a person.”
Kauffman learned those leadership skills that she uses on the field at Lake Hamilton.
“It’s really helped me become a good team player and a good leader because I’ve had to be a leader since I was a freshman,” she said. “So I learned how to be a good leader and met some of the best people here, so just I’ve been really lucky to have a good team here and make great friends.”