John A. Logan College graduated sophomore Brittany Ashton of Carterville has signed a letter of intent to pitch on scholarship this fall at the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville. Ashton had a great bounce-back season with the Volunteers after missing virtually all of her freshman year due to injuries. (Logan Media Services photo)

CARTERVILLE - One of the more celebrated prep pitchers in Southern Illinois softball history, who bounced back from injuries her freshman year in college to help lead the John A. Logan College team to its first-ever trip to the World Series this past spring, has found a home with a four-year school.

Brittany Ashton from Carterville recently signed a letter of intent to pitch for the University of Southern Indiana, an NCAA Division II school. Ashton put together a sparkling 13-2 record last spring as a sophomore with 90 strikeouts in 85 innings of work and a 1.55 earned-run-average. She also had multiple no-hitters as the Vols rolled to a 39-win season, the most in school history.
The Screaming Eagles of USI, meanwhile, finished 19-26 overall last spring and will welcome the hard-throwing Ashton to the squad.

Ashton said she likes the fact that USI is only a two-hour drive from home and is not a big school in terms of enrollment.

“It had an inviting and modern atmosphere when I made my campus visit,” she said. “It’s obvious to me that the college supports its athletic program.”

Ashton, who plans to major in psychology and special education, said she is now fully healthy from hip and back injuries that made it difficult for her to pitch without pain as a freshman.

“I’m 100 percent,” she said. “I’m back to where I was before I ever got hurt. My physical therapists told me that once I started throwing again, it would all come back to me. And it did. I was very happy with the way I threw last spring. My goal is to improve upon where I left off, so I can help my new team.”

Logan assistant head coach Angie Jilek said she is confident that Ashton will make an impact with the Screaming Eagles.

“Britt’s been a successful pitcher everywhere she’s been,” Jilek said. “Being a lefthander is always a bonus, too, with a pitching staff and she has the right attitude, so she ought to have some success at Southern Indiana.”

Jilek said Ashton’s gem in the Region 24 semifinals against Great Rivers Athletic Conference champion, Lake Land, helped the Vols advance to nationals.

“Britt, along with Chelsea Wallace and Shayly Wilce, were instrumental in getting us in position to win the regional,” Jilek said. “What helps Britt is that she is very focused as a pitcher. She knows what needs to be done out there and doesn’t let anything interfere with getting the job done.”