AshLee Bilbo moved from third baseman to catcher while growing up playing competitive softball, but Bilbo found her calling on a different type of baseline.

Four years after switching sports just before her freshman year at Bryan High School, Bilbo has developed into a college prospect as a member of the Vikings tennis team.

Bilbo will team with another former softball player, fellow senior Madison Franze, to play No. 1 girls doubles this spring. The new pairing will compete in their second event at the Viking Classic on Friday and Saturday.

Bryan tennis coach Randy Stewart jokes that he stole Bilbo from softball. If that was the case, she was a willing accomplice.

"My original schedule had softball on it," Bilbo said. "Two weeks before school started I changed into tennis. I just needed a change. I was kind of burned out on softball. I had played softball since I was 5."

Bilbo moved up to the Bryan varsity in the spring of her freshman year. She has developed into a strong doubles player who has drawn recruiting interest from Mary Hardin-Baylor. UMHB is a Division III school that does not offer athletic scholarships, but Bilbo likely will earn academic scholarships. She ranks second in her class with a 4.82 grade point average and has considered going into athletic training or genetic counseling.

"I'm really hoping for the No. 1 spot," Bilbo said. "I would love to give the graduation speech. Tennis is a passion of mine. Studying doesn't consume my life. I've always believed that you shouldn't get breaks just because you're an athlete. You should be held to the same standard."

Bilbo is a country girl who loves being outdoors. She describes herself as a movie addict. "I think that every movie deserves to be seen at least once," she said.

For the last two years, Bilbo's doubles partner was Yvonne Gonzales. They finished third at the Viking Classic last season and were fourth at the District 12-5A tournament.

Franze played mixed doubles with Aaron Charanza last year, taking second at the Bryan tournament and the district meet to earn a trip to regionals.

"I've had my eye on AshLee for a while as a partner," Franze said. "What's short in my game is long in hers, and the other way around. It balances out very well."

The pairing was jeopardized in August when Franze suffered a major knee injury. She played much of last season with a failing anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that was revealed after she tore the meniscus cartilage in the same knee.

Reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation prevented Franze from playing during the fall season or during early workouts this spring. She received medical clearance to play three days before last week's season-opening tournament at The Woodlands.

"I was worried about the timeline," Franze said. "I was sitting in the doctor's office six months ago and they told me the earliest it could be was February. I took my rehab very seriously. The better I did in rehab, the quicker I could get back on the court."

Franze also has a chance to play college tennis, drawing interest from Southern Nazarene University, an NAIA school in Oklahoma. If she doesn't play there, Franze could attend Texas Women's University to be a teacher.

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NOTES -- The Viking Classic will start at 8 a.m. Friday with 16 teams competing at five sites: Bryan High, A&M Consolidated, Jane Long Middle School, Sam Rayburn Middle School and Rudder. ... The field includes Austin Anderson, San Antonio Clark, Conroe, The Woodlands, Oak Ridge, Burleson, Brenham and Huntsville.