NEW PALESTINE — Ashley Prange was asleep when she got the call.
Her coach had already seen it in his email. Her mother had already texted her the news. On Monday, The Gatorade Company announced that Prange was named Gatorade Indiana Softball Player of the Year, the first Dragons softball player to ever receive that honor.
Prange awoke to her phone ringing and New Palestine coach Ed Marcum on the other end.
“It was awesome news to wake up to,” Prange said. “It’s been a goal of mine since I was little. That’s something I’d like to just be nominated for, let alone win it. It was just amazing to me.”
The award recognizes athletic excellence, high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field. The 5-foot-7 senior shortstop is now a finalist for the Gatorade National Softball Player of the Year award, set to be announced in June.
Prange, who is headed to Ohio State to play softball this fall, maintained a 4.09 GPA in the classroom. On the field she is a first-team all-state selection, a four-time all-conference honoree and a Miss Softball finalist.
She holds the state records for home runs in a season, career home runs and RBIs in a season.
This year, Prange is hitting .596 with 17 home runs and the state-record of 70 RBIs. She will lead the Dragons to Saturday’s state championship game in search of a second straight title.
Off the field, Prange has served as an elementary school tutor and has volunteered locally on behalf of the Hancock County Hope Center and Best Buddies International.
The Dragons senior said she was humbled to receive the news. Her coach said he was excited and relieved to learn that his shortstop was being honored.
“I think I might have yelled when I opened my email and saw it,” Marcum said. “The email I got said, ‘Congratulations, you are the coach of a Gatorade State Player of the Year.’ I saw that and was just like, ‘Yeah!’ I think everybody on the golf course heard me. It’s a great honor for her and it shows respect for our program.”
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The five finalists for Indiana’s Miss Softball of 2018 were announced Saturday, with New Palestine’s Ashley Prange being one of the five chosen.
The five are:
Madison Duncan, Tecumseh
Chase Epp, Western
Alexa Pinarski, Lake Central
Ashley Prange, New Palestine
Karli Ricketts, Decatur Central
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