2010: Knehans
started all 51 games in which she played as a junior, hitting .275 with eight
home runs and eight doubles, both team highs and new career bests ... her eight
long balls tied Caitlin Chapin and Jesse Smith for third all-time on MSU[apos]s
single-season list ... amassed 300 putouts (fifth in the Valley) and a .984
fielding percentage in her first year as the Bears[apos] everyday first baseman ...
batted .545 leading off an inning ... hit just .229 with runners in scoring
position, but .556 with runners on third and less than two out ... recorded six
multi-RBI games to rank second on the squad ... against Arkansas (Feb. 20),
Knehans went 3-for-3 with a double and a home run, and batted .500 (5-for-10)
over four games to earn all-tournament honors at the North Texas Sleep Inn
Classic (Feb. 19-20) ... went 1-for-1 against IUPUI (March 17) with her lone hit
being a three-run homer, leading the Bears to a 17-2 victory in the second game
of a double-header sweep ... hit a key solo home run April 2 to help the Bears
beat Creighton and sweep their three-game series ... had three multi-hit games
over MSU[apos]s last nine regular season contests ... went 2-for-3 with a home run
against Southern Illinois in the Bears[apos] final game of the season, a 4-3 loss in
the semifinal round of the MVC Tournament ... led the Bears with a .429
(6-for-14) average in five games at the Valley Tournament (May 13-15) to hike
career batting average to .370 (10-for-27) in 10 games over three seasons at
the conference meet.
2009: Knehans
played in 41 contests as a sophomore, making 35 combined starts at first base
and as MSU[apos]s designated player ... eclipsed or matched career highs for hits
(26), doubles (5), home runs (3), RBIs (17) and total bases (40) ... played
error-free defense in 49 chances at first ... hit .273 with two homers and 10
RBIs at Killian Softball Stadium ... tied four other players for second in the
MVC with three sacrifice flies ... recorded back-to-back two-hit games at the
North Texas Sleep Inn Classic, Feb. 21-22 ... posted seven multi-hit games,
including a 3-of-4 outing vs. Saint Louis (March 8) in which she hit a
game-winning grand slam in the eighth inning ... drove in seven runs in a
three-game stretch, March 8-14 ... registered a hit in six straight games (April
8-18), batting .500 (9-for-18) and slugging .667 during that span ... went
2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs vs. UMKC (April 8).
2008: Knehans
made 20 starts at first base and served as the Bears[apos] designated player nine
times, playing in a total of 44 games as a freshman ... batted .250 with three
homers and 14 RBIs ... hit .320 with runners on base and had a team-high six
pinch hits in 12 at-bats ... was 2-for-3 in her Bears[apos] debut, a 1-0 loss to Long
Island (Feb. 15), before going hitless in her next six games ... recorded a hit
in five of seven outings, March 1-21 ... homered for the first time and drove
in two runs in a 4-1 win at Evansville (April 20) ... drove in the go-ahead
runs with a two-run home run in an eventual 5-2 victory over Arkansas (April
29) ... went 4-for-12 with a double, homer, two runs scored and three RBIs in
the Bears[apos] run through the MVC Tournament ... scored both MSU runs in the
title-game loss to Drake (May 10) ... ended the year on a two-game hit
streak.
Background: Knehans
played at Fort Zumwalt West (O[apos]Fallon, Mo.) High as a senior in 2006, leading
the Jaguars to a school-record 24 wins and the Gateway Athletic Conference
South Championship ... earned all-conference and all-metro honors and was named
second-team all-state after batting .459 with four homers and 22 RBIs ... was a
three-year starter at third base for Hazelwood West High School prior to
transferring for her senior year ... was a two-time first-team all-conference
performer and the league[apos]s player of the year as a junior.
Personal: Ashley Nichole Knehans is the daughter of Kevin and Lisa
Knehans ... born March 26, 1989, in Florissant, Mo. ... has one sister, Kelsey,
and one brother, Kyle ... majoring in criminology.
