Maybe the struggling San Francisco Giants should call up Hollister’s Ashlee Io. With shortstop Willy Adames on the injured list, the club could use someone with superb defensive skills at short and Io’s combination offense of a high batting average, power and speed.
Baseball? The Hollister High softball star began her sports career with hardball and stayed with it for eight years before switching. She could probably shift back but after four superb softball seasons with the Balers, Cal Poly coach Jenny Condon is eager to have Io on her team down in San Luis Obispo, where Io will be playing this school year for the Mustangs.
“I first started playing baseball at the age of 4 because of my two older brothers Austin and Ryan and my two older cousins Luke and Jack,” Io said. “I played baseball for eight years, until the age of 12. My eighth-grade summer, right before freshman year, I decided to make the switch to play softball because I knew I wanted to continue to play in college.”
Hollister coach Andrew Barragan is glad she did. Io played four seasons with the Balers, including the 2023 team that won the Central Coast Section Open Division title and the NorCal Division I title. But she really took everything to a new level this past year with her leadership, offense and defense.
Io was part of a small senior contingent that carried the young 2026 Balers much further than anyone expected. She hit a phenomenal .475, 38-for-80, with three homers and 16 steals, while sparkling at the key defensive position of shortstop.
Io had just three errors all season and none in the final 15 games as Hollister finished 22-8, 12-3 for first place in the Pacific Coast Athletic League, Gabilan Division standings.
The Balers reached the Central Coast Section Open Division semifinals, marking them as being third in all of CCS, and the team also advanced to the NorCal Division II semifinals.
There were many highlight-reel performances by Io. Big days included a 5-for-5 afternoon against Watsonville and a clutch homer to help defeat rival Salinas on the road.
“Overall, I’m really grateful for my four years here,” Io said. “The coaching staff is great. And the support in the community. Every single game, our stadium is filled up. There is a lot of love.”
Now it’s on to Cal Poly, where she will join ex-Baler outfielder Maddy Bermudez, two years ahead in school.
“When I started softball, I was 13 years old and I started because my baseball coach, Daniel Barone, said, ‘If you want to play in high school and so on, make the switch now,’” Io said. “What I liked about it then was nothing because I’ve always wanted to stick to baseball but my first ever softball team with Coach Benjie and Scott Ito, they made the transition so fun and taught me all of the fundamentals about softball.”
Cal Poly’s five-member recruiting group includes Io and two fellow LTG Lions travel ball teammates, Leilani Terrazas and Cam Lincoln.
Io hit .381 over her final two seasons with the powerhouse LTG program. Earlier in her career, she played for the Hollister Blackjacks, the Hollister Heat, the California Storm and the Firecrackers.
“Ashlee is an infielder that can play anywhere,” coach Condon said. “She moves well and has great hands. We’re excited to have another player from the LTG Lions Softball program.”
The story starts at home. Mother Rhonda played volleyball at Watsonville High and father Steve played football.
“My parents helped me SO much,” Io said. “Every step of the way, those two were constantly there for me on and off the field. For them, going into the softball world was weird because they were so used to being at the baseball field, but they adjusted with me.
“Their assistance in my development was extremely helpful because they knew how much I wanted to play at the next level. I’ll never be able to fully put into words how much they’ve done for me and how much I truly appreciate it.”
You’ll see members of the Io family at Ashlee’s games all the time. The family watches brother Ryan pitch for Cal State Monterey Bay and often the whole crew travels over to root for Ashlee. She cites Ryan and brother Austin for major contributions to her development.
“My older brother, Ryan, was a pitcher at Cal State Monterey Bay,” Io said. “His sophomore year, he led his team to winning the Conference Championship, the Regionals and just came up short in the Super Regionals.
“Ryan absolutely helped and guided me during my baseball and softball career. He was the one who was so set on getting my mechanics right when I would throw or hit.”
Io was an honor roll selection at Hollister High. On the diamond, she was named to the First Team All-League in the competitive PCAL Gabilan Division.
“My high school career was something I will remember forever, starting with freshman year; we won CCS, won NorCal State Championship and were ranked No. 3 in the nation,” Io said. “Sophomore year was not the best year, but it was my opportunity to start and play a big role on the team going into next year.
“Junior year, I was nominated by the coaching staff to be a captain along with Avery Chavez. We went to CCS but we fell to King’s Academy. Senior year was probably one of the best years.”
Leadership by Io and fellow seniors Avery Chavez, Madalyne Rodriguez and De’zeyer Fa’agai produced an excellent culture. That spirit made for fun and teamwork, and resulted in great results on the softball diamond.
“The team chemistry was everything; there were zero cliques on the team, everyone got along with each other, made so many different memories and the best was that I built friendships that turned into my sisters,” Io said. “Coaches, Andrew, Joe, Marty, Julian and Dom taught us how to be tough on and off the field. They’ve prepared me the best they could for what’s next to come.”
Next comes competitive NCAA Division I softball at Cal Poly.
The Mustangs have a solid program. In 2024, they were 28-17 overall and 18-8 in the Big West. They stumbled a bit the subsequent two years but have high hopes for getting back on track. Coach Condon, a star outfielder at Iowa State in her day, is a four-time Big West Coach of the year and enters her 26th season with 486 total victories.
“College recruiting can be difficult for some more than others; the athlete really needs to put her focus on where she feels most at home, the environment on and off campus, and overall where she feels like she is going to thrive on and off the field,” Io said. “Those were on the top of my list when I went on my visits.
“I’m really excited and blessed I get an amazing opportunity to be able to be a part of a Division 1 softball team.”
Io plans to study Experience and Event Management. Her career goals include being involved in some way in the sports world. For now, it is Cal Poly softball. MLB and the San Francisco Giants will have to wait.
