What it takes to be a Mariners ball girl

There won’t be any games at Safeco Field for another few weeks when the Mariners open the new season.

But there were plenty of balls flying around the stadium this week as dozens of our area’s top female athletes gathered to try out for one of the most coveted jobs in town &#8212 Mariners ball girl. And even though they’re softball players, there was nothing soft about their on-field auditions.

For the last two seasons, Puyallup-native Ashley Maswell has been among those willing to get in front of those blistering balls as they come screaming into foul territory.

Related: Follow Mariners spring training

“You don’t have time to think, you just kind of react and then think about it afterwards,” Maswell said. “And then afterwards your just like ‘whew, I’m glad I got that. That was scary.'”

Maswell is one of about a dozen fearless young women hired each season to snag foul balls and protect the fans.

It’s no easy gig to get.

About 60 girls are invited from among hundreds of applicants to the tryouts at Safeco Field, according to Michael Hilburn, the Senior Manager of Ballpark Operations.

“The tryout consists of a game day experience where they’re going to actually field foul balls, we’ll see how they do there and then a regular job interview like they would for any position here at Safeco Field,” Hilburn said.

And there’s no pulling punches.

The Mariners’ Steve Belling rips ground balls and line drives through the third base line warning track, bouncing them off the wall, sending the girls diving, just like they would in a real game.

“I’m not taking it easy. We’ll do five warm-ups but then we go live and try to give them a game-like experience. So I hit them as hard as I can,” Belling said.

Even though all the girls have played college, high school or select softball, it can still be pretty intimidating.

Fife native Randi Bushnell, a catcher at Missouri Valley College, says it’s a lot different getting balls fired at you while four judges watch closely.

“When you look up at the stands, you’re like, ‘Whoa’ I’m used to little bleachers, a small softball field. Here it’s a whole different story,” Bushnell said.

Not to mention a different ball … smaller, faster and harder.

But Bellingham native Brianne Locke told the judges it was the chance of a lifetime to even try.

“My whole family has been huge fans forever,” she gushed. “I have to do this. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Why not me?”

In addition to working on the field, the chosen few also join the Mariners “fielder” program, staffing different stadium attractions, and handing out promotional materials.

The performances were impressive, making it a tough decision for the judges.

“They all have an athletic background and great skills,” Belling said. “You have to to ensure the safety of the fans around them. You have to bring the glove. You have to have quick feet. They’re excellent.”