The accolades continue for South Warren shortstop McLaine Hudson, who was named the Kentucky Gatorade Softball Player of the Year on Monday.

The award celebrates the nation’s best high school athletes for their success on the field, in the classroom and in the community.

“It’s definitely an honor when you look across Kentucky and see all the talent that I was up against,” Hudson said. “It’s just an understatement how honored and grateful I am to receive this award.”

Hudson just completed her junior season, finishing with a team best 73 hits – including 20 homers and 65 RBIs – and a .619 batting average. She set the Kentucky career hit record with 360 – surpassing Madisonville-North Hopkinsville graduate Kaylee Tow – in a Region 4 Tournament win against Clinton County. Hudson will enter her senior season with 364 career hits.

In addition to her accolades on the field, Hudson has thrived off the field as well.

A student council representative, Hudson has maintained a 4.0 GPA in the classroom and has volunteered locally with the South Warren Middle School softball team, working with younger players on fundamentals and leading drills in practice. She has also donated her time to multiple events on behalf of the Down Syndrome of Southern Kentucky Buddy House.

Hudson is just the 19th player to receive the honor since its inception in 1998-99. She is just the second Region 4 player, joining Greenwood alum Brittany York who won the honor in 2005-06.

The list of past winners includes Montana Fouts, Abby Hammond, Megan Hensle, Kirsten Allen and Becky Abner.

“Whenever Montana Fouts played in the East-West All-Stars it was at South Warren,” Hudson said. “My dad and I went and watched her pitch, so it is like it is all coming full circle for me. It’s just surreal.”

She just concluded her season with South Warren, which finished 34-4 and advanced to the state tournament for the third time in four years. Hudson now turns her attention to summer travel ball.

“It’s a packed summer of traveling and playing,” Hudson said. “The first tournament is in two weeks, so (I am looking forward) to just preparing and getting better this summer – preparing for high school next year.”

Hudson committed to the University of Kentucky earlier this year and will sign in the fall.

“Once the recruitment is out of the way you can really have fun and play for yourself and for the joy of the game,” Hudson said. “Especially when all of your teammates are basically in the same boat as you. This is my last summer with my travel ball team, since we have so many seniors. I just want to have a fun summer and play for my teammates.”

She will enter her senior season as one of the favorites for Miss Softball and now has a chance to become the seventh player to win multiple Gatorade Softball Player of the Year awards in the state.

“I try not to think about it because that is kind of an unnecessary pressure that I would have to put on myself,” Hudson said. “I think whenever you start wanted awards and chasing them is when you don’t get them, so I am just playing for the love of the game – playing freely and remembering why you are at the ballpark.”