Wednesday provided a footnote in Fairfield’s history.
There were two ‘firsts’ for Fairfield regarding college signings, and both happened with the same university. And both college commitments came from the same Fairfield High School senior.
The first-ever college signing for Fairfield esports involved senior Nick Graber declaring his intent to continue gaming with Bethel University. A standout in Rocket League, Graber was coveted by Pilot esports coach Dan Wort to add to a national room of gamers. Having witnessed Graber’s abilities in several local high school tournaments, Wort knew he was getting a total package.
“We had been talking for a while and he had interest in both Bethel and esports, and he really loves gaming when you talk to him,” Wort said at Graber’s college signing event at Fairfield. “His grades, his attitude, solid kid. Those are the types of players we are looking for. They take their academics and their athletics seriously, looking to improve. That’s what is most important for us. We’re very excited to add Nick to our team.”
Bethel esports, in its fourth year of existence as a sanctioned sport, oversees game play in five platforms - League of Legends, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros., Overwatch and Valorant. Graber will be slotting into Rocket League, which Bethel has multiple players graduating, but some returning from area schools Northridge and Bremen as well as from Illinois.
While not officially signing Wednesday, Graber also dually committed his time at Bethel as a men’s volleyball player. Fairfield does not have a school volleyball program, but Graber has been playing with the Team Pineapple club from the Fort Wayne area. Boys volleyball is an emerging sport with the IHSAA, but without a team here on campus, Graber was exclusively a club player. The setter is going to split his time with Pilots esports and volleyball.
While at Bethel, Graber is looking to study computer sciences and potentially get into children’s ministry as a minor, hoping to fuse the two into a career of some kind.
Nick Graber, Bethel University, computer science
Thoughts on fusing two sports and two educational pursuits at Bethel: “Knowing my limits for each sport, volleyball has been a big part of my life since I was little, I wanted to keep pursuing it and was blessed to find an elite club to play at. Rocket League started (at Fairfield), and we didn’t have volleyball here, I found something I was good at and pursued it. From there, it was back and forth between Rocket League and volleyball. I feel my skill level is comparable in both. The potential to improve is there, and I’m super excited to go after both. I think my coaches will see that right away.”