Indiana Preps | Spring Standout
While most of the early-season baseball conversation in Indiana has centered on Center Grove and Crown Point, something quietly dominant has been happening in Mooresville. The Pioneers are undefeated, and their ace is the reason why.
Hudson DeVaughan is not sneaking up on anyone who follows Indiana high school baseball. The 6-foot-4 right-hander is among the top-ranked prospects in the Class of 2026, committed to the University of Alabama, and has been on evaluators’ radars since he was touching 92 mph as a freshman. But what he has done to open his senior season isn’t just good. It’s historic-looking.
Three starts. Forty strikeouts. Zero earned runs. A 0.00 ERA. The line reads like a video game stat, but the competition has been real.
In his first outing against Martinsville, DeVaughan threw four innings, surrendered zero hits, and struck out 11 — every batter he faced except one — before the game was called with Mooresville ahead 21-0. His second start against Decatur Central was a complete game shutout: seven innings, two hits, one walk, and 17 strikeouts in a 2-0 victory. Most recently against Perry Meridian, he went five innings, allowed zero hits, issued one walk, and struck out 12 more. He is not leaving hitters with good options. He is barely leaving them with hope.
DeVaughan finished his junior season with a 2.26 ERA and 74 strikeouts in 43 innings — numbers that were already exceptional. The senior version appears to have taken another step. His fastball has reached 97 mph at recent showcases, and his personal goal for this season is to hit 100 on the mound and reach 100 strikeouts for the year. Through three starts, he’s already 40 percent of the way to the strikeout mark. The velocity goal may not be far behind.
DeVaughan credits offseason work and a sharper approach from his pitching coach for the early-season results.
“I got a few tips from my pitching coach after breaking down video and seeing what I can do better, and I have used them going into this spring high school season,” he said. “A team goal for me is to help my team win and hopefully get a chance to win a state championship. A few personal goals of mine are to hit 100 mph on the mound and get 100 season strikeouts.”
The state championship reference carries real weight. Mooresville reached the state championship game when DeVaughan was a sophomore, and getting back to Victory Field on a senior farewell tour is a driving force behind everything he’s doing this spring.
“It would mean the world to me to get back out there again, to relive that moment we had two years ago,” DeVaughan said. “Bring this team out that we built and bring it out to Victory Field and win that — hopefully that’s the plan this season. That would mean the world to me. Senior year. Last season. Last game of high school baseball.”
The Alabama commitment, made official in July 2024, puts him in the company of one of college baseball’s most watched programs. The Crimson Tide’s 2026 recruiting class has been ranked among the top 15 in the country by Perfect Game and DeVaughan is one of the headliners. His choice came down to the people more than the program.
“Alabama was the right choice for me for a few reasons. The top reason is their pitching coach, Jason Jackson. He knows his stuff like no other. The staff feels more like a family than anything, and that’s when I knew Alabama was the right choice for me,” DeVaughan said.
The relationship between a pitcher and his pitching coach is the most important bond in player development. When a prospect who already touches 97 says a coach’s knowledge is what sold him, that’s not a recruiting line. That’s a player who understands exactly where he’s going and why.
Recognition at this level could turn some players inward. DeVaughan treats it as fuel.
“It means the world to me to be recognized by my skills and put on a list with the other top-ranked prospects in Indiana,” he said. “To go out there and compete against those other dudes on that list is the best feeling.”
The Pioneers are undefeated. Their ace is untouchable. And the state is going to have to start paying attention to Mooresville, whether they planned to or not.
Indiana Preps | Spring Standout profiles the top individual performers across Indiana high school athletics each week.