Over the last week, Line Drive Media has recognized standout high school players across the nation for the 2025-26 school year in our annual High School All-American lists.

This week, we wrap up our look by honoring more  All-Americans as well as the High School Player & Coach of the Year.

We’ll also run on Thursday the complete list of all the 1^st and 2^nd Team All-Americans.

Our All-American series also includes athletes in states who play in the fall like Georgia, Colorado, Missouri and Oklahoma as well as those who compete in the spring into the summer.

Here is the schedule for the 2026 high school season honors (hyperlinked to the article):

LINE DRIVE SOFTBALL 2026 HIGH SCHOOL ALL-AMERICAN TIMELINE

• Monday, July 6 – Line Drive Media 1^st Team All-Americans (Pitchers)
• Tuesday, July 7 – Line Drive Media 1^st Team All-Americans (Catchers)
• Wednesday, July 8 – Line Drive Media 1^st Team All-Americans (Infielders)
• Thursday, July 9– Line Drive Media 1^st Team All-Americans (Outfielders)
• Friday, July 10 – Line Drive Media 1^st Team All-Americans (Multi-Purpose)
• Monday, July 13 – Line Drive Media 2^nd Team All-Americans
• Tuesday, July 14 – Line Drive Media High School Player of the Year
• Wednesday, July 15 – Line Drive Media High School Coach of the Year
• Thursday, July 16 – Line Drive Media 1st & 2nd Team All-Americans (List)

Those chosen are selected based on criteria such as:

• accomplishments, stats and honors

• importance to the success of the team

• on-field abilities, skills and talent
• off-the-field resume, i.e., academic success, community involvement, etc.

Our list is deep and extensive as we feel it necessary to honor all those who deserve to be recognized as a Line Drive Softball High School All-American.

Congrats to all those who made this year’s All-American teams and today we honor the:

2026 Line Drive Softball National High School Player of the Year: McLaine Hudson

When it comes to McLaine Hudson—the graduated senior shortstop at South Warren High in Bowling Green, Ky.—being named the top player in class, that may be grossly understating what an amazing year the 2026 grad had.

McLaine may very likely have had the best high school season ever in the 50 or so years high school fastpitch softball has been played—going back to the 1970’s—when you factor in her team and personal successes.

It’s a pretty bold statement, true, but consider these facts on how she helped her team fare this spring by comparing her jaw-dropping great metrics against high-caliber competition…

*****

Team Success

McLaine was a key reason the Lady Spartans went undefeated this spring with a 45-0 record to not only win the Kentucky state championship, but finish No. 1 in the final Line Drive SUPER 70 National H.S. Rankings.

Here’s how impressive that really was when you stop to look deeper into ti:

* Finishing No. 1 in the SUPER 70 means the Class of 2026 phenom won a National Championship in her final year of prep ball… a feat not too many in our sport can say they’ve accomplished.

* Along the way, the Florida State signee helped South Warren High play—and defeat—elite and nationally ranked teams from Alabama, Florida and Tennessee, and, yes, in her own backyard of Kentucky.

* Two of those powerhouses would go on to win state championships of their own and finish very highly in the SUPER 70 Team Rankings: Orange Beach (Ala.) High, ranked No. 3 nationally, and Pace (Fla.) High, ranked No. 11 nationally.

* The Orange Beach victory was particularly impressive as it was the only loss of the year for the Lady Makos, who would finish 46-1 and win its sixth straight state title in 2026. And that loss for the juggernaut from the South was on Orange Beach’s home turf in Alabama.

* The Tennessee team—Green Hill (Mt. Juliet) High—wouldn’t win the state championship but would finish with a very strong 46-3 season.

*****

Superlative Stats

Great stuff on the team level, for sure, but how did McLaine do individually?

Now this is where it gets really fun to analyze:

* McLaine was named as All-American by just about every media outlet who covers softball… as she should have been.

* She also repeated as the Kentucky Gatorade State Player of the Year.

* Then… there are the incredible stats.

The catalyst for an explosive offense that only trailed three times all year—and obviously would come back to win those games—McLaine’s stat lines look like something out of a video game.

Consider:

* McLaine’s batting average was .735 on a nice even 100 hits in 136 at-bats

* She smacked 28 home runs, second best in the entire country, and set a single-season all-time record for Kentucky.

* Her last homer of the season, in the state semi’s, put her at a nice round 90 dingers for her accomplished career.

* McLaine’s 110 runs scored was the best in Kentucky.

* She drove in 80 runs, or 1.78 RBIs per game

* The senior was walked 32 as opposing pitchers were very careful in not giving her too much to hit (yea, like that mattered… if it was around the plate, she was going to hit it).

* She stole 49 bases this year with 168 total in her career going back to her 7^th grade year when she first made the varsity team.

* In April, McLaine was selected as the Line Drive Media National High School Player of the Week after she went 11-for-17 (.647) with three home runs, three doubles, a triple and scored 14 runs, drove in 13 runs, had four walks and stole 10 bases.

* Finally, her defense, though not as flashy perhaps as her offensive production, is still elite:  McLaine had a .962 fielding percentage this year with just three errors in 80 total chances.

 * Regarding her defensively skills in the 6-hole, one softball follower notes: “What’s not talked about as much is she is one of best infielders I have ever seen. McLaine makes one constant play after the next that high school players just don’t make.”

*****

McLaine as a Softball Player: A+… McLaine as a Person: A++

You name it, McLaine has done it in her career and at every level, including club and even international as she’s been a two-time member of the 18U USA National Team and was named to the World Cup team last year following the team’s gold medal win.

South Warren High head coach Kelly Reynolds is certainly a fan of the youth athlete after watching her literally grow up in and through the school’s softball program.

“McLaine is one of those players that every coach dreams of coaching,” the coach begins.

“She wants a challenge and wants other players to stay on her heels pushing her to her highest potential. McLaine is a very humble athlete, which is one of the aspects of her that stands out among most athletes.”

“She understands her athletic talent but knows that to see the success within herself she will continue to strive to be at the top of the softball talent pool. McLaine is a threat offensively and defensively and there is no doubt she will continue to be a threat at the collegiate level too.”

And then, she says the phrase that makes you stop in your tracks and say, “What?”

“McLaine is dedicated to her academics and strives just as hard in the classroom as she does on the field… she’s not only a phenomenal player, but is an even better person and teammate.”

Hold on… hold on… this amazing hitting and defending shortstop—who has performed at the highest levels of softball for her age—is even better as a person?!?

One follower of South Warren who knows softball echoes Coach Reynolds statement.

“I have just followed McLaine for six years at South Warren, watched every interview,” this person with ties to the Kentucky softball scene says, wishing to stay anonymous.

“I’ve seen her do so many things in the community and s many of my former colleagues and friends tell me the same thing: “you will never find a better person than McLain.”

And then the clincher for what most feel, including this writer, best identifies who McLaine Hudson is today: a soon-to-be Seminole freshman after being named this week as the Line Drive 2026 HOT 100 National High School Player of the Year.

“When it comes to McLaine,” this softball fan and follower concludes, “she is the MVP, alright… and that stand for ‘Most Valuable Person.’”

“Period.”

*****

Line Drive Media’s Q&A with McLaine

Line Drive’s Brentt Eads caught up with McLaine on Monday to find out what’s ahead for her and what’s important to her… here’s what she had to say…

Line Drive Media: After such a great high school season, you’re now in club play—I saw you in Colorado at P5 Patriot Games. Where are you these days?
McLaine Hudson: I’m currently in St. Louis, at the Triple Crown Nationals, through Thursday. On Friday we go home to Kentucky and then on Saturday drive the three hours to Indianapolis for Alliance Nationals next week.

LDM: How’s the summer going so far?
MH: It’s been a great summer with lots of travelling and playing tough competition. It’s fun to play different players and teams from across the country.

LDM: You’re with the Louisville Sluggers organization in club play… how long have you been with them?
MH: I’ve been with Louisville Sluggers coached by Shannon Wathen since 12U. When there were lots of players graduate last year, I joined the Sluggers – Huecker/Norwood team.

LDM: When you were growing up in the Sluggers program, were there older players who took you under their wing to mentor you?
MH: There have been so many great Sluggers players… one of them was NiJaree Canady, who’s now in the AUSL (Editor’s note: she played college ball at Stanford and Texas Tech and in 2024 was the USA Softball Collegiate player of the Year).

I was really young and got to see and learn from her and by watching so many good players in the Sluggers organization.

LDM: What happens after Nationals?
MH: The tournament ends on July 26, so I’ll be free for a few days. I’m hoping my family and I can take a little vacation on the Gulf coast. I’ll have a week or two before I then head to FSU.

LDM: There’s still a lot of summer left, but are you counting the weeks now until you head to Tallahassee and become a Seminole?
MH: Yes. I am! It’ll be here before I know it. I’m moving there on August 10 and will be living in an apartment by myself as freshman aren’t required to live on campus.

LDM: So why Florida State as your choice to be a student-athlete?
MH: It’s so cliché and I hate to say it, but it’s true: Florida State genuinely felt like a family. The coaches are the best and make me feel like I’m part of the team already. It feels comfortable and the playing style is one where I feel I fit in. I feel I can steal a lot of bases and use my speed in a fast-paced playing style.

LDM: Before we go too far in the future, let’s look back to her recent past at South Warren High. When did you know this team would be special?
MH: I knew it in the preseason when I saw how focused we all were in the workouts. Everything was intentional as we focused on the big and the little things.

LDM: What is it like to play Coach Kelly (Reynolds)… the Spartans head coach?
MH: Coach Reynolds is like my second mom; I go to her about life, softball… whatever. She’s a great communicator and knows what the goal is he wants to achieve and how we as players can meet in the middle to achieve it. She is a coach that athletes really want to play for.

LDM: What a season you guys had! How cool was it to go outside your state lines and play top competition in other stats… and beat them?
MH: It was super cool to go and play tough competition, like playing super tough teams at the Bob Jones Tournament in Alabama. Being able to branch out, get out of Kentucky and play nationally strong teams helped us get better and see how good we could be.

LDM: Looking back over the high school season that was so successful, what’s a memory or two that will stand out to you for now but also in 20 years when you look back?
MH: I think of first when we were playing Orange Beach… it was in the 6^th inning and we took a 6-1 lead. I remember that I looked in the stands, took a breath and thought: “Wow, this complex is amazing with so many fans!”

I also remember our state championship when we got a big lead and I looked in the crowd and at my teammates thinking, “What a special way to go out as champions!”

LDM: We’ve heard how you value your academics as much as your softball successes. Hoe did you grade-wise and do you know what you want to study at Florida State?
MH: I finished with a 4.0 GPA and, right now, I’m in the exploratory stage of what I want to study. I’m basically undecided; it’s between Business and Psychology.

LDM: What’s most important to you when it comes to being on the softball field?
MH: I want to be the best teammate and person I can be to my teammates. You want to be the best you can be in raising the game of others around you, not the teammate people don’t want to be around.

There’s a fine line between not being too high or too low and as part of that you should want your teammates to do well. It’s more important that be the best teammate I can be.

LDM: You’ve had some impressive experiences playing for Team USA… what comes to mind you think about wearing the Red, White & Blue colors?
MH: One of my favorite experiences was last October at the World Cup when we won gold and got to see all the different playing styles and to be able to compete against such unique talent was such fun.

And sitting in the dugout and looking left and right at all the talent we had on our bench… pitchers like Caroline Stanton (2026 grad from Georgia, Florida Gator signee)–I hadn’t seen her pitch—and then seeing Goose (Juliana) Hutchens play (2027 grad from Oklahoma, Oklahoma Sooners commit). They were awesome!

LDM: Playing with Team USA and getting to be in the same dugout, and even across the field from other great players, who have you gotten to be friends with outside of you South Warren and Slugger teams?
MH: I’m gotten to be friends with Peyton Westra, we were roommates on our last trip together with Team USA and we definitely clicked. She’s so chill and I’m chill and our vibes matched. She’s a great teammate… there’s not a lot to not like!

LDM: Are you now, or have you in the recent past, played other sports?
MH: I played basketball up until my senior year. I was a guard and averaged 16-to-18 points per game and had something like 1,600 points in my career. I’ve definitely missed it, but after last summer when I got an injury, I was worried about getting another and so I wanted to hit the weight room and work on things that will help me get better in softball.

LDM: If you have no training sessions, practices, games, travel, tournaments, etc., what do you like to do to just unwind?
MH: I like to read—I’m a big reader. I also like to hang out with friends—go to the pool or the beach—and just chill.

LDM: More on the serious side, what’s important to you in your life?
MH: Obviously, my family is very important to me… my mom and dad and my older sister, Mallorie Hudson who is 24 years old and has been very successful in the pageant world. She was Miss Kentucky in 2023 and 3^rd runner-up for Miss America. Her talent is singing.

LDM: Do you follow the local, national and/or world news and think about the state of the world sometimes?
MH: Not so much… I’m definitely a local person and don’t watch too much on the bigger scale.

LDM: Speaking of being chill–what’s the one thing you like to eat or drink that you know you probably shouldn’t… but, hey, you deserve a treat every now and then, right?
MH: Baskin Robbins cookie dough ice cream… definitely!

LDM: For these next few questions, try to answer without thinking about too much… Describe yourself in one word…
MH: Disciplined.

LDM: If you could take a one-week trip anywhere in the world, where would it be?
MH: Hawaii.

LDM: Finally, fill in the blank… “I, McLaine, would not be caught dead_________________”
MH: Wearing my ears outside my visor!