Over the past two weeks, Ashton Lansdell had the fantastic opportunity to be apart of the USA Women’s Baseball Team and to compete for the world cup.

Ashton started playing baseball around the age of 4 when her father began teaching her how to play baseball in the backyard. From there, Ashton started playing baseball as an outfielder and midfielder for her church league, Recreational Ball, travel ball, and now the high school’s varsity team. Growing up, Ashton never knew that she would go to play baseball for this long. Ashton ended up playing other sports like soccer and basketball, but baseball was always her favorite. Her dad influenced her growing passion for baseball because she wanted to follow in his footsteps. Ashton has played outfield, midfield, catcher, and eventually grew into a pitching position.

She has grown to completely fall in love with everything about the sport, from the breath-taking atmosphere to the cheering fans. She never skips out on her pre-game Wild Berry Skittles and stretches before stepping on the field. Ashton continues to quiet her doubters by beating the odds and playing a sport that’s “only for the boys.” Ashton’s competitiveness is what drives her to excel at playing baseball. “It is truly something you have to love doing to enjoy it. Being on the field and in the moment of playing is just so surreal, whether it is on a USA National field or even at Dave McDonald’s field back home,” Ashton stated.

When getting to high school, Ashton never had any intention of playing softball, because “it has always been baseball. I do not want to switch over, and I do not plan to.” While also playing basketball, which overlapped seasons, Ashton never had a “standard” tryout. Her tryouts were held during practices. Ashton never doubted her playing well; however, her fate was solely in the hands of the coaches. As predicted, Ashton made the varsity baseball team, making her the first female in Cobb history to start a varsity baseball game. Of course, where there is change, there are people who fear change. Throughout the season, there have been people that have grown feelings of doubt to her and whether she can play with “the boys,” but that only made her work even harder.

In 2016, the USA Women’s Baseball Team contacted Ashton, but unfortunately, due to the tear in her ACL, she was unable to try out. Ashton kept working harder every day, they reached out to her again in May and asked her to try out. When Ashton tried out for the USA team, she showed her skills and impressed the coaches and the former player. On a team of 20, Ashton was named as one of those players out of many. Her initial reaction was, “I was so proud of myself. I do not think I have ever been so ecstatic. With me being the youngest on the team, it made me realize that all my hard work and dedication pays off. It is a big step that in my life that I am glad I got to experience and achieve.” The first game of the tournament was a little nerve wrecking for Ashton with it being more cameras and interviewers then she was used to, but with a full enthusiastic crowd, Ashton immediately felt right at home. The first game started the tournament off strong for the USA team with them winning 14-0. At the end of the tournament, the USA team finished in fourth place, but that will only lead the team to work even harder for next year’s tournament.

With Ashton back at Wheeler, she is making it a goal to be invited again next year to play with the USA Women’s Baseball Team. She plans on doing everything she can in order keeping up with the boys in and to play baseball. Ashton plans on playing baseball for as long as she can and hopes to continue being a role model to girls who want to break the “only boys can” stereotypes. “No rule says women cannot play baseball at any level. In the real world or position where men dominate it, take your chances and prove them wrong.  If you truly believe in something, then take every risk and chance you get to prove your point. Stay strong in what you believe in.”