Kearney (Mo.) High’s Kate Landewee captured the final MaxPreps/NFCA National High School Fall Player of the Week award of the 2025 season, the Association announced on Monday.

She is being recognized for her outstanding play for the week of Oct. 27-Nov. 2. 

Landewee helped propel the (31-6) Bulldogs to a Missouri State Class 4 runner-up finish by tossing a two-hitter in Kearney’s 9-0 semifinal victory over St. Francis Borgia on Thursday, and a four-hitter in the championship game the following day against Father Tolton.  

The senior struck out 18 and walked none in the semis and fanned 11 more in the final, to conclude a stellar four-year run during which the Bulldogs went 114-26, won four conference and district championships, and logged first (2022), second (2025) and third place (2023) finishes at the state tournament.

Friday’s 2-1 loss to Father Tolton was a pitcher’s duel between Landewee and future Lindenwood University teammate Bella Trim, who countered with a two-hitter and 12 strikeouts, as the (32-5) Trail Blazers won their second straight state title on Kenadie May’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh. 

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Previous Winners:

• Oct. 21, 2025: Olivia Cross (Northeast, Mo.)
• Oct. 14, 2025: Braelen Herr (Erie, Colo.)
• Oct. 6, 2025: Erin Vineyard (Alexander, Ga.)
• Sept. 29, 2025: Kaidence Lee (Bayard, Neb.)
• Sept. 22, 2025: Courtney Lane (Blue Springs South, Mo.)
• Sept. 15, 2025: JLee Driel (Twin River’s, Neb.)
• Sept. 8, 2025: Brooklyn Gordon (Irwin Co., Ga.)
• Sept. 1, 2025: Sophie Conner (Pataula Charter Acad., Ga.)
• Aug. 25, 2025: Jessyca Vargas (Chatfield, Colo.)

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More on MaxPreps.com…

MaxPreps.com, the official high school statistical provider of the NFCA, provides all statistics for the NFCA High School Player of the Week award. 

To nominate a player a coach must enter the athlete’s game stats into MaxPreps.com by Sunday evening to be eligible for that week’s award. The MaxPreps/NFCA High School Player of the Week is announced on NFCA.org on Mondays or Tuesdays during the fall season. 

MaxPreps is a free stat tool that is available to high school coaches across the country and is one of the most recognized and respected high school athletics websites on the internet.  

Coaches who enter their team’s stats on MaxPreps will not only be nominating their players for this award, but they will be getting their team’s information out to thousands of high school sports fans, as well as college coaches across the country. 

Click HERE to go to the MaxPreps.com Softball home page and to learn more information on submitting stats online.

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More on the NFCA…

The NFCA (National Fastpitch Coaches Association) is the professional organization for fastpitch softball coaches.

Known for its highly-regarded student-athlete awards, the NFCA also educates and supports softball coaches on a variety of different levels: from podcasts to awards, to in-person events and National Convention.  

Learn more about the NFCA and consider joining its lineup of over 7,000 coaches today!