ST. PAULS — Yomaris Vasquez originally wasn’t sure if she wanted to play softball in college.

But an opportunity presented itself in as familiar an environment as possible, and Thursday the St. Pauls senior softball player signed with Fayetteville Technical Community College.

“I really didn’t think I was going to (play in college), but now that I am I’m really happy that I did choose to play,” she said. “I know most of the players on the team, I’ve played with them some years. It’s comfortable.”

She’ll be playing about a half-hour drive from home, and doing so alongside a roster largely made up of local players, including former Purnell Swett standouts Nyla Mitchell and Bella Finelli.

“It’s good, because it’s close to home, it’s not far of a drive, friends and family are close by,” Vasquez said.

Vasquez was 13-5 in the circle with a 3.11 ERA in her senior season, striking out 65 batters in 103 2/3 innings for the Bulldogs. She also hit .403 with 15 RBIs, two home runs, eight extra-base hits and 21 runs, helping lead St. Pauls to a 16-7 season, finishing second in the Southeastern Athletic Conference and reaching the first round of the 2A state playoffs.

“They’re getting a great person, not only a great softball player,” St. Pauls coach Phillip Tyler said. “She’s going to be dedicated. She’s going to do what’s expected of her and above what’s expected of her. She’s the true definition of a student-athlete, or a scholar-athlete. Up there, I don’t expect nothing less of her, from what she did up here, to work to get better than she is now.”

Vasquez’ ability in the classroom, in addition to on the diamond, was also a draw for her future team.

“I saw her progress over two years, and she’s a great pitcher, a great student,” Fayetteville Tech coach John Newman said. “I’m big into the students; this year alone we had four academic All-Americans, last year we had six. … So adding not only a piece on the field, but it’s something I want to add in the classroom.”

Vasquez also had an offer from Southeastern Community College, among others, but committed early to play for the Trojans.

She becomes the first collegiate signee from the St. Pauls softball program since Danielle Gray, who also signed to FTCC in 2018. Bulldogs junior Hailey Ray is also verbally committed to play at Mount Olive.

“I think it’s great, because the younger kids, they sit out there and I was watching some of their facial expressions — a lot of times they only see this on TV and stuff, where somebody’s signing to go somewhere, and they get to see it in person,” Tyler said. “I was watching some of their facial expressions and they were zoned into it. … I was talking to a few of them, saying ‘that could be you next.’”