High school softball: 2026 MaxPreps Player of the Year in every state

The MaxPreps Player of the Year will be announced following the conclusion of championship events in each state.
Selections are based on team success and individual excellence. Read on for a look at our picks from states that have completed play. Iowa, which holds its season in the summer, is not included. Alabama
M.K. McMullan, Orange Beach
Pitcher/First Base | Sophomore
McMullan won 30 games and a Class 4A state title for the No. 4 team in the country. Along with a 0.44 ERA, the righty hit .443 and swatted 13 dingers on a squad full of SEC commits.

Alaska
Taylor Passard, Colony (Palmer)
Utility | Freshman
Passard paced Alaska with 17 home runs as the Knights were one win away from the state championship. She started her career with 19 hits in her first nine games, including four home runs over that span. On the season she batted .667 with 74 RBI and had a base knock in all but one game this season. 

Arizona
Sydney Root, Xavier College Prep (Phoenix)
Pitcher/Infielder | Sophomore
The sophomore threw a complete game shutout in the Class 6A state championship win and had a 0.99 ERA with 225 strikeouts on the year. Also lethal with her bat, Root slugged six home runs and drove in 37 runs this season.

Arkansas
Violet Nguyen, Bentonville
Outfielder | Senior
Nguyen hit 11 home runs as the Tigers broke a state record for most round-trippers as a team in a single season. Headed to Dartmouth, she wrapped up her high school career by batting .478 with 50 RBI as a senior.

California
Ayla Tuua, Destiny Christian Academy (Sacramento)
Pitcher/First Base | Senior
Tuua is one of the most prolific two-way players in the nation and led the Lions to a Division 1 Northern California championship. Along with a 0.66 ERA and 140 strikeouts, the LSU signee hit .651 with 19 home runs.

Colorado
Ireland Heer, Broomfield
Pitcher/Utility | Senior
Heer won 18 games in the fall to wrap up a three-year stretch where she won 49 games in the circle. Headed to Iowa, she batted .423 with 22 RBI this season. Heer put it all together in the Class 5A state championship game by picking up the win and driving in three runs.

Connecticut
Jenica Matos, Cheshire
Pitcher | Senior
The senior capped her career with 26 strikeouts in a 12-inning state championship game victory. On the season, she struck out 429 batters with a 0.11 ERA and a 24-0 record. Headed to St. John’s, Matos didn’t allow an earned run in her first 19 games, a span of 113 innings. 


Florida
Hannah DeMarcus, Pace
Pitcher | Junior
DeMarcus mowed down batters all the way to the state championship game with 315 on the season. The Auburn pledge has 733 punchouts over the past two seasons with 43 wins and a 0.59 ERA.

Georgia
Caroline Stanton, Buford
Pitcher/Outfielder | Senior
Went undefeated as a senior for the 6A state champions and the nation's No. 1 team in the fall. An early enrollee at Florida, Stanton had a microscopic 0.35 ERA with 154 strikeouts in 81 innings. A 132-game winner in her career, Stanton also slugged eight home runs and batted .329 this year.

Hawaii
Hinano Bautista, Mililani
Pitcher/Utility | Junior
Bautista has done nothing but win at Mililani with three straight state championships. Her .617 batting average with 10 home runs helped power the Trojans offensively. The lefty is committed to Cal as a pitcher and went undefeated with a 9-0 record this season.

Idaho
Hailey Brennan, Owyhee (Meridian)
Pitcher/Outfielder | Junior
Brennan led Owyhee to the 6A state championship by dominating both sides of the game. In the circle the Boise State pledge went a perfect 17-0 ERA with 234 strikeouts and a 0.49 ERA. With the bat in her hands she hit .484 and slugged six home runs.

Illinois
Caidence Phillips, Carterville
Pitcher/Utility | Senior
Allowed two earned runs this season in 145 innings pitched with 324 strikeouts for a 0.10 ERA. Headed to Illinois, Phillips helped herself at the plate by hitting .333 with 37 RBI and 21 extra-base hits. 

Indiana
Maddie Such, Lake Central (St. John)
Pitcher/Outfield | Junior
The Kentucky commit blazed a path for the Indians to win the state championship by striking out 47 batters in four June playoff games while recording seven hits with six RBI. Batted .474 on season with seven bombs. In the circle Such went 17-1 with a 0.95 ERA and 167 strikeouts.

Kansas
Charlee Latteman, Gardner-Edgerton (Gardner)
Infielder | Senior
The Blazers won the Class 6A state title for the first time in school history and Latteman had three hits in the contest. Headed to South Dakota State, she cranked out a .590 batting average with 10 home runs and 50 RBI in 2026.

Kentucky
Layla Ogden, South Warren (Bowling Green)
Pitcher/First Base | Senior
Used her bat and arm to help the nationally-ranked Spartans capture a state title while going undefeated. The Western Kentucky signee batted .492 with 14 home runs while going 18-0 in the circle with a 0.77 ERA and 109 punchouts. Hit a walk-off bomb to send South Warren to the state semifinals.

Louisiana
Kynzee Anderson, Calvary Baptist Academy (Shreveport)
Pitcher/Utility | Senior
Anderson capped her prolific career with her sixth straight state championship. The Georgia signee struck out 318 batters and won 30 games this year while hitting three bombs. Anderson leaves Shreveport with 1,398 strikeouts and a Louisiana record 129 wins.

Maine
Addison DeRoche, Cheverus (Portland)
Pitcher/First Base | Junior
The Florida State commit led the Stags to a state title by throwing a complete game and striking out 15 in the 3-2 win. On the season the junior went 18-2 with a 0.85 ERA and 304 strikeouts. Also recorded a .403 batting average with 23 RBI and five home runs. 

Maryland
Rylan Crisafulli, Broadneck (Annapolis)
Pitcher | Junior
The Boston University commit threw an eight-inning shutout with nine strikeouts in Broadneck's Class 4A state title victory. Crisafulli was masterful all season in the circle with a 0.40 ERA, 263 strikeouts and a 17-0 record in 124 innings.

Massachusetts
Bella Bourque, Taunton
Pitcher/Utility | Junior
Bourque had three base knocks in both the state semifinal and final while finishing the season with a .586 batting average. Committed to South Carolina, she drove in 40 runs with 22 extra-base hits.

Michigan
Piper Cavanaugh, Traverse City Central (Traverse City)
Pitcher/Shortstop | Senior
Oregon signee sizzled with her arm and bat. In the circle, the righty won her first 21 games and finished the season with a 0.44 ERA while punching out 289 batters. Cavanaugh also hit .585 with 38 extra-base hits, leading to 57 RBI.

Minnesota
Mariah Anderson, United South Central (Wells)
Pitcher | Senior
Anderson ends her career as the state’s single-season and career strikeout leader. In the 1A title game win, the Minnesota State-Mankato pledge threw a one-hitter while striking out 16. She went 26-4 this season with a 0.52 ERA and 440 strikeouts as a senior.

Mississippi
Grady Beck Wilson, South Panola (Batesville)
Pitcher/Infielder | Senior
Wilson went over 300 strikeouts for the Class 6A state champs this season. Headed to Jones College, Wilson was 28-4 with a 1.50 ERA in the circle while hitting .339 in the batter's box.

Missouri
Kelsie Donaldson, Raymore-Peculiar (Peculiar)
Pitcher/First Base | Senior
The Panthers won the Class 5 state crown in the fall as the lefty recorded a 16-1 record with 205 punch-outs in 129 innings. Headed to North Carolina State, Donaldson also racked up nine home runs, 39 RBI and a .490 batting average.

Montana
Charity Dunn, Shepherd
Pitcher/Infielder | Senior
Struck out 13 batters in the Class B/C state title game to cap off a second straight undefeated season for Shepherd. Headed to Pitt, Dunn had a 0.10 ERA this year with 2.3 strikeouts per inning. The ace added a .636 batting average and 36 RBI.

Nebraska
Maisey McCarty, Lincoln Southwest (Lincoln)
Pitcher/First Base | Sophomore
McCarty led the Silver Hawks to a Nebraska crown by striking out 10 and hitting an RBI double in the Class A championship in the fall. She contributed on both sides of the ball all season by winning 22 games and batting .420 with five home runs. Since starting her career by throwing a complete-game, one-hitter as a freshman, McCarty has won 31 games with 199 strikeouts.

Nevada
Taylor Johns, Palo Verde (Las Vegas)
Infielder | Senior
The senior led nationally-ranked Palo Verde to a second straight state title by hitting her 21st bomb of the season in the championship series. Signed to Georgia, Johns hit .662 and drove in 43 runs this season. She ended her career with 47 home runs, 147 RBI, 47 doubles and 14 triples.

New Hampshire
Kylee Guptill, Prospect Mountain (Alton)
Catcher | Sophomore
Had a pair of doubles in the Division III state championship win for the Timberwolves. On the season the backstop hit .583 with 45 RBI and 10 bombs. Prospect Mountain allowed one earned run or less 13 times this season with Guptill behind the dish. 

New Jersey
Madison McDougall, St. John-Vianney (Holmdel)
Pitcher | Senior
McDougall is headed to Monmouth after a dominant 29-0 season which culminated in a state crown. Struck out 312 batters with a 0.30 ERA. McDougall hit her 17th home run of the season in the state title game, wrapping up 2026 with a .626 batting average. 

New Mexico
Malie Satete, West Las Vegas (Las Vegas)
Pitcher/Catcher | Sophomore
Perhaps the most versatile player on this list, Satete hit 15 home runs and won 22 games while striking out 304 batters this spring. In the 3A championship she drove in two runs and threw a complete game with 10 strikeouts. The .638 hitter had a base knock in all but three games this season for the Dons.

New York
Skylar Groom, Chatham
Pitcher | Junior
The Binghampton commit threw three consecutive no-hitters in the playoffs and five on the season for the state champs. Groom went 18-1 with a 0.90 ERA and 232 strikeouts. At the plate she hit .614 with 12 doubles and 10 home runs. 

North Carolina
Mcartney Harrington, South Caldwell (Hudson)
Catcher/Third Base | Senior
Ivee Rastatter, Kenton Ridge (Springfield)
Pitcher/First Base | Sophomore
Helped the nationally-ranked Cougars wrap up a second consecutive 32-0 season ending with a state title. Picked up the win in all 32 contests and struck out 285 batters. Offensively, Rastatter hit 15 bombs and 19 doubles with a .485 batting average. 

Oklahoma
Keegan Baker, Edmond Memorial (Edmond)
Pitcher | Senior
Baker is one of the best pitchers in the nation and closed out her career by striking out 211 batters as a senior. Headed to Oklahoma, Baker leaves Edmond Memorial as the all-time leader in wins, strikeouts and ERA.

Oregon
Avery Wolf, West Linn
Pitcher/Infielder | Junior
The Lions won the Class 6A state championship and Wolf picked up the victories in the circle during the final two games. On the season she went 16-1 with a 1.60 ERA and 107 strikeouts. Wolf also hit .436 with 18 RBI and five home runs. 

Pennsylvania
Bria Bosiljevac, Shaler Area (Pittsburgh)
Pitcher | Senior
Bosiljevac led the Titans to a state championship with dominant postseason performances in the circle, striking out 32 in the final three games. On the season, she had a 19-0 record with a 0.50 ERA and 243 punchouts. The Indiana pledge also compiled a .333 batting average and 10 RBI.

Rhode Island
Hailey Vigneau, La Salle Academy (Providence)
Pitcher | Senior
Took down the No. 1 team in Rhode Island twice in a week to lead the Rams to the state championship. A Marist signee, Vigneau went 15-2 with a 1.60 ERA and 96 strikeouts. 

South Carolina
Aspen Boulware, Gray Collegiate Academy (West Columbia)
Infielder | Senior
Boulware hit her 12th home run of the season in her final career at-bat to help nationally-ranked Gray Collegiate Academy win the state championship and finish undefeated. The slugger had 46 hits this season but reached base via a walk or hit-by-pitch 35 additional times while striking out just once. The South Carolina signee had 223 career hits with 135 of those going for extra bases.

South Dakota
Macy Bryant, Jefferson (Sioux Falls)
Shortstop | Senior
The shortstop was nearly perfect in 2026 with a staggering .775 batting average. Headed to South Dakota State, Bryant had 18 doubles, eight triples and six home runs for the back-to-back Class AA state champs. 

Tennessee
Samya Sandifer, Stewarts Creek (Smyrna)
Pitcher/Utility | Senior
Kennesaw State signee went 17-1 and threw a two-hit shutout while recording two hits herself in the Class 4A state title game. Sandifer had a 1.14 ERA and 163 strikeouts this season in the circle. The slugger also hit .546 with 16 doubles, eight triples and 12 home runs for the 35-win Red Hawks.

Texas
E.K. Smith, Katy
Pitcher/Third Base | Senior
Smith is headed to Oklahoma after leading the nationally-ranked Tigers to the Conference 6A Division 2 state crown. She hit her 21st home run of the season in the semifinal series and batted .632 on the year with an OPS of 2.087. Smith went 12-1 in the circle with nearly two strikeouts per inning against one of the toughest schedules in the country.

Utah
Lulu West, Desert Hills (St. George)
Pitcher/Second Base | Senior
West helped Desert Hills win the Class 4A state championship by throwing a complete game and driving in a run. Headed to UConn, West hit .421 with 10 bombs as a senior. The four-year starter capped her career in the circle by winning 20 games and punching out 195 batters in 2026.

Vermont
Brooke Osgood, Oxbow (Bradford)
Pitcher/Utility | Junior
Dominated with the bat all season by hitting .627 with seven home runs and 24 RBI. In the state semifinals, she threw three hitless innings while reaching base three times herself.

Virginia
Kaylee Hodges, Matoaca (Chesterfield)
Pitcher/First Base | Junior
Committed to Tennessee, led the Warriors to a state championship with a perfect 16-0 record. Hodges didn’t allow an earned run until June, finishing the season with a 0.36 ERA and 320 strikeouts. Added nine home runs while hitting .510.

Washington
Jordyn Jeske, Liberty (Spangle)
Pitcher/Utility | Senior
Jeske won 23 games and batted .617 with 27 home runs for a Liberty squad that reached the Class 2B semifinals. During a 4-0 win in late April, the Carroll College signee struck out 22 batters and hit a home run – the first of seven straight games she went deep in.

West Virginia
Madison Wisman, Morgantown
Pitcher/Infielder | Senior
Wisman capped her career by throwing four straight shutouts in the Class AAAA tournament which culminated in a title. Over 27 postseason innings she struck out 21 batters while contributing six hits as a hitter. The Robert Morris signee finished the season with a .484 batting average as a hitter and won 22 games with 274 strikeouts in the circle.

Wisconsin
Bitsy Palicka, Hamilton (Sussex)
Pitcher | Sophomore
Palicka was a workhorse all season with a 0.60 ERA in 157 innings. Won a nine-inning extra-innings semifinal contest and then threw a complete game in the state title to win the crown. Also batted .490 with 43 RBI and seven home runs.

Wyoming
Madelyn Artery, East (Cheyenne)
First Base | Senior
Artery capped her career in style by scoring the winning run in a state championship walk-off. The senior hit .525 with 49 RBI and two home runs. In the five-game state tournament, she had three multi-hit games and drove in six runs.