Softball On SI

2025 Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year McLaine Hudson Commits to ACC Powerhouse After Flipping from UK Softball

Maren Angus-Coombs|
Team USA's McLaine Hudson announced her commitment to Florida State on Friday.
Team USA's McLaine Hudson announced her commitment to Florida State on Friday. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

An ACC powerhouse has secured a top talent in the 2026 class after former Kentucky commit McLaine Hudson announced her decision to flip to Florida State on Friday.

Hudson, the 2025 Kentucky Gatorade Player of the Year, posted her decision on X with a Bible verse.

Hudson originally visited Florida State in the fall of 2024 but verbally committed to the Kentucky Wildcats in November of that year.

The five-star infielder joins four others in one of the top-ranked recruiting classes, joining pitcher Ava Lorenzatti and position players Kaylee Goodpaster, Addy Ware, and Callee Leffler.

Hudson, who is coming off a gold medal summer with Team USA at the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup, is the top-ranked player in the state of Kentucky. As a junior at South Warren High School in Bowling Green, she hit .619 with 20 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 73 hits in 38 games. She had 10 triples, 11 doubles, and 18 walks while only striking out four times.

The newest Seminole has been playing varsity softball in Kentucky since seventh grade. With 364 hits in her career, she already owns the Kentucky career hits record, which was set by former Alabama star Kaylee Tow (359).

Hudson has always been a star on the field for South Warren. As a sophomore, she hit .620 with 22 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 81 runs scored. Her 93 hits that season set a state record for a single season, and she was 36-for-39 in stolen bases.

Family Ties to College Athletics

The Hudson family is well known in Kentucky. Her mother was a softball player, and her uncle has been the head volleyball coach at Western Kentucky University for 31 seasons.

When she isn't playing softball, Hudson is on the hardwood. She eclipsed the 1,000-point mark her sophomore year and averaged more than 20 points per game as a junior.

What Social Media is Saying

Besides highlights of homeruns from the WBSC U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup, news traveled quickly about Hudson.

Softball America's Brady Vernon said Hudson "had a great week with the Junior National Team and will be a riser in our updated 2026 rankings on Monday."

Florida State is coming off a disappointing end to the 2024-25 season after being swept by Texas Tech in a best-of-three Super Regional in Tallahassee.

The program graduated nine seniors, including catcher Michaela Edenfield, and will look to the junior class and beyond to fill those vacancies in the lineup.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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