Fort Lupton High School softball pitcher Taylor Fells finished a high-school senior’s right of passage before the holidays. 

She chose a college – Bluefield State College, an NCAA Division II program in West Virginia – for her next educational and athletic stop. 

“I built a pretty good relationship with the head coach (Rocky Stinson) during the recruiting process,” she said. “I also liked that it is a smaller school but still at the DII level.” 

She was able to take a visit, and she discovered she liked the environment and the campus. 

“They are doing a lot of upgrades, like new dorms and a new softball field,” she said. “I was unable to meet future teammates due to it being winter break (Thanksgiving to New Year’s).” 

She was a sought-after player. Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska, Molloy College in Rockville Centre, N.Y., Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, Juniata College in Huntington Pennsylvania, the State University of New York-Morrisville and several junior colleges wanted Fells to play for them. Distance from home played a part in her decision. 

“I want to experience the culture down south and the East Coast after playing in Pennsylvania and Florida on my comp team,” she said. 

The recruiting process was a little strange, thanks to the ongoing pandemic. 

“I went to showcase tournaments but there weren’t the amount of coaches there like you would have seen in a normal year,” she said. “I have recruiting profiles that I was able to upload a lot of videos, and that really helped out.” 

Fells batted .373 for the Bluedevils this season. FLHS advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time. She struck out 115 batters in 84 2/3 innings of pitching, and her earned-run average was 2.73. Fells wants to major in sports management and business administration. She’d like to join a sporting organization in the future. 

“I’m both nervous and excited. It will be my first time that far from home, and I’ll be playing with people I don’t know yet,” Fells said. “I also know that the commitment required by the coach will be very demanding. I’m excited because it is a new coach, and I want to be part of building a successful program.”