If students on campus haven’t been out to watch the Clark College Women’s Softball Team play, then they're missing out. One of the Seattle Mariners' star plays, Ichiro, has a few things in common with Clark's center-fielder Ashleigh Byrne. They both play center-field, bat left-handed, are lead-off hitters, are really fast and are quiet leaders. “Ichiro gives 110 percent and I love that,” Byrne says. “He is really fast.”

 

    Ashleigh has been playing softball for 14 years and loves the excitement of the sport. “Softball has always been a part of my life, and I enjoy being part of a team,” Byrne says. Softball also runs in her family, both her older sisters were college softball players and her father coached the girls. They both played for different colleges in Alabama and Ashleigh hasn't ruled out following in their footsteps to an Alabama college. “I haven’t decided on where to transfer,” Byrne says. California and Arizona are other possibilities. She is currently a sophomore working on her business degree. “I want to open my own club, to have fun and to dance,” Byrne says.

 

    Last year the Clark Women’s Softball Team had some issues. “All softball season last year was hard,” Byrne says. “There were some girls on the team that didn’t have their hearts in it.” Recently, she was told that softball is a sport of failure. She says that it’s how you recover from that which makes a difference. Ashleigh has used that statement to motivate herself and her teammates this season. “Everyone on the team looks up to her,” Coach Kasey Powers says. “She helps her teammates out and gives them advice.”

 

    When Ashleigh leads off an inning by using her speed to beat out a throw to first, she is trying to ignite the Penguin offense. Like Ichiro, it’s the little things she does that inspire those behind her to fight to get on base. According to Powers, Byrne is currently leading the team in hitting and fielding. “She is one of the hardest working players that I have seen in my 14 years of coaching,” Powers says. “She always leads by example, quiet, always working hard.” Ashleigh even hopes to coach softball someday, when she has time. When asked about her current coach, Byrne describes him as “chill.” “(Powers) wants everyone to be the best they can, he will take time to help,” Byrne says. “He is an awesome coach, who has done a lot for our program.”

 

    With this being her final softball season at Clark, Byrne had a few messages to pass along to her current teammates, her coach and next year's freshmen players. “To the team, I want to thank you for being here, everyone (for) giving their hearts," Ashleigh says. "It’s nice to share this with girls that want to be here. Coach Powers, thanks for hanging in there. Freshmen, make sure you really want this.”