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GOLD & BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 4 81 picture." Morgan Burke values Burkhardt's input — she was on the committee that helped hire Schuette, and she's valuable as a source for student-ath- lete welfare and leadership — and much more. "Something that sets her apart from others, when she puts on a Purdue jer- sey, it matters to her. She really cares," Burke said. "There's a kind of tenacity that she has that only a select group of Purdue athletes during my tenure really have — that will to win and who feel so connected to the institution that they're going to go a little extra." Burkhardt is involved with Boil- er-Maker-Wish, the program modeled after Make-A-Wish that caters to youth facing physical disabilities. She'll babysit coaches' kids. She's one of the first players to say "yes" when the team does events in the community. Burkhardt likes doing anything she can to promote Purdue. But when softball season approaches, she's had to learn how to say "no," which hasn't been easy. She's ac- tually had to sit down and talk with Schuette about it, figuring out ways not to spread herself too thin. "She does some pretty neat things," Schuette said. "If you have a poster kid this year of Purdue athletics, Ashley Burkhardt is one of them. "She's going to leave her mark on Purdue in more ways than just home runs and batting average." But make no mistake — the soft- ball success will be prominent, too. Burkhardt has been a starter since she stepped on campus in 2012 and has gotten better each year, saving her best for last season, hitting .346 with a team-high 109 total bases to earn first- team All-Big Ten honors. Scary part? She can be even better, as long as she has the opportunity. Burkhardt is hitting in the No. 3 hole this season but doesn't have an experienced, proven hitter behind her in the lineup. So, by the time Big Ten play begins, will she get good pitches to hit? Burkhardt will do her best to stay involved in the offense, and her team- mates need her to be for a variety of reasons. "She has a very strong confidence," junior Paris Andrew said. "She doesn't let one at-bat or one bad game bring her down. That's a good player. She's definitely good. She's fast, she can bunt, she can hit, hit far, but her con- fidence is always there. It gives her team confidence in her. "If she plays to the best of her abili- ty, we're going to be a better team." j