Following a breakout offensive season in 2014, senior infielder Ashley Holmes is working towards remaining a healthy and productive player for the Long Beach State softball team.
With regular playing time last year, Holmes hit over .400 in her first nine games and tied for third on the team with seven home runs. It has been a rocky start to the season for Holmes as she tries to overcome an offseason foot injury.
“I tore my plantar fascia [in the offseason],” Holmes said. “I was out all the offseason. I was trying to be in the weight room as much as I could. Trying to sit on buckets and hit off a tee. Trying to keep everything the same.”
The plantar fascia is a ligament (a flat band of tissue) that connects the heel bone to the toes, according to WebMD. When someone tears the plantar fascia, his or her foot gets weak, swollen and irritated. High impact exercises and insufficient rest periods are just a few causes of plantar fasciitis.
Holmes had a rough season-opening weekend in the SoCal Collegiate Classic. She hit just .143 with zero extra base hits. She started three games and hit near the bottom of the order for most.
In Holmes’ defense, she did only have seven total at-bats, a sample too small to make any definitive assessments. Head coach Kim Sowder said she is confident Holmes will come back stronger from her injury.
“[Holmes] has a great passion for the game,” Sowder said. “She loves to play. She works as hard as any player out here. We’re looking forward to seeing her have a great year.”
Sowder named Holmes among the upperclassmen, which will be responsible for providing leadership to all the new faces. She said Holmes would be a crucial part of the team’s success.
“I think the [juniors and seniors are] team players,” Sowder said. “They lead by example. All the things they do are why they’re named captains.”
Junior infielder Darian Tautalafua, Holmes’ teammate for the last two years, said she doesn’t see a player who is struggling, but one who is really confident in her swing right now.
“I just think she needs to stay confident,” Tautalafua said. “[If she] trusts what she can do at the plate, she’ll do the same thing [as last year]. Maybe even better.”
Holmes said the team goals for the upcoming season will be to try to duplicate the success they had last year. She doesn’t want to watch from the bench.
“[My personal goal is to] play a full healthy season,” Holmes said. “No injuries and play the best of my ability.”