Sunnyside softball star Ashley Rosthenhausler builds on family legacy

The Sunnyside High School softball star hails from a well-known sports family in Southern Arizona.

Rosthenhausler's grandfather, Paul, played baseball at Pueblo. Her father, Paul Jr., was a standout baseball player at Sunnyside and Arizona Western College. Her brothers, Gabriel and Erik, were also star baseball players for the Blue Devils. Several other Rosthenhausler's, Ashley's cousins and uncles, became baseball players and coaches. 

"We're pretty well known for that," Rosthenhausler said.

Rosthenhausler's mom, Christina, was also a volleyball player. Playing a sport "runs deep" in the Rosthenhausler family, said Sunnyside softball coach Ozzy Carbajal. 

"They've been great athletes, great ball players," said Carbajal. "It's in her blood." 

Nowadays, Ashley Rosthenhausler is the star athlete of the family as one of the top softball players in Southern Arizona. In 141.1 innings pitched over 46 appearances in the circle, Rosthenhausler has 191 strikeouts and a 3.47 ERA. She has faced 561 batters and has allowed 153 hits and five home runs. 

As a hitter, Rosthenhausler has a .416 batting average with 69 hits, 61 RBIs and 11 home runs. 

"Unbelievable hitter — a scary hitter," Carbajal said. "She can change the whole complex of a game with one swing. She's very coachable, takes criticism the way it's supposed to be taken and learns from it." 

Rosthenhausler credits her maturity and toughness from her background growing up with two older brothers.

"I was always fighting with them," she said. "My brothers love WWE, so I was always their test dummy. There was always fighting and wrestling. They wouldn't pick on me, but they were definitely older brothers. It taught me to become a lot more tough. They made me realize how strong I am. They taught me to push myself to my full potential." 

Rosthenhausler played T-ball before transitioning to softball. Her pitching career started when she was 9 years old. It wasn't the most promising start.  

"I was rough at first," Rosthenhausler said. "I had good speed, but I was completely out of control."

Rosthenhausler pursued pitching coaches and fine-tuned her pitching as she got older and logged countless games playing for local travel-ball clubs, "Desert Thunder Rosty" and "Thundercats." 

Rosthenhausler started her Sunnyside career in 2022-23 and became the newest member of the family to play sports for the Blue Devils.

"It's pressure, but it's good pressure," she said. "It makes me want to live up to their name and be as good or even better than my family who went there." 

Rosthenhausler made a strong first impression as a freshman and threw a no-hitter and one-hitter in back-to-back games against Phoenix Sunnyslope and Phoenix Desert Vista in the Class 6A playoffs, before falling to Mesa Red Mountain in the semifinals.  

"You don't get many freshmen that contribute the way she did — much less dominate," Carbajal said. "For her to come in as a freshman and zone everything out and do what she did, it was remarkable. ... When you get athletes who know they're good, they come with an attitude. 'Yeah, I'm better than you. You can't do what I do.' She was never like that. She fit right in and complimented the girls and vice versa. She's always been humble." 

Rosthenhausler "just wanted to win for the seniors," she said.

"I love those girls and that senior class," she added. "It was the last time that team was together, so I was just like, 'I'm going to throw my butt off and do everything I possibly can.' I went out there and had fun playing the game. I didn't feel the pressure, because I knew the girls were there to back me up." 

Added Carbajal: "When she came in as a freshman, she really dominated. Not many freshman pitchers can dominate like that, and she was one of them that did. When she came in as a freshman and did such a great job, moving forward, we were like, 'Yeah, we're pretty set here with her.'"

Sunnyside's cornerstone player didn't return to the field until her junior year. Rosthenhausler followed her mother's footsteps as a volleyball player, but in a rivalry match against Desert View, Rosthenhausler "took one bad jump and tore my ACL." 

Rosthenhausler spent her sophomore softball season rehabbing and supporting her teammates. 

"I'll be very honest, it was really hard for me," Rosthenhausler said. "I wanted to be playing and be out there for the girls. I was really sad and was like, 'Man, why did this have to happen?' Mentally, it took me a while to come back to my old self and feel good about playing without pain.

"It was tough and it messed me up mentally, because I always had in the back of my mind that my knee is messed up and something is wrong. Now, I know that I'm fine. Just keep playing and keep pushing. Don't dwell on something that happened two years ago." 

Rosthenhausler's injury "put a big dent in the softball program," said Carbajal. 

"It hurt her because she had such a great freshman year and knew she was going to build on it," said the Sunnyside softball coach. "To be off the whole year, mentally, that was tough on her. She trusted the process and just got better. Now It's time for her to shine. She's had the work ethic and mentality that she wants to get better." 

When she's not playing softball, Rosthenhausler is "definitely a social butterfly" and enjoys spending time with her family and friends — and going to Dutch Bros, which she called "my tried and true." Her go-to Dutch Bros order: Golden Eagle Chai. 

"I also like to sleep," joked Rosthenhausler. "I like being able to rest some days, it's nice."

After her senior year this season, Rosthenhausler — who has a 4.0 GPA — will continue her softball and academic career at New Mexico Highlands, a Division II school in Las Vegas, N.M.

Rosthenhausler is planning on studying early childhood development to pursue a career as an occupational therapist and work with children with special needs. 

"Some special needs kids struggle with writing or feeding themselves, tying their shoes," Rosthenhausler said. "It works on fine motor skills and little things to fulfill their life."

Before her next chapter, Rosthenhausler wants to end her Sunnyside career with another deep run in the postseason. Sunnyside is 6-6 through the first 12 games of the season following a 23-7-1 season last year. The Blue Devils "have a lot of potential and we've had some ups and downs, but we're starting to find our identity as a team," Rosthenhausler said.

"I'm excited to see how the rest of the season plays out," added Rosthenhausler. "I want to finish the best way we can and not have any regrets. I want us to play our best and have our fun.

"This is the last time I'm playing with some of these girls, who I've played with since I was 8 years old, so I just want to finish on a high note." 

Fast five with Ashley

Who is your all-time favorite softball player?

Montana Phelps.

What is your go-to pregame meal and postgame meal?

A Red Bull or any type of gummy candies. Postgame meal? Chipotle. Candies, I would say Starburst gummies. At Chipotle, I get a bowl with rice, chicken, sour cream, cheese and corn.

What is your favorite pregame hype song?

"Wipe Me Down" (by Lil Boosie).

What is your favorite movie or TV show?

My favorite thing to watch is "Pitch Perfect."

What is your favorite subject in school?

Math.