The Virginia Tech Hokies have added an additional pitcher to their arsenal for the 2010 season. Ashton Ward, a junior, was pulled straight from the heart of the Southeastern Conference as she left the Lady Vols of Tennessee to join head coach Scot Thomas and the Hokies this spring.
“I decided to leave Tennessee last summer,” said the junior pitcher from Charlotte, N.C. “I knew coach Thomas from high school, from being recruited in high school.
“After I got permission to contact other schools, I talked to him, and I always liked Tech, even in high school,” she continued, “great people, great school, no specific reason why I never came in the first place, and when he was still interested in talking to me, I knew that’s what I wanted to do.”
For Thomas, Ward’s decision to transfer was a second chance to add her to the team after missing out on her as a prized recruit coming out of high school.
“We had recruited her really heavily out of high school, and it came down between us and Tennessee the first time,” Thomas said. “I knew through the grapevine that she wasn’t happy and there was some possibility she was going to look to move, and I felt like because of our relationship before we had a pretty good chance of her coming here.”
As a freshman at the University of Tennessee, the pitcher led the program with a 27-5 record. In addition to the impressive record, she boasted an ERA of 1.88 and tallied 187 strikeouts in a little more than 200 innings.
“Ashton has really good movement on her pitches, and in softball it’s really important,” said freshman catcher Courtney Liddle. “You know, in baseball it’s a lot on speed, but Ashton really focuses on where she puts the ball. She’s really precise and really specific on where she puts the ball and that’s really important.”
In February 2008, Ward was honored by USA Softball and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association as the National Collegiate Player of the Week. She was also recognized by the SEC as its Pitcher and Freshman of the
Week.
“For a pitcher, you always want to have that solid rock,” Liddle added. “I think she has really good experience from being at another good program and then coming here.
“Also, her leadership ... she’s leading by example,” Liddle said. “On the mound, she’s always really focused and has a really good attitude, and especially for a lot of younger girls who are feeding off that energy, that’s perfect.”
While she did not experience the high numbers of her freshman year in the 2009 season, only appearing in 24 games as a pitcher and compiling just a 3-2 record on 59.2 innings pitched, head coach Scot Thomas feels that she will contribute in multiple ways this season.
“Basically, what she is doing is really helping us from a depth standpoint at the pitching spot, and I think one of the things that we’re going to utilize her at is hitting,” Thomas said.
“She can hit the ball, and she’s actually going to probably be a three or four hitter for us,” Thomas said. “I don’t think she’s necessarily replacing anything, she’s just an addition to what we have, and obviously a solid one at that.”
As for fitting in with her new teammates, Ward was nothing but smiles.
“It’s been wonderful,” Ward said. “It was all a very fast process and it was great. It was all very relieving,
very fast.
“Honestly, I’ve played on many teams my whole life,” Ward said. “This team was so welcoming and so nice to me. Everyone is a big family, it really is. It makes it a lot more fun. I haven’t enjoyed playing like I have here in a while. This is a different atmosphere that I really enjoy and the coaches are great to everyone. So, I can’t say one thing negative about this place — it’s great.”
As for playing time, the junior will be able to compete this year and her senior year before her eligibility is complete.
“We need her to do well in the circle and be a major contributor offensively,” Thomas said.
“We definitely have been talking a lot about winning the ACC,” Ward said. “I think we have the talent to do that. I think that’s kind of one thing we’re all focusing on right now.”