GIBSONTON - Because she plans to create and develop a career in health care, Ashley Urbanik traveled from her home near East Bay High to Tampa Bay Tech as a freshman and sophomore. She was enrolled in the health academy at the school.
Her skills in softball helped the Titans produce a highly competitive team when Urbanik was their freshman pitcher. The surrounding cast of players were mature and experienced in her freshman season and the team did well.
As a sophomore, the players were younger and were not able to help much.
The frustration in softball and the travel every day to and from Tampa Bay Tech became too frustrating to Urbanik. So she transferred back to her neighborhood high school, and Indians coach Glenn Rodriguez was delighted.
"We only have 15 players on the team, and 10 of them are freshmen and sophomores with little experience," Rodriguez said. "Ashley has made us a competitive team this season, and we lose only one senior starter to graduation, so the future looks bright."
Urbanik is the top strikeout pitcher in Hillsborough County with 245 and an ERA of 0.78. With one regular-season game remaining and at least one district game ahead, she is 13-5.
She also wants to break her sister's strikeout record of 265. Danielle Urbanik graduated from East Bay the year Ashley finished her freshman season, and the two sisters faced each other only once in high school.
"Traveling to and from Tampa Bay Tech from Summerfield (a housing development near East Bay High) at the heavy traffic times of the day was tiring and took almost an hour each way," Ashley Urbanik said. "I had to get up early and get home late. Then I had homework to do, so my days were long and tiring. I grew up playing in the East Bay Little League, and then with friends on the Tampa Mustang Travel team living near me, I was I just glad to closer to everything."
Because of her strikeout power, the young Indians are 16-8. Rodriguez said he would have been delighted to have a .500 team without her.
"The younger players see how hard Ashley works, and they give their best, but most of them lack skills and experience to do much better at this point in time," Rodriguez said. "But because they are young and all should play travel ball this summer, they will improve. I am not giving up on this season, but the future looks good."
Urbanik is a quiet leader of the Indians team and does not look to be a powerful, fireball pitcher. She weights only 120 pounds, but Rodriguez says she has the ability to put every ounce into each pitch.
At 5, she started her career playing T-ball and a couple years of baseball with the guys in the East Bay Little League program. At 7, she moved into softball and by 9 she was on the Tampa Mustangs travel team.
Her best pitch is a moving curve, but her arsenal includes a rise and fastball and a tricky change-up. In addition to the help she gets from Rodriguez, she has a private pitching coach, Jackie Davis.
"I am really happy to be at East Bay to finish my high school career," Ashley said. "Some of the players were already friends and all are now. I trust them to back me up on defense. I know they will do the best they can, and they are getting better.
"We already have a good season this year, but I just can't wait for next year."
