Softball Secures Nation’s No. 9 Ranked 2026 Signing Class

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina softball head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard announced the signing of eight high school student-athletes to join the Gamecocks for the 2027 season: Aspen Boulware (Columbia, S.C./Gray Collegiate Academy), Kadyn Gabrels (Buford, Ga./Buford), Audrina “Boo” Herber (Dale, Okla./Dale), Olivia “Libby” Miller (Fort Mill, S.C./Indian Land), Jillian Ondrick (Weymouth, Mass./Weymouth), Hayden Sujack (West Chicago, Ill./Saint Charles East), Alex Williams (Ellenwood, Ga./Stockbridge), and Hannah Wulf (Saint Charles, Ill./Saint Charles East).

The signing class was ranked No. 9 in the nation by both Softball America and D1Softball.com.

“We expect this 2026 signing class to have an immediate impact on the program” Chastain said. “This is a group who have all played at a high level coming into our program, made up of high school state champions and a Gatorade Player of the Year. I love how close knit the group already is as they have been on multiple visits together and communicate on a regular basis. The staff and I really enjoyed getting a full recruiting cycle with this class and their families. We know we are bringing in great people with great character who know how to win and who will wear the garnet and black with pride. This group loves being Gamecocks and will be impactful here at Carolina to help us continue to move the program forward and ultimately compete for championships on the biggest stage. We can’t wait to have Boo, Kadyn, Alex, Hannah, Hayden, Jill, Libby and Aspen on campus next year!”

Aspen Boulware – INF – Columbia, S.C.

Boulware will enroll early and join the Gamecocks a year ahead of schedule. She was originally ranked as the No. 1 player in the nation for the Class of 2027 by Softball America before she reclassified. Within the 2026 class, she holds the top ranking in South Carolina and is recognized as the No. 1 middle infielder in the country, as well as the No. 7 overall player nationally.

Boulware is a 5-foot-6 left-handed hitter and right-handed thrower. She comes from an accomplished athletic family—her father, Michael, played four seasons in the NFL; her mother, Jessica (née van der Linden), was the 2004 USA Softball Player of the Year; and her uncle, Peter, was an All-Pro in the NFL during a nine-year career.

Boulware is a two-time USA Softball National Team member, representing the United States with both the U-15 and U-18 squads. Most recently, she helped lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 2025 World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Women’s World Cup, where she earned All-World Team honors after leading the tournament in runs scored. She finished the tournament hitting .588 (10-for-17) with seven RBIs, three triples, and two home runs. She previously captured gold and Most Valuable Player honors at the 2023 WBSC U-15 World Cup, posting a .421 batting average with 10 runs, seven RBIs, and four home runs.

At the high school level, Boulware was the 2025 Gatorade South Carolina Softball Player of the Year, Region 4-4A Player of the Year, and Class 4A Player of the Year, setting a program record with 22 home runs while batting .573. She plays travel ball with the Birmingham Thunderbolts, where she helped win the Premier Girls Fastpitch (PGF) U-14 National Championship.

Kadyn Gabrels – INF – Buford, Ga.

Gabrels is a 5-foot-8 corner infielder who hits and throws right-handed. She is ranked as the No. 7 prospect in Georgia by Softball America, as well as the No. 20 infielder and No. 46 overall player nationally.

She helped the Wolves capture the 2025 Georgia High School Association 6A State Championship, her third state title, and earned a runner-up finish in 2024. During the summer, Gabrels competes with Georgia Impact – Taylor Premier, helping the team to a fifth-place finish at the PGF Nationals.

Boo Herber – P – Dale, Okla.

Herber is a 5-foot-7 right-handed pitcher who holds her high school’s single-season strikeout record. She is ranked as the No. 3 player in Oklahoma by Softball America, as well as the No. 19 pitcher and No. 68 overall player nationally.

A four-year letterwinner, Herber has earned All-Region Pitcher of the Year, Conference MVP, and All-State honors multiple times. She competes with Birmingham Thunderbolts Premier, helping the team to the 2023 PGF National Championship and Atlanta Legacy Championship.

Off the field, she is a member of the Beta Club and the Superintendent’s Honor Roll.

Libby Miller – P – Fort Mill, S.C.

From nearby Fort Mill, Miller is a 5-foot-8 right-handed pitcher and six-time varsity letterwinner at Indian Land High School. She is a four-time All-Region selection (2021, 2023–25), earning Regional Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and Team MVP in 2024, along with the Spring Leadership Award.

Miller also competed in volleyball for two seasons and plays travel ball with the Lady Dukes – Lamar/Perkins. Academically, she carries a 4.72 GPA and is a member of the National Honor Society, National Art Honor Society, and Beta Club. She was also recognized with the Omega Psi Phi Chapter Academic Award for Lancaster County.

Jillian Ondrick – P – Weymouth, Mass.

Ondrick is a 6-foot right-handed pitcher ranked as the No. 1 player in Massachusetts by Softball America. She is also ranked as the No. 38 pitcher and No. 138 overall player nationally.

Over her high school career with the Wildcats, Ondrick has recorded more than 750 strikeouts. She was named the Bay State Conference MVP in 2025 and the Catholic Central League MVP as a sophomore. A three-time Boston Globe All-Star, she plays travel ball with Carolina Elite – Genovese.

Off the field, Ondrick participates in the Best Buddies Club and Unified Basketball.

Hayden Sujack – C – West Chicago, Ill.

Sujack is a 5-foot-7 catcher who bats and throws right-handed. In three seasons with the Saints, she holds a career .431 batting average and a .950 slugging percentage, totaling 42 home runs, 130 RBIs, 137 hits, and a .492 on-base percentage across 101 games.

She was named Player of the Year by the Kane County Chronicle after leading St. Charles East to its first sectional title since 2019. A two-time Class 4A All-State First Team honoree and Second Team selection as a freshman, Sujack has also earned All-Area honors each season.

During the summer, she plays for the Chicago Cheetahs – Connolly, finishing ninth at the 2025 Alliance Nationals. Academically, she is a National Honor Society member and an Academic All-Conference selection each of the last three years.

Alex Williams – OF – Ellenwood, Ga.

Wulf is a 5-foot-10 left-handed pitcher who ranked sixth in Illinois Class 4A with a 0.96 ERA last season. As a junior, she recorded a 16–5 record over 137 innings pitched and helped her team to consecutive regional championships.

She earned Illinois Coaches Association All-State Second Team honors and was selected to the Extra Innings Softball Midwest Regional Team. Wulf also received All-DuKane Conference, Daily Herald All-Area, and Suburban Life All-Area recognition, and was named the Daily Herald April Athlete of the Month.

During the summer, she plays for the Chicago Cheetahs – Connolly, finishing ninth at the 2025 Alliance Nationals. In the classroom, Wulf is a member of the National Honor Society, the Wheaton North Gold Honor Roll, and serves as a DuKane Leadership Representative

For the latest on South Carolina Softball, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockSoftbll, Facebook /GamecockSoftball, and Instagram @GamecockSoftball.