The first time coach Kelly Inouye-Perez watched Ashley Herrera race around the bases at a club softball tournament, Inouye-Perez was blown away.
She had initially been scouting a different player on a nearby field when a long home run stole her attention.
“Just from watching (Herrera) that one time I thought, “˜Oh my God, that girl is just an athlete,'” Inouye-Perez said.
So what did she do about it?
“I went straight to coach Enquist and said, “˜I found that diamond in the rough,’ and the rest was history,” Inouye-Perez said. “We gave her a call, looked at her transcripts, talked to her parents, and she was a Bruin just like that.”
In her first year at UCLA, Herrera proved to be a gem. She took on a utility role for the 2004 national champions in perfect stride, racking up 11 RBIs and four home runs in only 51 at bats.
“In this UCLA program, freshmen aren’t expected to be freshmen ““ you’re expected to come out here and produce right away, emotionally and on the field,” Herrera said of her freshman success. “You kind of have to get it right away or you stick out like a sore thumb.”
Herrera remained a go-to player throughout her sophomore and junior years, playing in all 60 games in 2005 and starting in all 59 games in 2006. During those two seasons, the one-time utility player turned into a major asset, even developing the nickname “Cash” to prove it.
“She’s just money,” Inouye-Perez said. “She’s a big-time, big-game moment Bruin ““ the bigger the moment, the more she rises to the occasion.”
Herrera planned for her senior year with the Bruins to be just as effective as her first three years and hoped to lead the team to another national championship. But in her second at bat of the 2007 season opener, she went down with a torn left ACL while crossing first base.
She was granted a NCAA medical hardship waiver for the remainder of the season and was allowed to come back as a redshirt senior in 2008. But that did not make it any easier for her to watch from the bench as the Bruins struggled through a tough 2007 season, falling in NCAA regional play for the first time in Herrera’s career.
“There were definitely bitter moments,” Herrera said. “And at some points, you don’t even want to be up there because there’s nothing you feel you can do to help. But there are definitely intangible things that a player from the bench can contribute, and I just wanted to help in that way.”
After a full year of doctor’s appointments and rehabilitation training, Herrera was ready to get back on the field stronger than ever. In her first eight games of the 2008 season she went 17-for-29, good for an outstanding .586 batting average.
“She was on fire,” Inouye-Perez said. “I sat down and thought “˜She’s going to be an All-American, hands down.'”
That was until Feb. 16.
Just when it seemed like Herrera was back on top of her game, she dislocated her left ankle while sliding into third base against Illinois in the second preseason tournament of the season.
“To see her go down again was devastating.” Inouye-Perez said “I had my nights of, “˜Wow, I can’t believe this could happen to someone after she had done so much to get herself back.’ It took me a while to figure out what the message was.”
It looked like the end for Herrera’s career as a Bruin. There was no telling whether her injury would heal in time to play again this year, and even if it did, Inouye-Perez made no guarantees about putting Herrera back in the line-up.
And Herrera’s life could have easily gone on without softball.
She had earned a 4.0 GPA in her last quarter in winter 2008, was on track to graduate with a double major in political science and history and had a November wedding to plan with her fiance, UCLA alumnus Colin Carey.
She could have given the sport up, but she didn’t.
“I couldn’t just walk away from being part of a great team, a great tradition and great program just because of an injury,” Herrera said.
She opted to train hard and attempted to take her spot back on the field.
“I just wanted to return to what I loved and why I came to this school in the first place,” she said.
It wasn’t an easy road back. It took more doctor’s appointments, more rehab and more training ““ just when she thought she was done with all of that. But Herrera didn’t quit.
After missing 38 games in the heart of the Bruin season, Herrera made her comeback at third base on May 2, against Arizona.
“I had been practicing for a couple weeks, so I knew I could do it,” she said. “I was just excited to show everyone else I could and get out there and just go for it because that’s what I love to do.”
Herrera now enters the postseason with a solid .389 batting average, along with 5 stolen bases and 6 sacrifice bunts.
“A lot of us didn’t know if she was going to be able to come back at all this season,” said senior outfielder Krista Colburn, Herrera’s roommate. “And then to watch her make that speedy recovery was so inspirational for the whole team.”
Her recovery from another serious injury can only be accredited to the dedication and work ethic that she carries in all aspects of her life.
Herrera has been recognized by her team and UCLA Athletics not only for her strong commitment to the game, but also for her success in the classroom. She recently received many scholar-athlete awards, along with an inaugural Courage and Character Award for inspiration through adversity.
“She truly represents what a Bruin is,” Inouye-Perez said. “She is a Bruin for life. She has left her mark on this program and will be the most inspirational Bruin who has ever played.”