BLOOMSBURG -- After firing a one-hit shutout the first time she ever put on a college uniform, Ashley Lynn thought she had the hang of things. She quickly realized, however, she wasn't in Danville anymore.

Her best in high school wasn't going to be nearly good enough in college. So she adjusted, the way great ones do.

Four quick years later Lynn's softball career, a mainstay in her life for more than a decade, is down to a few short weeks. She tries not to think about the end, but it does creep up now and then.

"It pops into my mind from time to time," Lynn said. "We were just at Millersville, and they're not going to the playoffs. We were there for Senior Day and their seniors were all bawling. So that makes you think about the end."

How long Lynn's career lasts, could rest squarely upon her shoulders. She leads the Bloomsburg University softball team into this week's PSAC Championships as one of the league's best pitchers. The Huskies (44-7) are the second seed out of the East and take on West No. 2 Indiana (16-24) in Thursday's opener.

The winner of the PSAC tournament earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Bloomsburg, up nine spots to 10th in the Division II rankings this week, will likely gain an at-large spot even if they don't win the double-elimination event.

With finals set for this coming week and graduation next weekend, the math statistics and business economics major has a lot on her plate right now. But Lynn's not ready to put down the softball just yet.

"I'm going to enjoy these last couple of weeks," said Lynn. "I have to focus on each game because now it could be the last time I ever play."

Heading into this week's PSAC Championships -- which kick off today in Lock Haven -- Lynn already ranks among the greatest pitchers in BU history. She ranks in the top five in appearances, innings pitched and shutouts. Her 67 career wins is seventh all-time and by the end of this weekend, she should be the all-time strikeout leader in school history.

With 628 career Ks -- against just 79 walks -- Lynn is just eight strikeouts behind three-time All-American Tina Souders for the BU career mark. She is also less than 20 strikeouts out of the third all-time spot in PSAC history.

How Lynn got here wasn't always a smooth process.

Making changes

As a freshman, she appeared in 10 games as the Huskies went 45-10 and finished fifth nationally. She went 7-2 with five shutouts and an earned run average of 1.19.

Despite the early success, Lynn had some rough spots, which made her quickly realize she was going to have to change some things.

"I had to change the way I thought about the game," said Lynn. "In high school, there might be two or three players that make the team. In college, it's all nine, every spot in the order. The second game I ever pitched I gave up two home runs and I realized this wasn't high school."