By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
Nicole Hudson, a remarkable blend of power hitting and power pitching for four years at Webb City High School, has been named the 2008-09 Gatorade Missouri Softball Player of the Year.
The Gatorade Company, in partnership with ESPN RISE, announced Hudson as its Missouri choice last week.
Hudson, a right-handed thrower and a left-handed batter, is the first Gatorade Missouri Softball Player of the Year from Webb City. She has signed a national letter of intent to play softball at the University of Missouri in Columbia.
Said Cardinal coach Walter Resa: “We were blessed to have that type of talent. She was special not only as a player but as a person.”
Hudson, who was seventh scholastically among the seniors with a 4.23 GPA, did volunteer work with Special Olympics, blood-donation drives and drug-use awareness and prevention initiatives.
“She was a unique individual,” Resa said. “She was a competitor and a quiet leader. She led by example.
“You will not outwork her,” Resa said. “She will do everything in her power to make the team better.”
Resa said that Hudson, as a freshman, helped the Cardinals tie for third in state competition. The third-place game wasn’t held because of rain.
The Cardinals finished 24-1 her sophomore season with the loss to Seneca in a district championship game.
Webb City, with Hudson primarily playing first base as a junior until the postseason, won the state championship her junior campaign.
Classmate Kylie Jones, another right-hander, was the workhorse on the mound until postseason, Resa said.
Webb City, moving up to Class 4 last season, finished third. The Cardinals lost 6-5 in nine innings to unbeaten Blue Springs in the semifinals before rebounding to trim Francis Howell Central 12-0 in five innings for third.
Offensive numbers her senior campaign included a .495 average, eight home runs, 35 RBI and a .619 on-base percentage. She was 20-2 on the mound with a 0.23 ERA. She struck out 272 and walked 11 in 161 innings.
Hudson said this summer on weekends she’s playing with the 18-under ASA-sanctioned Columbia Rattlers.
“I’m playing third base and pitching,” she said. “My plans, of course, are to play third base at Missouri.”
Hudson’s teammates with the Rattlers include McDonald County’s Brandy Campbell (Central Missouri signee who’s playing second base and the outfield) and Neosho’s Kreslee Ketcham (Pittsburg State signee who’s catching).
The success by Mizzou this season (50-12 overall and an appearance in the College World Series at Oklahoma City) naturally didn’t go unnoticed by Hudson.
“Definitely, they had a great season,” she said. “I know they had an outstanding freshman pitcher (Chelsea Thomas). They had a senior playing third base most of the season (Lindsey Ubrun) before a junior (Gina Schneider) took over in the postseason.
“Definitely, the program is in a good spot,” Hudson said. “Hopefully, I can find a position.”
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