Bio

One of the most dominant pitchers in the history of the Cowley College softball program will be honored when Ashly (Bright) Giddens is inducted into the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame on Saturday, January 7, 2017.

Ashly was born and raised in Oklahoma City, OK and began playing softball at the age of seven. Her talent for softball continued to grow through the years. She had a decorated high school career in which she was named an All-State pitcher as a senior.

On her recruiting visit to Cowley College she enjoyed the small town feel and the people she met on her visit.

“They made choosing Cowley easier,” Giddens said.

Legendary softball coach Ed Hargrove was in charge of the Cowley softball program at the time and knew Ashly was a Division I talent the first time he saw her pitch. Hargrove was surprised and thankful Ashly was not more heavily recruited.

At Cowley, Ashly was a unanimous First-Team All-Conference softball selection in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. She was the Jayhawk East Freshman of the Year in 2005 and the Jayhawk East Most Valuable Player in 2006. Giddens success led to her being named a two-time NJCAA All-American and All-Region VI selection.

She helped the Lady Tiger softball team to the national tournament each of her two years at the school and the dominant pitcher holds14 career records at Cowley. Among the most impressive records she holds are her 726 career strikeouts, six no-hitters, 34 career shutouts, and 72 career wins.

She was equally impressive at the plate as she finished her Cowley career with a batting average of .469 to go along with 23 home runs and 125 RBIs.

“She was one of the most coachable players I ever coached,” Hargrove said. “She was a good team leader and one of those players that would do whatever needed to be done to win a ball game. It was kind of fun to watch the fear she put in the eyes of players on other teams when they knew they were going to have to face her.”

Hargrove said one team even cancelled their long running home and home series with the Tigers at the beginning of Ashly’s sophomore year because they didn’t want the assumed automatic losses on their schedule.

After leading Cowley to a pair of fourth place finishes at the national tournament, Ashly spent two seasons pitching for the Shockers of Wichita State University.

As a junior pitcher at Wichita State she appeared in 35 games in the circle for the Shockers and finished the season with a 10-11 record and a team-best 2.44 ERA. She started 21 games on the mound and 20 games as the designated player, batting .329 at the plate with four home runs and 15 RBI in 77 plate appearances.

Giddens set the school’s single-season record for strikeouts per seven innings, averaging 8.91. She also recorded the third-lowest opposing batting average in WSU history, allowing hitters to bat just .189 against her, while also becoming just the fourth pitcher in school history to top 200 strikeouts in a season with 201.

She was dominant in Missouri Valley Conference play as she went 5-4 with a 1.35 ERA while batting .375. At the plate, she recorded six multiple-hit and four multiple-RBI games while ending the season on a four-game hitting streak.

As a senior she recorded what is still the fourth most wins in Shocker history (21) as she went 21-16 with a 1.76 ERA. She struck out a school-record 366 batters in 254 innings and still holds the WSU single season record for strikeouts per nine innings (12.97).

Giddens ranks in the top-10 all time in 15 pitching categories at WSU.

She is currently in her fifth year of teaching kindergarten in Udall, KS and is an assistant softball coach at Udall High School.

“It is amazing how much kindergartners grow and learn in the year,” Giddens said. “I also love coaching. It gets me back in the game and I love helping girls work towards something they love.”

Giddens has fond memories of her time at Cowley and said Hargrove was always supportive.

“My experience at Cowley was great,” Giddens said. “I loved the small college town atmosphere that Cowley has to offer. Playing softball has always been my passion. We had excellent team chemistry at Cowley and meshed well outside of softball as well, so it was fun just to hang out with them.”

Ashly and her husband, Galen, have been married for eight years and have a five-year old daughter named Ella.

She is humbled by her soon to be inclusion in the Tiger Athletic Hall of Fame.

“I still don’t know how to really think about it,” Giddens said. “I am extremely honored to be given this award.”