New Richmond – Olivia Hylton has always loved softball.
She knew she wanted to play it at the next level, she just wasn’t sure where.
Surrounded by friends, family and coaches on Tuesday, Hylton signed her Letter of Intent to continue her career at Fairmont State.
It turns out it was a situation where she went in with uncertainty but knew from the moment she stepped on campus she found her new home.
“Honestly there’s not particularly a reason, they just always tell you that you’ll know when you find the right place,” Hylton said. “From the first time I ever stepped foot on the campus I loved the environment and when I met the team I loved all of them. Honestly, it just felt like a home away from home. When I went to their prospect camp this summer – usually when you go to those the players are on edge and they’re trying to teach you. They aren’t really as much of themselves but when I went to the camp the players were themselves, they didn’t make anything complicated, they didn’t put pressure on us and they were very helpful and fun to be around. Honestly the experience with the team is what helped me decide.”
Hylton, a second-team all-state selection last year, anticipates she’ll play a little bit of everywhere once she heads north next summer. That falls in line with how her high school career has unfolded. She pitched sparingly as a freshmen but provided a steady bat and solid defense as an infielder.
In her first full season as the pitcher in 2021, she helped lead the Lady Warriors to the regional championship where they stood one game away from a state tournament berth.
“I’m going to be a pitcher but I’m going to be a utility player and a hitter,” Hylton said. “My coach at Fairmont, Coach Light, he kind of looks at to like if you’re the best person for that spot then that’s the spot you’ll play.”
While Fairmont awaits, Hylton still has some unfinished business to take care of. In the last decade the program entered the statewide discussion with a string of state tournament appearances but has failed to return since 2018. On her way out the door, she plans on changing that.
“My goal for this year is to kind of just go out There and play my heart out,” Hylton said. “It’s my senior season and at any moment it can get take away again because of Covid. I’m just going in with a good attitude. I want to win and I’d love to go to states my senior year, but I’ve got to put the work in for that.”
