Softball has been at the center of Ashley Herrera’s life since she was 7 years old. From local girls’ leagues to the high school varsity team to college championships as a player and coach, Herrera has not strayed far from the sport.

“I guess I haven’t imagined my life without softball in it,” she said.

That’s why when Herrera found a position as the director of softball marketing for XProTex, a Valencia maker of protective athletic gear, she knew she’d hit a home run. In particular, she will promote the company’s new line of protective batting gloves.

“I really just connect XProTex to the softball world – from the professional and national team levels, college, and all the way down to high school, travel ball and Little League,” she said.

Herrera believes her softball experience gives her an edge in her professional and personal lives.

“The competitive aspect of sports in general has helped me succeed in school and anything else I do,” she said.

And Herrera definitely has had her share of success on the field, including playing for the UCLA team that won the 2004 NCAA national championship.

“It’s an experience that taught me so much, that you can’t have control of everything in your life; you just have to focus on doing your job,” she said. “With a little opportunity and luck, things tend to work out.”

After graduating from UCLA in 2008 with a double major in history and political science, Herrera accepted a position as the first assistant coach with the College of the Canyons softball team in Santa Clarita. That season, the Cougars would win the Western State Conference championship for community colleges.

“It was challenging,” she said of her year with the team, “but it was very rewarding to work with the girls.”

Herrera, 25, lives in Valencia with her husband, Colin Carey – a former UCLA football player. To stay active, she bike rides and is training for a triathlon.