FGCU Softball begins its season this week. Coming off the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, the Eagles are hungry to hoist some more trophies. This year's roster includes two Gulf Coast locals who have been best friends on and off the diamond for years.
Victoria Ash and Camryn Feast have been playing softball for as long as they can remember. Feast started when she was eight, and Ash when she was seven. They originally started as opponents at the youth level.
“My first at-bat ever against Cam, she hit a bomb off of me," Ash said. "I was like, wow. That is insane.”
Foes quickly became friends. Cam joined Tori's travel ball team, and the rest was history.
“She was probably one of the first people that said hi to me," Feast said. "She’s just been a constant person in my life for so long.”
The duo has been together ever since. They went from club to Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers. Throughout the journey, the duo has been each other's biggest supporters.
“I would look out to her, and she was the loudest outfielder every single time cheering me on," Ash said.
However, last year, Cam and Tori were on different teams for the first time since they were 12 years old. Tori went to Stetson to start her college career, while Cam stayed close to home and played for FGCU.
After their freshman season, one in which Cam won the ASUN Tournament, the duo wanted to team back up. So, Tori entered the transfer portal and, thanks to a little help from her old friend, returned to her old stomping grounds.
“I texted her, and I was like, 'I’m so grateful,'" Ash said. "I was like, 'I’m coming to FGCU, be ready for me!'”
“I was like, no way,'" Feast added. "Then she posted on Instagram that she’s signing and all that. I was just really excited. It felt like a piece of my childhood was there. So that was really nice.”
Now, the childhood best friends are back on the diamond together and as excited as ever to begin the FGCU softball season.