Tweet

2011: Played in 51 games, starting 47 as a senio … Saw most of her action either in right field or as the deisgnated player … Started four games in the circle, compiling a 2-1 record with a 2.45 ERA and six strikeouts in 20.0 innings … Batted .278 with 42 hits on the season … Had 11 doubles and a team-leading four triples … Drove in 17 runs and drew 20 walks … Was 22-for-24 on stolen bases.

2010: Was a solid contributor in her first year at Tech, starting all 58 games … Helped out the Hokies by playing several positions … Started 19 games in center field, 13 in left field, 13 as the designated player, seven at first base, six games at shortstop and six games in the circle … Played her best ball at the the end of the season, earning a spot on the ACC’s All-Tournament Team … Hit . 247 with two home runs and 16 RBI … Led the team with four triples and also had four doubles, 19 walks, 21 runs and 12 stolen bases … Had four hits against Quinnipiac, including a walk-off single in the eighth inning … Had the game-winning hit in the top of the eighth inning against second-seeded Virginia in the first round of the ACC Championship … Had eight multiple-hit games … Led the team with four game-winning hits … Went 3-0 in the circle with a 3.61 ERA and 30 strikeouts in 42.2 innings pitched … Had eight strikeouts against Hampton … Named to the 2010 All-ACC Academic Softball Team.

2009: Appeared in just 24 games in the circle as a sophomore at Tennessee, starting nine … Went 3-2 with a 2.93 ERA and had 42 strikeouts in 59.2 innings pitched … Had one complete game … Picked up wins against Utah State, Texas-Arlington and Villanova … Saw time at the plate, collecting five hits in 18 at bats … Four of the five hits were doubles, including a three-RBI, pinch hit knock in the Regionals against Nebraska … Had five RBI and scored four runs.

2008: Spent the season among the Southeastern Conference leaders in victories and led the Lady Vols from the circle with a 27-5 record with three saves and a 1.88 ERA while recording 187 strikeouts in 204.1 innings of work … Named to the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-South Region Team … Fired four complete-game, one-hitters in wins over No. 20 Oregon, Louisiana-Monroe, ETSU and No. 14 LSU … Had a career-high 11 strikeouts in downing ETSU on April 2 … Following the initial weekend of her collegiate career, was honored by both USA Softball and the NFCA as the National Collegiate Player of the Week and by the SEC as its Pitcher and Freshman of the Week (2/11) … During that five-game, career-opening stretch in Cathedral City, Calif., downed two ranked Pac-10 teams in No. 20 Oregon (complete-game one-hitter) and No. 18 Oregon State and tallied a perfect 3-0 record with a perfect 0.00 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 16 innings … Selected as a member of the NFCA Scholar-Athlete Team.

High School: Lettered four times for Coach Stephen Lloyd at Butler High … Named to the 2006 and 2007 EA SPORTS All-American Softball teams and was a 2007 Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) High School All-American and All-South Region selection … Chosen as the Gatorade Player of the Year for North Carolina for 2006-07 … A three-time Charlotte Observer andCharlotte Weekly Player of the Year as well as the 2006 Western North Carolina Player of the Year and the N.C. State Tournament Most Valuable Player … Went 58-1 in the circle with ERAs of 0.00 in both 2004 and 2005, 0.02 in 2006 and 0.28 in 2007 … Led her team to consecutive Class 4A North Carolina state titles… Posted a 26-0 record from the circle in 2007 with 360 strikeouts in 170 innings … A four-time first-team all-state, all-conference and all-Mecklenburg County choice in North Carolina … Posted batting averages for four consecutive seasons over .412, with a high of .508 in 2006, while guiding her team to four conference regular-season and tournament championships … In basketball, was chosen as the 2006 Offensive Player of the Year while leading her hoops squad to a conference title … Was also an all-conference basketball selection as well as the Butler H.S. Team MVP in 2005.

Personal: Kimberly Ashton Ward … Born January 10, 1989, in Charlotte, NC … Daughter of Michael and Tracee Ward … Has one brother, Michael … Majoring in communications with a desire to go into public relations.