Feature: Hovinga Pitches on Biggest Stages
By Courtney Mains
For senior Karissa Hovinga, softball has always been a passion, but it took her some time before she realized pitching would be too.
Hovinga grew up watching her older sisters’ pitching lessons after school, but it wasn’t something she immediately took an interest in. She played first base and shortstop to begin with, and eventually agreed to try pitching. Since that day, she hasn’t looked back.
Hovinga, a senior righthander for the Ducks, came to Oregon to be a part of the program’s growing legacy and has contributed to a historic era for the program. During her softball career at the University of Oregon, the Ducks have earned two Pac-12 Championships and have made two Women’s College World Series appearances.
“I wanted to go to a school that didn’t really have a big reputation for softball and were growing what they had just started building,” said Hovinga. “I wanted to be a part of that.”
Since coming to Oregon, Hovinga has been a constant for the Ducks in the circle. She has posted 42 wins and only six losses in her collegiate career, striking out 257 batters.
After pitching 5.1 scoreless innings at No. 10 UCLA on April 4, Hovinga was named Pac-12 pitcher of the week. After coming in with the bases loaded in the second inning, Hovinga was able to hold the Bruins scoreless for the rest of the game, allowing the Ducks to come back and win 6-4 with a five-run seventh inning.
“It feels really good,” said Hovinga. “There are a lot of really good pitchers in this conference, obviously, so to be recognized as a standout pitcher for the week is really cool.”
Hovinga was clutch once again this weekend, as she helped the Ducks take down No. 19 Arizona State, 12-3, in six inning on Saturday. After the Sun Devils tied up the game, 2-2, with a homer in the top of the second inning, Hovinga came on in relief once again and held ASU to just one unearned run on four hits in five innings. She struck out a pair and walked none.
When not playing for the Ducks, Hovinga is a contributor on the Canadian Women’s National Team. Because her mother was born in and grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, Hovinga has dual citizenship. Hovinga played on the Canadian national team during the summer of 2011 and has been asked to join them once again for the summer of 2015.
“It’s pretty incredible just knowing that they picked you out of an entire country of people to be on their team and represent team Canada,” says Hovinga.
In 2011, Hovinga made appearances against Great Britain, Mexico and Japan in the ISF World Championships as a key pitcher for team Canada. She pitched 11 total innings, winning two games for Canada and helping the team place fourth overall at the tournament.
Playing for Canada, Hovinga has had the opportunity to compete with talented female athletes and travel the world.
This summer, Hovinga will get to play against her Oregon teammates Janie Takeda and Janelle Lindvall, plus former Oregon pitcher Jessica Moore, who have all been selected to compete on the USA Women’s National Team.
With a pair of WCWS appearances and countless Pac-12 wins to lean on, if Takeda or Lindvall does dig in against her this summer, Hovinga will be ready.
