Three members of the 2025 U-18 Women’s National Team (WNT) have earned Gatorade Player of the Year state honors for their respective states:

• Aspen Boulware (South Carolina)
• Lilly “Goose” Goodwin (Arizona)
• McLaine Hudson (Kentucky)

All three athletes will be repping the Red, White and Blue this September for the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 World Cup Finals in Oklahoma City.

The Gatorade Player of the Year is the most prestigious award in high school sports, celebrating the nation’s top student-athletes for their achievements both on and off the field.

Each season, a selection committee evaluates the best talent across the country to name one Gatorade State Player of the Year for each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia in 12 different sports.

Throughout the years, Gatorade has recognized high school athletes who demonstrate exceptional performance not only in sports but also as students and leaders within their communities.

This recognition has created an impressive alumni group that includes U.S. Olympians such as Amanda Freed, Rachel Garcia, Bubba Nickles, and Cat Osterman – all of whom won the award on the national level.

The awards are based on three key criteria: Athletic Excellence, Academic Achievement, and Exemplary Character.

• Click HERE to read about the 2024-2025 Gatorade National Player of the Year, Hannah Wells from Texas

• Click HERE to view the full list of Gatorade State Player of the Year award winners

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Here’s a closer look at the three Gatorade State Players of the Year who also will represent the USA in the U-18 World Cup Finals…

Aspen Boulware – South Carolina

A former member of the U-15 WNT, Aspen Boulware was named the 2025 Gatorade Player of the Year for South Carolina after achieving an impressive .573 batting average throughout the 2025 season. A sophomore at Gray Collegiate Academy in West Columbia, S.C., her performance led the War Eagles to a remarkable 32-3 record and secured the Class 4A State Championship this past season. Boulware hit 22 home runs, scored 67 runs, and exhibited her dominance at the plate with nine doubles and eight triples. Additionally, she drew 34 walks and stole 26 bases, resulting in a .696 on-base percentage. Maintaining an A average in her studies, Boulware is set to begin her junior year of high school in the fall. She is also a member of the Gray Collegiate Academy student-athlete leadership team and has volunteered locally with her church youth group.

Lilly “Goose” Goodwin – Arizona

A force on both sides of the ball, Lilly “Goose” Goodwin has earned the title of 2025 Arizona’s Gatorade Player of the Year for the second-consecutive year. A student at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale, Ariz., the junior left-handed pitcher and first baseman led the Wolves to an notable 30-1-1 record and their third-consecutive Conference 5A State Championship this past season. In the circle, Goodwin achieved a perfect 20-0 record with a 0.36 earned run average in the circle, striking out 319 batters over 134.2 innings pitched, resulting in a 0.48 WHIP. At the plate, she held a .552 batting average with six home runs and a remarkable .897 slugging percentage. Goodwin has maintained a weighted GPA of 4.66 in her classes and has made a verbal commitment to receive an athletic scholarship to play softball at Northwestern University starting in the fall of 2026. She is actively involved in her school’s chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has volunteered with the Desert Mountain Ambassador’s Club as well as with the National Honor Society. Furthermore, she has dedicated her time as a youth pitching coach.

McLaine Hudson – Kentucky

A returning member of the U-18 WNT, McLaine Hudson has been named the 2025 Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior at South Warren High School in Bowling Green, Ky. During the 2025 season, Hudson achieved an impressive .618 batting average, hit 20 home runs, and scored 82 runs. The 4th Region Player of the Year and Golden Glove winner stole 28 bases out of 28 attempts and compiled a remarkable 2.006 OPS across 37 games. At the time of her selection, the shortstop had led the Spartans to a 34-3 record, winning the 4th Region championship and securing a spot in the state tournament. Hudson has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA in the classroom and has verbally committed to play softball on a scholarship at the University of Kentucky starting in the fall of 2026. Beyond her athletic achievements, Hudson is also a student council representative and has volunteered with the South Warren Middle School softball team, where she works with younger players on fundamentals and leads practice drills. She has generously donated her time to several events in support of the Down Syndrome of Southern Kentucky Buddy House.

Selected to the U-18 WNT, the trio will represent the U.S. on the international stage after advancing through the USA Softball High Performance Program (HPP).

They will face off against top opponents from across the world, Sept. 27-Oct. 2 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, including Canada, China, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Japan, Mexico and Puerto Rico, in the WBSC U-18 World Cup Finals.