ROCKFORD—As strong as their bond has been as travel ball teammates, Madison Carlson and Kaitlin Stefek have gone head-to-head as high school softball adversaries.

It hasn’t been often. COVID-19 prevented the latter from happening last spring and as for 2021, its anyone’s guess.

Beyond that, though, they’re guaranteed to be teammates again as Carlson, from South Beloit High School, and Stefek, from North Boone High, have committed to Rock Valley College.

“We both talked about the colleges we were interested in and were interested in us,” Stefek said. “It just came down to us both feeling like Rock Valley was a good fit. It will be fun to go there together.”

They have played the past three seasons together in the Stateline Fury program and are currently on its 18U squad. Carlson is one of the top pitchers in the area and also plays middle infield while Stefek is a ballhawking center fielder.

“Kaitlin has saved a lot of runs for me,” Carlson said. “It’s weird when we turn around and play against each other in high school.”

They both were attracted to Rock Valley for many of the same reasons. They want to stay close to home, at least initially. They want to get some of the academic basics out of the way in an economic way. Finally, they want to play for a successful softball program. Rock Valley checks all the boxes.

The Golden Eagles boast a coach in Darin Monroe who has a terrific track record for not only winning, but also finding good future college fits for players who want to continue their softball careers at four-year institutions.

“When I visited campus, Coach Monroe had watched me play and already knew what I could do to become a better player,” said Stefek, one of the fastest players in the Stateline. “I like that (RVC) schedules really good competition because he knows that will make the team better. His main focus is wanting the girls to be successful and be recruited.”

Stefek said she has been a RVC fan for the past two years and appreciates how close-knit the Golden Eagles are.

“I really like the culture there,” she said.

Carlson agrees.

“I went to a camp at Rock Valley a year ago and met Coach Monroe and was impressed,” Carlson said. “I’ve kept in contact since then and I’ve seen him at a lot of our tournaments.”

Stefek plans on a career in the medical field and is currently enrolled in a medical science/nursing class at the Mercyhealth Javon Bea Hospital in Rockford. Carlson is a little more uncertain about her future field of study.

“I want to go to a school for what I want to do, but I’m not sure yet what that is,” Carlson said with a chuckle.

What she is about is her desire to be a well-rounded player. When she isn’t pitching, she wants to play the field and bat.

“I love to do it all,” she said. “As a pitcher, I’ve worked at getting my speed up and I think I know the game more when I’m pitching. I know the batters more and know where to put the pitch. Playing travel ball has helped me, but I’ve also worked a lot on my own and that has really helped me improve.”

Carlson said she owes much of her progress as a pitcher to her independent pitching coach, Todd Andrews.

“I’ve tried others, but I always go back to Todd,” she said. “He knows me the best. I’ve been with him since I was 7. He’s very good at teaching the spin and that’s really key.”

She gives her father, Rick, kudos for helping her stay out of any prolonged batting slumps.

“I went to hitting lessons when I was younger, but my dad is really the guy I go to now,” she said. “He’s watched me more than anyone and he knows what’s normal and he can tell when something is wrong. Usually it’s just me hesitating.”

Both seniors say they hope the IHSA allows softball players to also play travel ball during their prep season. They would hate to have to choose one over the other.

“That would be a very difficult decision for me,” Stefek said. “I think I would probably choose high school just because I missed out on my junior year. Our coach, Tim Fleming, is a great guy and I’d love to play my senior year on his team.”

“It’s really hard because it would be my last high school season and I don’t want to miss it,” Carlson said.

In the meantime, the 18U Fury will play a few more fall tournaments and at least a couple more over the winter.