Sean Lynch: Picking up the pieces -- Nobbe crushing the ball again at Cypress

Some people choose the path less traveled.

Most just have it thrust upon them.

In the case of Nicole Nobbe, it's probably a little bit of both.

Nobbe slugged her way into the softball limelight as a freshman at Golden Valley in 2006.

She finished second in the Central California Conference with a .479 batting average and 18 runs batted in.

She followed that up with a .364 average in an injury-shortened sophomore season.

The recruiting letters began rolling in from Division I schools like Cal State Fullerton, San Jose State and Utah.

Blessed with a sweet stroke, Nobbe seemed poised to post some ridiculous numbers with in her final two seasons with Golden Valley.

Unfortunately, she never got the chance.

A family issue arose during her sophomore year and, as these things tend to do with teenagers, it consumed all of her attention.

School plummeted on Nobbe's priority list and it was reflected in her grades.

In just a few months time, Nobbe's home life was torn apart and her prospects for attending a Division I school straight out of high school evaporated as quickly as they'd manifested.

"It was a really stressful time," Nobbe said. "I don't really want to go into the details, but I ended up moving to my aunt's house in Modesto.

"I transferred to Downey, but didn't play my junior year.

"I just wanted to try and focus on getting back on track in school."

Nobbe finally surfaced on a playing field again last year with Beyer High.

The year away from high school softball did little to slow her down as she led Beyer with a .600 average and 16 RBI in her senior campaign.

"The move helped me grow up a little bit," Nobbe said. "It wasn't easy at first, but it made me take more responsibility.

"When I started playing again, I appreciated school and softball a lot more."

Nobbe has ridden that momentum into her freshman season at Cypress College.

She's fit right in at the Southern California juggernaut, helping Cypress to a 17-0 start and the No. 3 ranking in the state.

Nobbe's barely batted an eye at the leap to the collegiate level, hitting .431 with 14 runs and 18 RBI.

She's made a smooth transition from shortstop to third base as well, committing just one error on the season.

"I knew I wanted to get out of the San Joaquin Valley when I went to college and going to Cypress has been a really good fit," Nobbe said. "Everyone is pretty much at the same playing level now, and fortunately I've been able to do pretty well.

"Coming down to Southern California was a totally different experience, but I think the move to Modesto really made it easier for me.

"I'd already had to go out there and meet new people and kind of make a new life.

"High school wasn't the easiest time for me, but I think I'm a better person for having dealt with it."

Sean Lynch is a Sun-Star sports writer. He can be reached at 385-2476 or via e-mail at slynch@mercedsun-star.com.