Ashley Alden was one of two seniors honored at a special signing ceremony on Nov. 10, 2010, at William Tennent High School. Alden signed a letter of intent to accept a softball scholarship to Rutgers University while classmate Melanie Busch inked a letter of intent to accept a swimming scholarship to the University of Maryland.
SuburbanOneSports.com also attended signings for the following student-athletes: Central Bucks East senior Ryan Pater (baseball – St. Joseph University), Central Bucks East senior Erica Reis (softball – Austin Peay University), Abington senior Molly Seefried (lacrosse – Temple University), Abington senior Carli Fitzgerald (lacrosse – Temple University) and Upper Moreland senior Dave McInerney (baseball – University of Cincinnati. Check back for additional information regarding all of these student-athletes.
Ashley Alden – Rutgers University (Softball)
Major: Secondary Education/Biology
Final list of colleges: Rutgers, Arkansas, Seton Hall, Kutztown
Reasons for choosing Rutgers: “Right when I stepped on the Rutgers campus and met the coaches, I knew it was for me. My dad and mom told me I had to sleep on it no matter what, but by the time I was out of there, I knew. I was begging them to let me call the coach right then and there and commit to it, but they wouldn’t let me. I called the next day.
“Coach (Jay) Nelson was the only coach who told me, ‘Take as much time as you need. There’s no rush.’ That was great. I would have gone there either way, but it just made it that much easier to make the decision, seeing that he didn’t pressure me. The coaches were a big part of my decision. The school is very prestigious, and it has my major. Playing D-1 in the Big East also was a big factor.”
What was the recruiting process like for you? It was tough coming back from my injury (a torn rotator cuff), but once I overcame all the hardships that came with it, it turned fun like it used to be. In the beginning of the summer, I played in showcases with the Newtown Rock Gold team and the Newtown Rock Elite.
“Once I called coach Nelson up and after I hung up, I felt like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders. It was so stressful doing all the showcases and that stuff. I’m so happy I can finally just relax.”
Coach Gary Bizacquino says: “All her hard work has finally paid off for Ashley. She’s going to a great school, and not only are they going to get a great athlete, they’re going to find out she’s even better as a person than she is as a softball player.
“We’re spoiled because I get to watch her every day. I get one more year to watch her. She’s our team leader, and all the girls look up to her.
“She works hard, and she’s always looking to improve. She’s never one to brag about ‘I was 3-for-4 today.’ I remember a couple of times she came up to me as well as our other coaches and said, ‘I missed that outside pitch, didn’t I?’ That’s the difference between a good player and a great player. I have never yet seen anyone work as hard as she does. You would think when she’s practicing that it was a game. Her dedication is great.
“When she first came here, I heard about what a great pitcher she was going to be, but she is one heck of a hitter. She’s got power to all fields – she hits all line drives, and it’s really unbelievable to watch. She can play every position, which last year she did. She pitched, she caught, she played first, third, short and center field, so anywhere you put her she’s going to excel. It was noticed by the league last year when she was voted Player of the Year.’”
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