Karissa Hovinga

  • Name Karissa Hovinga
  • Hometown Edmonton, Alta.
  • Date of Birth January 28, 1993
  • Number 10
  • Primary Position Pitcher
  • Bats Right
  • Throws Right

Karissa Hovinga has played for Team Canada at various levels since 2010 when she took home Silver at the WBSC Americas Pan American Championship as part of the Junior Women’s National Team. She was back with the Junior team in 2011 at the WBSC Junior Women’s Softball World Championship before making the Women's National Team in 2012. She has competed in four Women’s World Championships (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018) with the National Team, taking home bronze at the last two events. Hovinga also competed at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto where she helped Canada win the Gold medal in women’s softball for the first time since 1983.

Hovinga played four years at the University of Oregon while earning her degree in Business Administration with a minor in Economics. She was a standout pitcher during her time with the Ducks, helping Oregon to three College World Series appearance, racking up a 45-6 record and a 2.36 ERA with 280 strikeouts in 392 innings pitched over her four seasons. She also finished her collegiate career with 20 complete games and eight shutouts.

After completing her undergraduate degree, she worked as a graduate manager for the University of Minnesota softball team in 2017 and 2018, and was a volunteer assistant with the Stanford softball team in 2019 and 2020. Hovinga competed with the Canadian Wild of Southern Illinois in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) League in 2019, going 3-2 with 1 save and a 3.02 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched.

Q&A

What Minor Softball Association did you grow up playing in? Frozen Ropes Fury
What’s your favourite food? Poke bowls
What’s your favourite book? Holes by Louis Sachar
What’s your favourite TV show? New Girl
What’s your pre-game ritual? Stretch & breath, read part of a particular book, listen to music
What’s your favourite place that softball has taken you? Cape Town South Africa for the Junior Women’s Softball World Championship
What are your future aspirations? Work in Athletics Administration
If you could spend an hour with anyone in the world, living or dead, who would it be? Ellen DeGeneres

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

2015 Pan American Games - Gold
2016 WBSC World Championship - Bronze
2018 WBSC World Championship - Bronze