Passion keys stellar season for ex-SHS softballer

Ashley Huber doesn't recall the exact moment, but she recalls that sometime late during her senior year at Sisters High School, she realized she wasn't ready for her competitive sports days to end with graduation.

That's when she realized softball was more than just a game.

"I really grew to love the sport, and the thought of it coming to an end and possibly not being able to play it any more at the competitive level really bothered me," said Huber. "It became more than just a game to me, it became my passion."

She ended her senior season as an Outlaws softball player in impressive fashion, earning second-team all-league honors and hitting .375. Her thoughts of playing in college became more pronounced.

"Isn't it almost every one's dream to grow and go to college to play the sport you love?" said Ashley.

So, she started looking at community college possibilities and began talking to coaches. Tom Bequette at Blue Mountain Community College in Pendleton offered her an opportunity with no guarantees, no scholarship money.

Ashley jumped at it.

It was an opportunity to pursue her passion, as well as continue her education. She went to BMCC faced with many unknowns - not knowing any of her teammates, not knowing what her chances of making the team were and never having met her roommates. But her desire to play enabled her to overcome those unknowns.

"It was the best experience of my life," said Ashley, who batted a stellar .344 for the Wolves and played every inning of every game. "It teaches you about the real world. You can't call in sick, you have to play through it."

Playing through it is what many Wolves did in 2009. They started the season with 14 players and finished with nine, the minimum to field a team. Yet, they were 26-17 on the season and 18-10 in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges.

And by season's end, Coach Bequette awarded her with a scholarship. But long before that scholarship came through, Bequette switched Ashley from a right-handed hitter to the left side to utilize her speed for bunting and slapping.

"At first, I thought it was a joke," she said. "It was so awkward, like writing left-handed. I met it with mixed feelings, but thought it was something cool to do, but I had no confidence with it."

During the early part of the season, she didn't bat, only played defense. But once she got that first slap base hit, she just got better and better.

"You get to first base faster and that helps the team," said Ashley. "Everyone wants to hit the game-winning home run or have a diving catch for the third out in the seventh inning, but for me it is as simple as getting consistent base hits to help my team get on the scoreboard or just making the routine out every time I get the opportunity."

Bequette said there are two types of athletes - participants and contributors.

"We want contributors, and that is what Ashley is. As a result, she went from a non-scholarship athlete to a scholarship athlete. If you had asked me in the beginning of the season if Ashley would have been a starter, I probably would have said she might not get many innings. But due to her extreme commitment, she ended up playing and contributing."

While softball was among her freshman-year highlights, she also excelled academically, earning Dean's List honors all three terms. And she earned all As in math.

"First time ever to get As in math," she said. "I just connected with the teachers and was inspired to work harder. I'm glad I attended community college. It helped me realize the importance of family, friends, teammates, shopping for a bargain and that you must be willing to ask for help."

Ashley is excited for the 2010 season. She knows her goal of "becoming a better player" will be filled with hard work.

"The harder I work, the better I become, and the more confident I am," she said. "Becoming a better player gives me the opportunity to help out my team in different areas of the game and at the end of the day, knowing I gave 110 percent to my team is how it pays off. And of course there is nothing that feels better than having that 'W' in the books."

What does life after BMCC hold? Academically, she's not sure, but athletically she wants to continue playing softball. Originally, she was interested in psychology, but "now my mind is in 15 different places. I'll get my transfer degree, take some classes that will introduce me to some career opportunities and see where they lead," she said. "I'd like to play at a four-year school. I like the sport and want to play as long as I can."

It may be summer vacation for some, but Ashley is working two jobs, working out three days a week and thinking a lot about softball. She recently attended the University of New Mexico's clinic at SHS, and plans regular workouts with her former high school coach, Tom Mauldin.

"I'm not one bit surprised by Ashley's collegiate success," said Mauldin. "She wants it and she works hard. Like her BMCC coach says, 'she's a contributor' because she works hard."