Kaia Simpson

Kaia brings a tremendous amount of softball experience and a track record of success to the Ladyhawks’ top team where she holds the role of pitching coach. Kaia was the leading pitcher on this team back in her senior high school year before graduating and heading to a four year career as a pitcher at the University of California, San Diego. Kaia possessed one of the best drop balls in the NCAA, leading all D1 pitchers in percentage of outs via ground balls in 2023 according to 6-4-3 Charts. Although hampered by a spine injury throughout her college career, she was consistently one of the team’s top two pitchers and posted stellar outings against many top schools including University of Washington, Oregon State, Baylor, UCLA, and even the USA Olympic team. She also played in the NCIS playoffs in 2022. In 2019, Kaia allowed the fewest earned runs for qualifying pitchers in the conference and posted the 6th lowest ERA. In 2020, she pitched the second most innings on the team. She also earned the UCSD Athlete of the Week award.

Kaia played for the WA Ladyhawks for four years. While with the Ladyhawks, Kaia was a key part of the 2018 team that won the the Triple Crown 16U National Championship, USA Softball 2016 National Championship, and earned second place at IDT. Kaia led Garfield High School in Seattle to its first ever conference playoff berth in her Freshman year and the program’s first ever State championship berth in her Sophomore year, a prelude to the school’s first ever State Championship won in her Senior year in 2019. This championship was the first softball state championship for any Seattle based high school. Kaia was named WIAA state player of the year as well as MaxPreps, second team All-American recognition. She posted one of the ten lowest ERAs in the nation. Kaia also led the team to a Top 25 National ranking in 2019, a rarity for a Washington school, and was named Metro League MVP in both 2018 and 2019.

Kaia holds a B.S. degree in Human Biology and is a licensed EMT. She remains involved in the sport through her Ladyhawks coaching role and by giving lessons to young pitchers.