Kaplan's Marceaux named Louisiana Gatorade Softball Player of the Year

CHICAGO — In its 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Kennedy Marceaux of Kaplan High School is the 2023-24 Gatorade Louisiana Softball Player of the Year.
Marceaux is the first Gatorade Louisiana Softball Player of the Year to be chosen from Kaplan High School.
The award, which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the field, in the classroom and in the community, distinguishes Marceaux as Louisiana’s best high school softball player.
From CEOs and coaches to star athletes, Gatorade Player of the Year winners showcase the power of sport, touting an all-star group of alumni that includes Amanda Freed (1997-98, Pacifica High School, Calif.), Cat Osterman (2000-01, Cypress Springs High School, Texas), Rachel Garcia (2014-15 & 2012-13, Highland High School, Calif.) and Ava Brown (2022-23 & 2021-22, Lake Creek High School, Texas).
The 5-foot-6 senior shortstop posted a .615 batting average with 21 home runs and 50 runs batted in this past season, leading the Pirates (27-6) to the Non-Select Division III state tournament quarterfinals. Marceaux also collected 14 doubles, six triples and 25 stolen bases.
Ranked as the nation’s No. 7 recruit in the Class of 2024 by Extra Inning Softball, she scored 65 runs while posting a .704 on-base percentage and a 1.542 slugging percentage. She concluded her prep softball career with 83 home runs.
Marceaux is an active member of the 4-H club and has shown livestock at the parish, state and national levels since she was four years old. She has volunteered locally as the Kaplan High School football team manager and as a youth softball coach. She has also donated her time as part of multiple community service initiatives through her church. “Kennedy is so versatile and is definitely the most feared hitter we faced,” said Beth Domingue, head coach of Sam Houston High School. “I can count two times for sure that I’ve seen her actually not barrel a ball up. She’s the real deal.”
Marceaux has maintained a 3.52 GPA in the classroom. She has signed a national letter of intent to play softball on scholarship at the University of Alabama this fall.
The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by the Gatorade Player of the Year Selection Committee, which leverages experts including coaches, scouts, media and others as sources to help evaluate and determine the state winners in each sport.

Marceaux joins recent Gatorade Louisiana Softball Players of the Year Addison Jackson (2022-23 & 2021-22, St. Amant High School) and Maci Bergeron (2020-21 & 2019-20, Notre Dame High School), among the state’s list of former award winners.

As part of Gatorade’s commitment to breaking down barriers in sport, every Player of the Year also receives a grant to donate to a social impact partner. To date, the Gatorade Player of the Year program has provided more than $4.9 million in grants to winners across more than 1,900 organizations.

To learn more about the Gatorade Player of the Year program, check out past winners or to nominate student-athletes, visit playeroftheyear.gatorade.com or follow us on social media on Facebook at facebook.com/GatoradePOY, Instagram at instagram.com/Gatorade and X(Twitter) at x.com/Gatorade.