Hedgcock transfers to Wisconsin from Arkansas
July 22, 2018 | Softball
Former Illinois Gatorade Player of the Year will join Badgers in fall
Caroline Hedgcock, a standout left-handed pitcher for Arkansas will join the Wisconsin softball team in the fall.
"We are thrilled to add another Illinois Gatorade player of the year to the Badger softball family," head coach Yvette Healy said. "Caroline is an outstanding power hitter and left handed pitcher from Gerry Quinn's Illinois Chill organization. She earned Gatorade player of the year honors her senior year, hitting more than 20 home runs for coach Ron Hvelka at Downers Grove South high school, before competing for Arkansas her freshman and sophomore years."
The junior will transfer after spending her first two seasons at Arkansas, seeing action in 12 games in 2018 and accumulating 13 strikeouts. As a freshman, she earned her first win in a series-clinching game at No. 25 Missouri in which she struck out two and didn't allow a hit in 4.2 innings of relief. She followed with a complete-game win against Tulsa. Hedgcock made 25 appearances overall with eight starts and had three hits in 15 at-bats in 2017.
Hedgcock was a star for South High School in Downers Grove, Illinois and was ranked No. 26 by FloSoftball.
She was named the 2016 MaxPreps National Player of the Year after earning Gatorade State (Ill.) Player of the Year. During a standout senior campaign, she was 14-1 with a 0.96 ERA and 131 strikeouts. At the plate, she was as impressive with a .549 batting average to go along with 22 home runs, 69 RBIs and 59 runs scored.
Hedgcock finished her prep career with 62 wins in the circle. Offensively, she established school records with 37 career home runs and 185 runs driven in. Her 22 home runs in 2016 represent the third-highest total for a single season in Illinois prep history.
"Our Illinois players, including Brooke Wyderski, Taylor Johnson, Sara Novak, Katie Christner and Kirsten Stevens have thrived at Wisconsin, earning All-Region, and All- Big ten accolades," Healy added. "Caroline will follow in the footsteps of former Downer Grove South, mustang turned Badger softball standout, Marissa Mersch as our newest Midwesterner to join the squad. Caroline will reunite with Illinois Chill teammates Kayla Konwent and Stephanie Lombardo to add power and pop to the heart of our lineup."
Help us welcome @CarolDaHedghog to the #Badgers!
— Wisconsin Softball (@BadgerSoftball) July 22, 2018
- ɪʟʟɪɴᴏɪs ɢᴀᴛᴏʀᴀᴅᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇʀ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀ
- ᴛʀᴀɴsғᴇʀ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴀʀᴋᴀɴsᴀs
-ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ʜɪᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇғᴛ-ʜᴀɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴘɪᴛᴄʜᴇʀ ғʀᴏᴍ ɪʟʟɪɴᴏɪs ᴄʜɪʟʟ ᴏʀɢᴀɴɪᴢᴀᴛɪᴏɴ pic.twitter.com/K0JYMHV63S
