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Wednesday, April 30, 2008 12:23 PM CDT
Denver native Wolter now swinging for the fences at Valparaiso
Denver native Wolter now swinging for the fences at Valparaiso
Willms has flair for the dramatic
Panthers reel in another Chickasaw in Lehman
Web extra: Rumpled Van Gundy is perfect fit for Magic
Northern Iowa trims its list of AD candidates
Sunday Scrum: Did Dolphins spend No. 1 pick wisely? No!
Sunday Scrum: Did Dolphins spend No. 1 pick wisely? Yes!
DISCLAIMER: The Courier provides our story commenting feature in order to solicit feedback, debate and discussion on topics of local interest. Please keep in mind that civility is a necessary component of productive conversation. All blatantly inflammatory or otherwise inappropriate comments (i.e. vulgarity, marketing, etc.) are subject to rejection and/or removal. Comments will appear if and when they are approved. For a more in-depth explanation of our policy, please see our Rules of the Road. Thanks for reading, and thanks for participating.
Denver native Wolter now swinging for the fences at Valparaiso
By DOUG NEWHOFF, Sports Editor
VALPARAISO, Ind. --- Ashley Wolter knows a thing or two about a country mile.
She drove her share of them while starring on the fastpitch softball field for Denver High School. Now, that's how far she's hitting the ball as a junior outfielder at Valparaiso University.
The sweet-swinging lefthander is enjoying a breakout season for the Crusaders, who take a 29-16 overall record and an 11-4 Horizon League mark into Cleveland State (13-3), where the conference championship will be on the line this weekend.
Wolter has started every game and is hitting .319. She leads the Crusaders with five homers and a team-high 29 RBIs. And she's having the time of her life.
"I love my decision to come here," said the personable Wolter, who was coaxed to Indiana by head coach Randy Schneider, the former Wartburg College and Waverly-Shell Rock High School coach. "It was more of a feel I had than anything else. I talked to a lot of schools in Iowa about playing.
"Valpo is a D-I, and that drew me into it. Getting to play Notre Dame and Purdue and teams like that seemed like an amazing opportunity.
"We're turning this program around. It's been a really fun year."
Wolter said it has taken awhile to get comfortable at the Division I level, which is another country mile from Class 2A softball at Denver.
"I was terrified," she said of her first days in the program. "It was really intimidating. We'd get together and start comparing stories, and it was all about who was on your summer ball team or who you played against in ASA Gold ball. These were people who had traveled all over the country to play, and I'm like, 'Well, I played high school ball in the NICL.
"Once I got it out of my head that I didn't belong or didn't have the ability to play at this level, I was OK. But I do remember days when I would ask myself, 'Why are you doing this?'"
Schneider said Wolter has paid her dues. She has adjusted to pitchers who throw harder, have more movement on their ball and have command of multiple pitches.
"Each year, she has gotten a lot better," said Schneider. "The last couple of years, we had her hitting in the eight- or nine-hole. This year, we moved her into the clean-up position. She leads us in extra-base hits, slugging percentage, RBIs ... but she's versatile enough to steal bases, too.
"The biggest thing this year, I think, is our strength and conditioning program. Ashley is probably the strongest female student-athlete here at Valpo, and it comes out in the way she plays the game. She's so strong she hits home runs farther than anybody I've seen, to any field."
Schneider recalled a doubleheader last season when Wolter looked at too many good pitches and struck out "two or three times" during the first game. Before the second contest, he offered some advice.
"I said, 'Your whole life what has made you successful is getting up there and taking a big cut. Quit thinking about it, have fun and just swing three times as hard as you can.'
"She went out the next game and hit a homer and two doubles off the fence. I asked her if she was thinking about anything. She said, 'Nope. All I did was swing as hard as I could.'"
"I still have the same swing --- big and hard," said Wolter. "Slump or no slump, that's just how I play."
As much as the physical adjustment, Wolter has made a mental leap.
"I think a really big thing is just knowledge of the game," she explained. "I know that's leaps and bounds from where it was. And hard work pays off. Here, somebody just as good as you is always ready to take your spot. At no point are you safe. You have to keep working to get better."
When Schneider recruited one Wolter, he gained a family. Seldom does a game occur without a contingent of Wolters in the audience.
"I'm still small-town and very family-oriented," said Wolter. "My family is at a lot of the games. It's been a great experience for them traveling around to see us play."
Ashley estimates that as many as 14 family members were in Florida to see the Crusaders play during their spring break trip. That includes aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and even grandpa Robert Wolter.
"He's really funny," Ashley explained. "Randy loves my grandpa, but grandpa just says everything you're not supposed to say. Grandpa loves the game, and he loves Randy, but it's funny when you see them go back and forth. My dad and my grandma try to keep him away from the dugout."
Schneider appreciates the support Ashley and his program get from the entire Wolter clan.
"They're fantastic," he said. "There are probably 10,000 grandpa stories. He tells you exactly what he thinks. They're all just good Northeast Iowa people with good Midwestern roots.
"The thing that makes Ashley such a special kid is how coachable she is and her demeanor, which definitely comes from her family. She is a very charismatic person. I have the deepest amount of respect for her as a student-athlete, and I definitely appreciate the fact that she is here at Valpo."
Contact Doug Newhoff at (319) 291-1467 or doug.newhoff@wcfcourier.com
She drove her share of them while starring on the fastpitch softball field for Denver High School. Now, that's how far she's hitting the ball as a junior outfielder at Valparaiso University.
The sweet-swinging lefthander is enjoying a breakout season for the Crusaders, who take a 29-16 overall record and an 11-4 Horizon League mark into Cleveland State (13-3), where the conference championship will be on the line this weekend.
Wolter has started every game and is hitting .319. She leads the Crusaders with five homers and a team-high 29 RBIs. And she's having the time of her life.
"I love my decision to come here," said the personable Wolter, who was coaxed to Indiana by head coach Randy Schneider, the former Wartburg College and Waverly-Shell Rock High School coach. "It was more of a feel I had than anything else. I talked to a lot of schools in Iowa about playing.
"Valpo is a D-I, and that drew me into it. Getting to play Notre Dame and Purdue and teams like that seemed like an amazing opportunity.
"We're turning this program around. It's been a really fun year."
Wolter said it has taken awhile to get comfortable at the Division I level, which is another country mile from Class 2A softball at Denver.
"I was terrified," she said of her first days in the program. "It was really intimidating. We'd get together and start comparing stories, and it was all about who was on your summer ball team or who you played against in ASA Gold ball. These were people who had traveled all over the country to play, and I'm like, 'Well, I played high school ball in the NICL.
"Once I got it out of my head that I didn't belong or didn't have the ability to play at this level, I was OK. But I do remember days when I would ask myself, 'Why are you doing this?'"
Schneider said Wolter has paid her dues. She has adjusted to pitchers who throw harder, have more movement on their ball and have command of multiple pitches.
"Each year, she has gotten a lot better," said Schneider. "The last couple of years, we had her hitting in the eight- or nine-hole. This year, we moved her into the clean-up position. She leads us in extra-base hits, slugging percentage, RBIs ... but she's versatile enough to steal bases, too.
"The biggest thing this year, I think, is our strength and conditioning program. Ashley is probably the strongest female student-athlete here at Valpo, and it comes out in the way she plays the game. She's so strong she hits home runs farther than anybody I've seen, to any field."
Schneider recalled a doubleheader last season when Wolter looked at too many good pitches and struck out "two or three times" during the first game. Before the second contest, he offered some advice.
"I said, 'Your whole life what has made you successful is getting up there and taking a big cut. Quit thinking about it, have fun and just swing three times as hard as you can.'
"She went out the next game and hit a homer and two doubles off the fence. I asked her if she was thinking about anything. She said, 'Nope. All I did was swing as hard as I could.'"
"I still have the same swing --- big and hard," said Wolter. "Slump or no slump, that's just how I play."
As much as the physical adjustment, Wolter has made a mental leap.
"I think a really big thing is just knowledge of the game," she explained. "I know that's leaps and bounds from where it was. And hard work pays off. Here, somebody just as good as you is always ready to take your spot. At no point are you safe. You have to keep working to get better."
When Schneider recruited one Wolter, he gained a family. Seldom does a game occur without a contingent of Wolters in the audience.
"I'm still small-town and very family-oriented," said Wolter. "My family is at a lot of the games. It's been a great experience for them traveling around to see us play."
Ashley estimates that as many as 14 family members were in Florida to see the Crusaders play during their spring break trip. That includes aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces and even grandpa Robert Wolter.
"He's really funny," Ashley explained. "Randy loves my grandpa, but grandpa just says everything you're not supposed to say. Grandpa loves the game, and he loves Randy, but it's funny when you see them go back and forth. My dad and my grandma try to keep him away from the dugout."
Schneider appreciates the support Ashley and his program get from the entire Wolter clan.
"They're fantastic," he said. "There are probably 10,000 grandpa stories. He tells you exactly what he thinks. They're all just good Northeast Iowa people with good Midwestern roots.
"The thing that makes Ashley such a special kid is how coachable she is and her demeanor, which definitely comes from her family. She is a very charismatic person. I have the deepest amount of respect for her as a student-athlete, and I definitely appreciate the fact that she is here at Valpo."
Contact Doug Newhoff at (319) 291-1467 or doug.newhoff@wcfcourier.com
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More Stories from Sports » Local
Denver native Wolter now swinging for the fences at ValparaisoWillms has flair for the dramaticPanthers reel in another Chickasaw in LehmanWeb extra: Rumpled Van Gundy is perfect fit for MagicNorthern Iowa trims its list of AD candidatesSunday Scrum: Did Dolphins spend No. 1 pick wisely? No!Sunday Scrum: Did Dolphins spend No. 1 pick wisely? Yes!
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DISCLAIMER: The Courier provides our story commenting feature in order to solicit feedback, debate and discussion on topics of local interest. Please keep in mind that civility is a necessary component of productive conversation. All blatantly inflammatory or otherwise inappropriate comments (i.e. vulgarity, marketing, etc.) are subject to rejection and/or removal. Comments will appear if and when they are approved. For a more in-depth explanation of our policy, please see our Rules of the Road. Thanks for reading, and thanks for participating.
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