South Carolina Softball's Top Recruit Aspen Boulware Shocks Fans With Social Media Announcement

South Carolina Athletics

The nation’s No.1 player in the class of 2027 will hit the collegiate scene earlier than expected. 

South Carolina commit Aspen Boulware took to social media over the weekend to announce that she is enrolling with the Gamecocks early and will join the class of 2026 next summer. 

Skipping ahead to the next chapter #2026✨@GamecockSoftbll @ashleychastain @KatieRBrowder @jodydavidson pic.twitter.com/FhHCNtTcSP

— Aspen Boulware (@AspenBoulware) October 26, 2025

Can’t wait to be a gamecock! @WesMitchellGC https://t.co/fCJ7kDXBXN

— Aspen Boulware (@AspenBoulware) October 26, 2025

As the top recruit in the entire class of 2027, according to Softball America, Boulware was also the No. 1 middle infielder in the class and the No. 1 prospect in the state of South Carolina. 

Softball America released a re-rank of the 2026 class on Monday, and Boulware is still within the top 10 at No. 7 overall. She holds strong as the No. 1 middle infielder and No. 1 player in the state. 

According to the NCSA, reclassifying and skipping the senior year of high school to join a college team is acceptable, as long as the athlete meets specific academic and NCAA eligibility requirements to compete. 

Boulware’s commitment was arguably the most significant pledge in Gamecock history, a program that has seen a massive expansion in recruiting under second-year head coach Ashley Chastain-Woodard. 

The 2024 and 2025 South Carolina softball Gatorade Player of the Year had a phenomenal sophomore year, leading Gray Collegiate Academy to a state championship.

She batted .573 with 22 home runs, 67 runs scored, and 44 RBI. She added nine doubles and eight triples, with 34 walks and 26 stolen bases, compiling a .696 on-base percentage and an incredible OPS of 2.379.

With international experience, she led Team USA to a U-15 WBSC World Cup gold medal in 2023. She hit .421 with four home runs, seven RBIs, and 10 runs scored, earning tournament MVP. 

WBSC

The Gamecocks are coming off a historic season in 2025 and are looking to go even further in 2026. They made their first Super Regional appearance since 2018, broke the single-season record for RBIs, runs, walks, and doubles, and tied the record for sacrifice flies. 

Returners Arianna Rodi set the single-season program record for home runs and walks and finished third all-time for RBIs, and Lexi Winters ended the season fifth all-time for RBIs in a season. 

Boulware, the South Carolina native, followed the program and took note of the team’s postseason run, which finished one out away from making it to the Women’s College World Series. 

She even told GamecockCentral that her camp experience over the summer, before coaches could contact rising juniors, helped her become more familiar with the program. 

Who wouldn’t want to reclassify and join a program when they're hot? 

“There’s a lot of girls there that I knew just from like, there was a girl from Lexington, Karley (Shelton), and then Precious Bross,” Boulware said. “She transferred from Georgia. She played at Irmo. And so just being able to have conversations with those girls while I’m in the camp was very nice. I could ask them questions and stuff like that. And so I really like that it was very homey. Whenever we go, they’re saying’s like, ‘Welcome Home,’ and so that really transferred into the camp. But yeah, I really enjoyed it. They let me be myself there, and the team, they’re really nice.”

With Boulware joining next summer, and four freshmen and 10 transfers joining this spring, the Gamecocks are not a team to be slept on in the coming years.