Coupeville Sports

Ashley (Ellsworth-Bagby) Heilig, still feisty.

“Ma’am, yes ma’am!!” (Amy King photo)

Twelve years ago, Coupeville shocked the world.

Led by the feisty, pigtail-rockin’ Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby, the Wolf softball squad traveled to the state tourney and almost won the entire thing in their first go-round.

Four wins in five games later (the only loss to eventual champ Adna) and the 2002 team was forever immortalized, their third-place banner hanging prominently in the CHS gym. It’s the best finish by a team in school history.

Now, led by the triple threat trio of seniors Breeanna Messner, Madeline Roberts and Haley Sherman, who were in first grade back then, Coupeville is headed back to state this weekend.

Win or lose, the trip through the playoffs has been electric, filled with epic home runs (Maddie Big Time is dialed in), gut-check pitching from McKayla Bailey, who has thrown 99.2% of the pitches this season, and contributions from every girl on the 13-member squad.

As David and Amy King and their miracle squad get ready for the trip to Richland, the star of the 2002 team, now going by Ashley Heilig after her recent marriage, stopped by to deliver a few words unto her successors.

The feisty one speaks:

Congratulations, ladies!

You have worked so hard, you deserve this!

I can remember back in 2002 what an exciting time it was for us to make it to state.

It was the first year we switched from slow pitch to fast pitch so there was a huge learning curve, so we were shocked to even have made it that far.

We were lucky to have such a talented team of girls and so are you!

Now that you have made it this far, this is where the real work begins. Don’t let up. Play from the heart and make some amazing history for Coupeville Softball.

Let’s see if you can do better then 3rd place!

Ashley Heilig