Gatorade 2023 - 2024: Player of the Year

Softball - Kentucky

athletes playing Softball
The POY Logo
SOFTBALL

Abby Hammond

Right-handed pitcher
LEXINGTON CATHOLIC HS
LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY
JUNIOR
Height: 5-FOOT-8
Press Release

Peak Performance

0.53

ERA

159.2

Innings Pitched

.597

Batting Average

13

Home Runs
“She’s dominant in the circle and has been for three years now. She has speed and movement on all her pitches as well as a nice changeup. She’s also very smart with where she places her pitches … Not only can she pitch, but she’s also one of the best hitters in the state.”
Randy Hall
Head Coach head coach at Madison Central
excellence star

Athletic Excellence

At the time of her selection, the 5-foot-8 junior right-handed pitcher had led the Knights to a 26-2 record and a berth in Kentucky’s state tournament, scheduled to begin June 7. Also the state’s 2021-22 Gatorade Player of the Year, Hammond compiled a 25-2 record in the circle with a 0.53 ERA through 28 games. She struck out 255 batters against just 17 walks in 159.2 innings. Ranked as the nation’s No. 37 overall player in the Class of 2025 by Extra Innings Softball, Hammond batted .597 with 13 home runs, 38 runs scored and 38 RBI. She recorded a .716 on-base percentage and an OPS of 2.091. 

a graduation cap

Academic Achievement

Hammond has maintained a 4.32 weighted GPA in the classroom. She has verbally committed to play softball on scholarship at the University of Kentucky in the fall of 2025.

first place ribbon

Exemplary Character

A member of both the National Honor Society and Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Hammond has volunteered locally through the Catholic Action Center, which provides food and shelter for the homeless in Lexington. She has also participated in DanceBlue, a student-run organization that fundraises for the University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital Oncology Clinic.