Ashley Burke's bat and glove have paved her way to Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tenn.

The North Augusta High School senior signed to play softball for the college Thursday.

"Softball really is my favorite sport," said Burke, who plays shortstop for the Lady Yellow Jackets. Burke started playing when she was about 4 years old, and for the past several years she has played year-round with traveling teams such as The Buzz and the Thundercats.

Burke said she loves "just the intensity of the game. It's grown to be a passion."

Burke started playing at North Augusta High School when she was only in the seventh grade. She became a starter at shortstop in the ninth grade and now holds a slew of team records, including most career home runs (14), highest batting average for a shortstop (.445), highest slugging percentage in a season (.782) and career runs scored (125).

She is close to setting two more North Augusta records. She has hit seven triples in her career, and the record is nine.

Also, the record for career batting average is .380, and she's at .394.

Burke has been the team's most valuable player for three seasons and has been named to the all-region and all-state teams for two years. Last year, she played on the TourneySports USA Hawaii Classic Invitational Team.

"She's a solid, all-around good game player," said Derrick Quinn, the Lady Yellow Jackets' coach. "She's very athletic and has a great passion for the game."

When she's not playing softball, Burke is helping her father, Steve, coach his team of 10-year-old girls in the recreation league.

"I mostly help with batting and going through the basics," she said.

At North Augusta High, she's a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the student council. She's still undecided about a college major, but she would like to pursue a career as an athletic trainer or physical therapist, she said.

Reach Charmain Z. Brackett at czbrackett@hotmail.com.