In the Dugout with Ashley Holcombe
4/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 7, 2009
Alabama catcher Ashley Holcombe's passion for the game of softball is on display every time the Crimson Tide's defense successfully ends an inning, sending her to greet her teammates at the third base line with a fist pump and high five. Whether she is thwarting a steal attempt or making diving catches for foul balls, Holcombe's place on the diamond is cemented behind the plate.
"Catching is my passion in softball," Holcombe said. "I take a lot of pride in it because I feel like that's where I can contribute most to the team. A lot of it is about passion back there and having the heart. I feel like I am very passionate and enthusiastic behind the plate."
In her fourth year as the Tide's starting catcher, Holcombe has emerged as one of Alabama's all-time best at her position. For two consecutive years Holcombe has led the Southeastern Conference in pick offs and set Alabama's single-season record in that category with eight last season, a mark she has already equaled in 2009.
With the green light to throw behind a runner at second whenever she sees the chance, the Tide's coaches have instilled a confidence in Holcombe that SEC base runners should know and respect. On Saturday, April 4 in the second game of a doubleheader against Georgia, with the Bulldogs threatening in the top of the eighth inning, Holcombe's confidence was apparent.
With one out in the inning, Holcombe picked off pinch runner Jennie Auger at second and then gunned down Kristyn Sandberg as she attempted to steal second in the same plate appearance to end Georgia's chances of scoring in the inning.
"I think the coaches see that I have the confidence in myself to do that, and that is the biggest part," Holcombe said. "If I don't believe I can do it then they will not want me to, but they see that I do have that confidence and have been successful at getting us out of some situations."
Although she now has free reign behind the plate to make the decision for herself, Holcombe has not always been the sure-armed catcher that she is today. After seeing that she could be successful throwing behind runners during her sophomore season, she says that, "last year it was something that I felt like I could do to really contribute."
It is no surprise that her abilities have developed and progressed as the years have passed. Holcombe has had the privilege of catching some of Alabama's best pitchers in her time, including All-Americans Stephanie VanBrakle and Chrissy Owens to name a couple.
"My freshman year I was a little intimidated by Steph because I was a freshman coming in catching a senior All-American," Holcombe said.
Once she proved to the coaches and her teammates that she could handle VanBrakle's drop ball, the intimidation wore off.
"Then I felt like I was helping her and the team's success," Holcombe said. "It has been great because if you don't have great pitchers then you can't do a lot of those pick offs and trust them to put the ball where you need them to put it."
