Recruiting News: 2023 Extra Elite Infielder Ashley Wolfe Commits to Oregon State to Cap an Amazing Year (Including Her Mom Becoming Cancer Free)

To use a well-known Christmas holiday movie title, “It’s a Wonderful Life” for junior infielder Ashley Wolfe right now.

The shortstop, ranked 45^th in the 2023 Extra Elite 100, committed this week to Oregon State to cap a great year on and off the field.

Last Spring, the then sophomore was named as a 1^st Team Extra Inning Softball High School All-American for Preble (Green Bay, Wisconsin) High as she hit .588 and had 50 hits including eight home runs while leading the state with 17 doubles and 53 runs scored.

Then, over the Summer, Ashley—who now plays for St. Louis Chaos 18U – Alvarado team—was named to the Extra Inning 2021 All-Summer Team as she went 30-for-31 in steals and scored 34 runs to help her Chaos club team advance in the Alliance Championships with a big walk-off home run.

Effectively proactive in marketing herself heading into the Fall, the current junior created a well-received recruiting highly clip to showcase her abilities but also to demonstrate “what softball means to me.”

Here’s the 3 minute, 46 second clip:

Did it work? Oh yea!

The athlete had several dozen schools reach out to her on Sept. 1, the first day college coaches could contact prospective recruits, and eventually she spoke with former Olympian and current Oregon State coach Laura Berg, who would eventually get the commitment of the talented Midwesterner (the details of that recruiting journey can be read below).

All that success on the field, however, pales to the wonderful news her family received recently off the field.

On May 2, 2021, the Wisconsin high schooler wrote a blog for Extra Inning Softball which was published and titled Inside Pitch: 2023 Extra Elite 100 Infielder Ashley Wolfe Turns 16 on Monday… & What She Wants for Her Birthday is for Her Mom to Beat Cervical Cancer.

In the Spring, Nicole Wolfe was diagnosed with cancer just as her athletic daughter hit her Sweet 16 birthday and in the midst of playing several national tournaments.

As Ashley wrote at that time:

“We are still in the middle of this journey, but are also very hopeful to have caught the cancer early. My mom is scheduled for a total hysterectomy on Monday (May 3), which is also my 16th birthday).”

It’s remarkable that, with the love and concern for her mother always in the back of Ashley’s mind, the high schooler was able to have such a strong year on the fields but, today, her father, Eric Wolfe, confirmed the news we had all been hoping for.

“Nicole’s cancer is gone and actually today is her first six month (pap test) to double check, I guess you could say,” he confirmed today, “so it’s a blessing that everything was caught early enough. Of course, it’s good that we acted fast enough to have caught it and that no cancer leaked out, so to speak.  We were very lucky.”

And, exuberant that the Wolfe family will have a very merry holiday season, Eric ended by praising Ashley for all she’s endured and achieved.

“It’s been a full, crazy year for sure,” Eric concluded, “but with a great ending for Ash and our family.  She’s a great kid and we are so proud of her in both her accomplishments and how she has dealt with so much away from the field.”

*****

Name: ASHLEY WOLFE 
Position: SS
High school (City/State): Preble (Green Bay, Wisconsin)
Club team: St. Louis Chaos 18U – Alverado
Grad year: 2023
Committed to: Oregon State
Date committed: December 4, 2021

How did you first learn Oregon State was interested in recruiting you?
Oregon State was not one of the 26 schools that called or emailed on September 1, which I was sorta hoping for. I had quite a few Big Ten schools contact me, a couple ACC, SEC and Pac-12s and several mid majors.  On September 12^th, Coach (Eric) Leyba sent me a camp invite which I couldn’t go to so I sent him an email along with my recruiting video, which sparked up more conversations, and that basically led to us building a relationship and me coming down for an unofficial visit.

When did Coach Berg and her staff actually offer you a scholarship?
They offered it to me on my first day on campus which was Friday, December 3rd during our dinner that night.

*** Scroll down to learn more about why this Top 50 player in the 2023 class is headed to the Pac-12…

Join Today to Get Unlimited Access to Extra Inning Softball

Join Now

Already a Extra Inning Member? Log In