State softball tournament preview: Title rematch opens this year’s first round
Defending state champion Henderson County begins its quest for a repeat in the very first game of this year’s Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Softball State Tournament presented by UK HealthCare at the University of Kentucky’s John Cropp Stadium.
By luck of the draw, the No. 5 Colonels out of the 2nd Region will face the 13th Region team they beat in last year’s state title game, No. 17 North Laurel, at 10 a.m. Thursday in what might not even be the most intriguing matchup of the first round.
In all, 11 teams ranked in the regular season’s final Kentucky High School Softball Coaches Poll top 25 will make their way to Lexington this week, including unanimous No. 1 South Warren, led by Kentucky commit McLaine Hudson, a junior who hit .617 and led the state with 77 runs scored, and Western Kentucky commit Layla Ogden, who has already tied the state’s single-season home run record with 24 dingers to go with a state-best 75 RBI.
But the No. 1 Spartans’ quest for the program’s first state title must go through another perennial contender in No. 6 Daviess County, which has its own UK commit in junior Annie Newman, no slouch with a .559 average and 15 homers.
No. 7 Scott County, the 11th Region champion, will take on Bullitt East in the last game of the first day. The Cardinals feature Georgia commit Ada Little, who tops all pitchers in the tournament with 251 strikeouts.
Here’s a look at some of the best players and teams participating this week.
The ranked contenders
▪ No. 1 South Warren (34-3) makes its second straight state trip as 4th Region champs.
▪ No. 3 Assumption (31-6) made the semis last year.
▪ No. 5 Henderson County (31-6) has won five straight 2nd Region crowns and claimed its first state title last year.
▪ No. 6 Daviess County (26-3) has made six straight trips to state.
▪ No. 7 Scott County (25-6) won the last of its three state championships when the Cards last made state in 2018.
▪ No. 10 Harrison County (33-6) was last here in 2023.
▪ No. 11 Oldham County (31-6) returns after a three-year hiatus and has the state’s best hitter for average with Jozie Lashley (.638).
▪ No. 14 Bullitt East (24-5) last made state in 2012.
▪ No. 17 North Laurel (29-6) won it all in 2001 and came up one game short last season.
▪ No. 23 Rowan County (28-5) has made two state appearances in three years.
▪ No. 25 Taylor County (27-7) earned its first trip as 5th Region champions.
The spoilers
▪ Boyle County (12-18) had an 8-17 regular season record before winning four of its last five to earn the Rebels’ first 12th Region crown since 2022.
▪ Marshall County (28-8-1) knocked off No. 4 McCracken County for its first 1st Region crown since 2019.
▪ Letcher County Central (23-14) and Lawrence County (24-7) each make their second straight state appearance.
▪ Covington Holy Cross (18-12) joins Taylor County as first-timers to the tournament.
SEC-bound players
Known college commitments among tournament players include:
▪ Kentucky: McLaine Hudson, South Warren and Annie Newman, Daviess County.
▪ Georgia: Ada Little, Scott County.
▪ Missouri: Hadley Borders, South Warren.
Future Hilltoppers everywhere
▪ Western Kentucky commits: Layla Ogden, South Warren; Lauren Satterly and Lauren Campisano, Assumption; and Jozie Lashley, Oldham County.
Other Division I commitments
▪ Austin Peay: Shyanne Ross, Harrison County. Florida Atlantic: Hayden Holloway, South Warren. Iowa: Mollie Hancock, Daviess County. Ohio State: Parker Willoughby, South Warren. Princeton: Sophia Cain, Daviess County. Southern Indiana: Anna Kemp, Henderson County.
Other in-state commitments
▪ Bellarmine: Tia Ice, Assumption and Aubrey Batts, Oldham County. Campbellsville: Riley Sprowles, Taylor County. Cumberlands: Lauren Jones, Scott County. Georgetown College: Evie Thomas, Covington Holy Cross. Kentucky Wesleyan: Paige Crain, Assumption. Lindsey Wilson: Jenna Lindsey, South Warren and Katherine LeMonds, Boyle County. Midway: Diamond Wills, Rowan County. Morehead State: Allicen Harris, Marshall County. Transylvania: Malana Hamm, Rowan County.
By the numbers
Top offensive threats: Jozie Lashley, Oldham County (.638 AVG, 71 RBI, 68 runs, 21 2B, 5 3B, 22 HR); McLaine Hudson, South Oldham (.617 AVG, 59 RBI, 77 runs, 9 2B, 10 3B, 20 HR); Annie Newman, Daviess County (.559 AVG, 47 RBI, 47 runs, 4 2B, 4 3B, 15 HR).
Home run power: Layla Ogden, South Warren (24); Jozie Lashley, Oldham County (22), McLaine Hudson, South Warren (20).
Best on the mound: Kamryn Timmons, Daviess County (10-1, 0.65 ERA, 112 K, 54 IP); Courtney Norwood, South Warren (18-2, 0.83 ERA, 153 K, 92.1 IP); Ada Little, Scott County (19-6, 0.90 ERA, 148.1 IP).
Strikeout queens: Ada Little, Scott County (251); Evie Thomas, Covington Holy Cross (221); Shyanne Ross, Harrison County (211).
Team batting average leaders: South Warren (.427); Bullitt East (.407); Daviess County (.399).
Team runs leaders: South Warren (426); Harrison County (337); Oldham County (333).
Team homers: South Warren (70); Oldham County (58); North Laurel (35).
Team ERA: Daviess County (1.08); South Warren (1.23); Harrison County (1.28).
State High School Softball Tournament
Where: At UK’s John Cropp Stadium
Tickets: GoFan.co/app/school/KHSAA
Streaming: KHSAA.tv
Thursday’s first-round games
10 a.m.: Henderson County (31-6) vs. North Laurel (29-6)
1 p.m.: Daviess County (26-3) vs. South Warren (34-3)
5:30 p.m.: Rowan County (28-5) vs. Boyle County (12-18)
8:30 p.m.: Scott County (25-6) vs. Bullitt East (24-5)
Friday’s first-round games
10 a.m.: Covington Holy Cross (18-12) vs. Harrison County (33-6)
1 p.m.: Assumption (31-6) vs. Oldham County (31-6)
5:30 p.m.: Taylor County (27-7) vs. Letcher County Central (23-14)
8:30 p.m.: Marshall County (28-8-1) vs. Lawrence County (24-7)
Saturday’s quarterfinals
10 a.m.: Rowan County-Boyle County winner vs. Scott County-Bullitt East winner
1 p.m.: Henderson County-North Laurel winner vs. Daviess County-South Warren winner
5:30 p.m.: Covington Holy Cross-Harrison County winner vs. Assumption-Oldham County winner
8:30 p.m.: Taylor County-Letcher County Central winner vs. Marshall County-Lawrence County winner
Friday, June 13
Times TBD: Semifinals.
Saturday, June 14
Time TBD: Championship game.
This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 7:05 AM.
