Charger Catalyst: Katie Kish Hall Helps Hillsdale Back to Championship Status
Written by Doug Goodnough
Katie Kish Hall, ’19, wasted little time making her mark on the Hillsdale College Softball program. When she arrived as a speedy outfield prospect from the metro Detroit area, she immediately was thrust into a lineup that had only 14 players on the roster.
And when the Chargers’ starting shortstop went down with a season-ending knee injury, Hall spent her freshman season alternating between short and the outfield. However, by the time she left Hillsdale, Hall was one of the most decorated players in program history and helped guide the Chargers to a conference championship and NCAA Division II tournament berth.
“I wanted something with rigorous academics that had a strong athletic program and wasn’t too far away,” Hall said of her college search process. “When I did visit, I just totally fell in love with Hillsdale and what the school stands for. I just knew it was the perfect match for me.”
After her “roller coaster” freshman season, Hall settled into left field and the leadoff spot, where she became a three-time all-conference selection from 2016-2018. In 2018, she had one of the top individual performances in program history, finishing with a .481 batting average and reaching base in 39 of Hillsdale’s 41 games. Hall was named a National Fastpitch Coaches Association second-team All-American and finished with 217 career hits, which is fourth in program history. She is also fifth in career stolen bases (42) and seventh in runs scored (112).
The Chargers finished 25-16 in 2018 and went on to win the conference tournament title. In the NCAA Regional Tournament, Hillsdale defeated the host— favored Grand Valley State. Hall scored the game-winning run and said that was one of the highlights of her collegiate career.
That regional appearance was Hillsdale’s first in 27 years, and Hall said she is proud to be a part of the Chargers’ softball resurgence.
“It was really fun to reestablish that winning tradition and then to make it to regionals and come out and beat Grand Valley at Grand Valley,” Hall said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for sure.”
Hall said she played the “slap” game, which was based on speed and “small ball.”
“I would say to any young players, if you’re really fast and you’re athletic enough that you should consider switching to the left side (of the plate), because you’re three steps closer (to first base),” Hall said.
After graduation, she spent a couple of years directing the InterVarsity program on the Hillsdale campus. In 2022, Hall and her husband moved back to the Grosse Pointe area to start a family. The couple has a two-year-old son, Henry, and a two-month-old son, Jack.
“I get to be a mom to these two precious boys, which is my favorite job,” Hall said.
She works part-time helping manage the office of her parents’ flooring business and said she also teaches softball lessons on the side.
“I do love to be a part of the game in that way,” Hall said.
She said the impact Hillsdale has had on her off the playing field was significant.
“I definitely felt like I was well prepared for the rest of life,” said Hall, who majored in exercise science. “I feel like Hillsdale also did a really great job in just cultivating me as a whole person.”
She said she has many lasting relationships from her college days, but none were more important than the one she has with God.
“The biggest was my relationship with God,” Hall said. “I really, truly learned who He is in college, and therefore who I am. And that was incredibly impactful and transformative in the way that I live my life today, so I’m forever grateful for that.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s director of Alumni Marketing. He enjoys connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in January 2024