Makayla McClain(Providence Grove High School) and her record-shattering 2026 at APP State University…..
Makayla McClain currently batting at .391, with 18 Home Runs, 46 RBI, 64 Runs Scored, and 11 Doubles…
Senior infielder Makayla McClain dug into the right-handed batter’s box April 2 for her first plate appearance of the series against Marshall University. On the first pitch she swung at, she smashed a homer over the left center field wall.
It was her 18th of the season, which broke the program record for the most home runs in a season — with 16 games still left on the regular season schedule.
“When they see Mak rise to the challenge or fight through it, it sends a different message to the team — that we can do it,” head coach Whitney Jones said.
McClain spent her first two years at Campbell University before transferring to App State at the end of her sophomore season.
“When I got to App State, I immediately knew that this was gonna be my home for the next few years, and I’ve loved every minute of it,” McClain said.
In her junior season, McClain earned All-Sun Belt first team honors with a 1.221 on-base plus slugging rate and 14 home runs in 45 games, a total she equaled in 28 games in her senior year. On May 3, 2025, she hit for the cycle, becoming the first Mountaineer to do so.
On top of owning the single-season home run record, she broke the single-season runs record.
“It means a lot, but there’s been a lot of hard work that’s been put into it,” McClain said. “It’s just been a great experience, and I’m glad to have the people I do around me to experience it with me.”
Junior infielder Grace Barrett is McClain’s middle infield duo, also named to the All-Sun Belt first team. Barrett has had a career-best season as well, trailing McClain for the team lead in batting average, hits, OPS, RBIs and runs scored.
“I love how we feed off of each other,” Barrett said. “I am fueled by her, watching her perform. I just love the way that we come together and click in that aspect.”
A lot of second basemen and shortstops have chemistry that other positions on the field don’t, and McClain and Barrett are no different.
“Mak is one of the most competitive people I’ve ever known, and I see a lot of myself in her,” Barrett said. “Things that she says or how she reacts to certain things, I think we’re very similar in some of those ways.”
Coach Jones and McClain arrived in Boone around the same time, and Jones fell in love with McClain’s game. She watched a lot of film from her freshman year, and she really noticed her athleticism and swing.
“I didn’t see Mak before college, but I did watch film on her freshman year, and there was a ton of athleticism and her swing. I saw her range out and make crazy plays,” Jones said.
McClain struggled in her sophomore year at Campbell, and Jones’ goal was to bring her back to her best.
“When she got here, I was like, let’s kind of try and get back to your natural athleticism. Let’s have your body working in sync and just letting things translate from there,” Jones said. “I think she’s just continued over time to just own that, feel that and be able to repeat it.”
The moments have always felt big for McClain throughout her time in the High Country, most notably after she scored the winning run against Georgia State University on March 29.
“It gets emotional, especially like for the Georgia State game when GB hit that ball up the middle, and I just gave them my all going home,” McClain said. “It’s just a team effort and seeing how hard my teammates worked to be in those moments.”
McClain and the Black and Gold as a whole have had persistence to keep them going even when the team is struggling.
“I don’t think that we’ve ever given up. We’ve faced some adversity, but we haven’t let it get us down, and I think that we’re gonna compete until the final day,” Barrett said.