Lansdell excelled in baseball; now she might be FIU’s best softball player

Shortstop Ashton Lansdell has never played a single softball game in her life, and yet she is the most talented player on FIU’s roster and, potentially, one of the best in the nation. How is this possible? Simple: Lansdell grew up playing baseball against boys. In fact, she was on the otherwise-all-male Georgia Highlands Community College baseball roster in the fall of 2019 when she tore the ACL in her right knee.

This past fall — three years since her injury — Lansdell impressed FIU softball coach Mike Larabee, winning the Panthers’ job at shortstop.

“She’s the best athlete I’ve ever coached,” Larabee said.

That’s noteworthy because of Larabee’s vast experience, including six seasons as Arkansas’ head coach and eight years as a USA Softball assistant. He also served five years as a Big Ten Conference assistant coach — three at Illinois and two at Maryland.

Lansdell, 21, was born in Charlotte and raised in Atlanta since age 9.

Baseball has always been her first love. However, in 2015, she tore her left ACL while competing in a playoff girls’ basketball game for Wheeler High in Marietta, Georgia.

Lansdell recovered from that surgery, earning a fall roster spot at Georgia Highlands as a preferred walk-on player. But the dream of college baseball ended with her second knee injury.

“I was trying to turn a double play in practice,” said Lansdell, who is majoring in physical education and ultimately wants to earn her Master’s degree. “I got a bad throw, jumped and landed funny. My ankle rolled over, and my ACL snapped in half.”

After the injury, Lansdell went into the Atlanta work force — first at Starbucks and then at a car dealership — to help pay for college.

Tired of paying for school, Lansdell then reached out to Veronica Alvarez, who coached her on the USA Women’s Baseball National Team. One of Alvarez’s first calls was to FIU assistant coach Aleimalee Lopez, who alerted Larabee.

“Holy smokes,” Larabee said of his reaction when he saw film of Lansdell.

Once she got on campus this past fall, Lansdell flashed overhand throws at 77 mph. Anything as high as mid-60s is considered a strong arm.

Lansdell, a 5-8, 160pounder, is also “ridiculously fast,” according to Larabee. She ran from home to first this fall in 2.54 seconds. Anything under 3.0 seconds is quick. Lansdell also ran from home to home in 10.43 seconds. Anything under 11.0 is blazing.

As for power, the ball jumps off the bat of Lansdell, who clears the fences regularly during hitting practice.

Still, there is an adjustment from baseball to softball.

Lansdell struggled with the bigger ball this fall as many of her throws sailed.

Larabee briefly moved her to the outfield.

“She asked me, ‘What can I do to get back on the dirt?’ ” Larabee said. “I said, ‘You have to manage the ball.’ From then on, she finally got a feel for the ball.

“If we were to start the season today, she would be our shortstop and threehole hitter.”

The season actually starts on Feb. 9 against visiting Clemson, and Lansdell vows to be ready. She said she “learned quite a bit” about softball this past fall.

“The home run fences look appealing,” Lansdell said. “But hitting has been the hardest adjustment. The arm slot is different. In baseball, they’re throwing overhand, and I’m looking at the upper-shoulder area. In softball, they’re slinging