Decade of Dominance: Fullilove, Williams lead SL to another district title
April 25, 2012
Taking it to the Streets: Meet HPD’s Meter Man
April 25, 2012
Nicholls State senior third baseman Ashley Ray is not unlike any other slugger – she loves to swing the bat.
But when coming off a 17-home run, 51-RBI junior season, opposing teams tend to catch on and opportunities become few and far between.
That balancing act between power and patience is the story of the reigning Southland Conference Player of the Year’s senior season as she tries her best to hit the few good pitches that she sees.
“The tough thing for Ray is that when you go in and hit for a middle-to-high average and you go hit so many home runs, everyone expects you to do the same thing again,” Nicholls State coach Angel Santiago said. “And she may not get as many pitches as she saw last year. I think that’s the biggest realization that she’s getting right now – when you’re getting the pitch you’re supposed to hit, you’ve got to nail it, because you’re probably not getting anything else.”
“It’s supposed to be something good when you get walked,” Ray said with a chuckle. “But it’s really become annoying this year.”
Ray’s annoyance is because she wants to help her team win.
But the truth is, being an elite slugger is nothing new to the Colonels’ 5-foot, 6-inch standout.
A Lafayette native, Ray said she started her career on the diamond at the earliest possible age.
She says the sport truly was the first love of her life.
“Gee, softball, I guess I was 8 or 9,” Ray said looking back. “But I’ve been playing [T-ball] as soon as you can start playing, which is around 4 maybe.”
Ray is currently listed as a third baseman and a catcher for the Colonels. But as a youngster, anywhere was fair game.
“Everything,” Ray says when asked her childhood position. “I’ve been all over the field.”
At an early age, Ray was always one of the more elite players on the diamond.
But she said she really realized that softball was more than a hobby right before she enrolled at Beau Chene High School, where she served as the team’s catcher for four seasons.
“Going into high school, I sort of figured it out,” Ray said. “I knew I wanted to play something – I played everything growing up. [I played] soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball, everything. … I guess when I got to high school, I just made a decision and stuck with it. And I chose softball.”
That increase in dedication paid off in a big way.
As a four-year letterman at Beau Chene, Ray received All-State honors from 2006-08. She also earned All-District, All-Parish and All-Acadiana honors in each season, as well as being named the Parish MVP and Beau Chene Female Athlete of the Year as a senior.
That high-school dominance led to Ray following the dream-path of any Lafayette-based softball player.
She signed with hometown collegiate powerhouse, the University of Louisiana-Lafayette – a move that was heralded by her community.
“That’s my home town and I love it,” Ray said. “I kind of just wanted to stay close to home and my parents live literally 15 minutes from the school. That’s kind of why I chose it.
“I went to all of the games in high school and I knew the girls – I played summer ball with the girls who were already there. I had a lot of ties there and I just really liked it.”
Ray’s career with ULL lasted a total of 43 games and two seasons. She hit 4-of-20 and had two RBIs as a true freshman. As a sophomore, she posted five starts and hit for a .250 average with three runs scored and a stolen base.
Following that season, Ray said she soul searched and decided it was time for her to change scenery.
She emphasizes that no one thing led to her decision to leave the Ragin’ Cajuns, adding it was “just time to move on.”
When she did so, Nicholls landed on her radar.
It did so because of help from an old friend – fellow senior Megan Gaspard.
“I played summer ball with Megan and she’s been my best friend for a while,” Ray said. “So I just decided to come over here and play with her.”
In addition to providing a chance to share the diamond with a best friend, the Colonels also offered Ray a fresh start.
More importantly, Nicholls gave Ray the chance to be a starter – something ULL never was able to provide.
Ray took advantage of her opportunity.
As a first-year starter, Ray didn’t take long to show the world what she could do with regular playing time.
As a junior, she nearly accumulated a Southland Conference Triple Crown, ranking second in the league with a .368 batting average, while placing first in home runs (17) and RBIs (51).
Ray also accumulated a league-best .732 slugging percentage and racked up 62 hits, scored 34 runs and posted a whopping .424 on base percentage.
She won Southland Conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors, despite the Colonels’ team limping to just a 15-37 record.
Ray said no one was as shocked about the monstrous numbers as she was.
“Not at all,” Ray says quickly when asked if she envisioned her 2011 success. “I didn’t know how the year was going to turn out. I was hoping for the best, but I hadn’t played much at UL, so I didn’t really know how it was going to go.
“I got some at-bats and I got some starts at UL, but nothing consistent. Playing every game, I just didn’t know how things were going to turn out, because I hadn’t done it in two years.”
Ray’s junior season may have surprised both herself and the rest of the conference, but this year, she’s a known commodity.
Now, it’s a struggle to be patient.
Ray’s senior season is statistically a success and she’s currently hitting .386 with 7 home runs and 27 RBIs.
She’s done so while facing opponents not afraid to admit they are walking gently around Ray’s powerful bat.
“The coaches from the other team today were even telling her, ‘You’re not going to get anything to hit. I’m not giving you a ball to swing at,’” Santiago said following Nicholls’ Wednesday win against Southern.
Ray said the process is painstaking because patience is not a part of her personality.
“I’ve always had a problem being patient. I’m a very aggressive hitter. I like to swing on the first pitch – or really anything, I’ll swing. This year, it’s been a challenge to sit back and wait on it and wait until I get something good.
“I’ve been swinging at a lot of bad pitches.”
But when one is “swinging at a lot of bad pitches,” and are still stroking for a .386 average, that’s a safe sign that one is a heck of a player.
Santiago said that’s a safe assumption to make, adding that professional ball is a possibility should Ray choose to go down that road.
“She’s looking to put herself in that position to where she can do it over and over and over again and maybe play at a higher level than this season,” Santiago said. “And that’s a possibility for her. We’ll see.”
Maybe then, she’ll get a couple more pitches to hit.
Until, she smacks ‘em over the fence, of course.
Then, the power vs. patience debate will begin again for the dominant Colonels’ slugger.
Nicholls State softball player Ashley Ray makes a throw during a game this season.
