For anyone who has watched Caroline Stanton play over the last four years, it comes as no surprise that she has earned nearly every accolade possible in high school softball.
Still, the moment was one she never saw coming.
On Tuesday morning, June 9, Stanton was surprised at Buford High School by three-time Olympic medalist and former Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year Cat Osterman with the 2025-26 Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award. Family members, friends, coaches and former teammates gathered to celebrate as Stanton learned she had been named the nation’s top high school softball player.
Stanton believed she was attending a ceremony to receive the Gatorade Georgia Softball Player of the Year award, which had been announced just days earlier. Instead, she found herself accepting one of the most prestigious honors in high school athletics.
The award caps an incredible senior season for Stanton, who helped lead Buford to a perfect 36-0 record and the GHSA Class 6A state championship.
The 6-foot senior right-handed pitcher and first baseman finished the season with a 14-0 record and a 0.35 ERA in 81 innings pitched. In a platoon role with classmate Addie Rackley, Stanton threw 11 shutouts, including three no-hitters, and held opposing batters to a .097 average while posting a 0.49 WHIP. At the plate, she batted .329 with eight home runs and 38 RBIs while compiling a .740 slugging percentage and a 1.157 OPS.
Already regarded as the No. 1 prospect in the nation by both Prep Softball and Softball America, Stanton also led USA Softball’s Women’s Junior National Team to a gold medal at the 2025 WBSC U-18 World Cup and earned Tournament Defensive MVP honors.
The national award was presented by someone who has played a significant role in Stanton’s development. Osterman, who coaches Stanton with the Texas Bombers 18U travel program, has served as both a mentor and coach during her rise to becoming one of the country’s elite players.
“I’m just proud of her,” Osterman said. “I think there’s a lot that goes on to be able to not only be the number one recruit in your class, but obviously competing for the state title every year of her career here, and that’s a lot of weight that goes on any pitcher. She’s not exactly going to a small-name college either, so she knows how to carry that weight.”
Osterman said Stanton’s talent is obvious, but what stands out most is everything beyond the numbers.
“You see the athleticism,” Osterman said. “She’s the child of two college athletes, so the genetics and the talent are there. But there’s a lot of times athletes have talent and the hard work and work ethic to continually get better isn’t necessarily there. She’s flown to Texas when she has off days just to work. She’s also so selfless.
“Her first summer with us, she was not our star. We had a senior who had carried us for a couple of years. She was the first one every time to celebrate other pitchers. While she has the talent and she’s absolutely a stud, it’s the character piece that goes with it that’s going to allow her to continue.”
For Stanton, having Osterman present the award made the moment even more special.
“She means everything to me,” Stanton said. “Finding a coach that’s as influential is super hard, and through ups and downs, she’s just been the one that I can lean on for everything.”
While the individual recognition is significant, Stanton’s thoughts quickly went back to the team’s journey throughout her senior season.
“I feel like my entire senior year,” Stanton said when asked what moments she thinks about when looking at the trophy.
Stanton said that she and her teammates did not like losing when Buford lost to East Coweta during her junior year. That motivated her and her team to work extra hard to avenge that loss and they wound up beating East Coweta in the state championship game during her senior year.
“I think this kind of represents that a little bit, just how much we put into our senior year to get the outcome that we wanted and the hard work the whole year,” Stanton said.
One of the first people Stanton shared the moment with was Buford head coach Trent Adams.
After receiving the award, Stanton and Adams embraced as they reflected on the journey they had shared together.
“He was totally proud of me,” Stanton said. “But I also told him that I wouldn’t be able to do any of it without him. You couldn’t ask for a better high school softball coach from person to coach. So it’s, again, his too.”
Stanton also credits her parents as the biggest influence on her softball career. Both were Division I athletes, with her mother playing basketball at Rollins College and her father playing baseball at Clemson University. Their support has been a constant throughout her journey from youth softball standout to national player of the year.
The Gatorade Player of the Year award recognizes excellence not only in athletics, but also in academics and community involvement. Stanton has maintained a 4.13 GPA while serving as a member of Beta Club, participating in a weekly Bible study group and helping lead Buford’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter. She has also volunteered with the Feed the Hungry Foundation, youth softball camps and clinics, Happy Feet at Night to Shine and the Buford United Softball Game.
As Stanton prepares to begin her college career at the University of Florida, her impact on Buford softball is already secure. She helped lead the Wolves to championships, became the nation’s top-ranked recruit and now leaves as the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year.
But when asked how she hopes people remember her legacy at Buford, her answer had little to do with awards or statistics.
“Probably just for being a good person and a good teammate,” Stanton said.
To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
