PREP BASEBALL: Ashby picks Concord

Buffalo Gap’s Travis Ashby told The News Virginian on Saturday that he plans to continue his baseball career next season.

Ashby has committed to Concord University in West Virginia, joining fellow Bison Donavan Huffer and Josh Wenger.

“When I went up there for recruiting camp, I liked the way the coach [Kevin Garrett] handled the program,” Ashby said. “He has a good program going and it’s a plus that Donavan and Josh play there too.”

During the camp, Ashby was impressed with Garrett’s fundamental approach to baseball.

“They know what they are doing,” Ashby said. “They like to play small ball, bunting and things and its just another step up from [Buffalo Gap] coach [Chad] Coffey.”

Ashby said he plans to major in sports marketing and hopes to learn more about the business side of the sports industry.

While with the Bison, Ashby said one of the most important things he learned was that nothing is guaranteed in baseball. During his junior season, the Bison ran through the Shenandoah District, but near the end of the season had two critical losses to Luray, putting the team into second place and making it fight for a Region B tournament seed in the district tournament.

In the district semifinals, a young Wilson Memorial team one-hit the Bison knocking them out of the tournament.

“Anything can happen,” he said. “Two years ago, who would have thought we would have been one-hitted? You can’t take anything for granted.”

This season, Gap won both the regular season and the Shenandoah District tournament.

“Trying for that for three years and finally got it,” he said.

While Ashby would like a shot to play as a freshman next season, he said that he wouldn’t mind waiting to contribute as an upperclassman.

“There is always the dream to start as a freshman,” he said. “But I’ll put the work in and hopefully become one of the main guys up there by junior [or] senior year.”

For the remainder of the summer, Ashby will be playing for the American Legion Post 13 team in Staunton.

Concord is a NCAA Division II school located in Athens, W.Va., and is a member of the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.