By Bill Sheehan

Waiting for a liver transplant doesn't seem to faze Taylor Dockins. She just keeps playing her game.

Late last month, the Cal State Fullerton freshman threw a no-hitter in just her fourth start and was named the Big West Player of the Week in softball. On Saturday, she improved her record to 5-2 with a complete game win over Fresno State.

The 19-year-old says a positive attitude allows her to meet the challenges she faces on and off the field.

After being diagnosed with a rare liver cancer two years ago, she met with hospital nurses and child advocates. "They said, 'You can rise above this or go all the way to the bottom,' " she said. "Obviously, I'm going to rise above this and overcome it," she replied to them.

Dockins was placed on the national liver transplant registry in August and has been told that she is now atop the list. She was diagnosed with fibromellar hepatocellular carcinoma in July 2016.

The cancer, which affects one in five million people, is generally diagnosed in adolescents and young adults.

A tumor was removed from her liver after her initial diagnosis, but later tests showed a vascular invasion, meaning the cancer had broken into the blood vessels. A year later, doctors discovered three more tumors. Using a radiation treatment coupled with chemotherapy and dual thermal ablation, there is currently no evidence of the tumors in her liver.

The Corona native is being treated at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, while Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center will handle the liver transplant. Dockins said she is ready to undergo the surgery and move forward with her life.

"Cancer doesn't define who I am. It's just something that I'm going through," said Dockins, adding philosophically, "It's probably a reason why I have it, to show people they can get through anything in life."

The Fullerton coaching staff has been accommodating as she deals with her medical treatments, Dockins said. "Coach [Kelly] Ford has been amazing. She and the other coaches have been very understanding."

Dockins, who has a fierce work ethic, has been advised to sit out a week after her procedures but often returns to the diamond sooner rather than later. "When I'm on the field, I just play my game. I don't think about what's going on in my life. Softball is my getaway."

Ford, who is in her sixth year as head coach, said the right-handed pitcher has had a significant impact since joining the team, with players now less concerned about trivial matters.

"Taylor has brought so much on so many levels," said Ford. "Our athletes are seeing a bigger picture now. There is an appreciation for every day that we have. That is a gift from Taylor. She has driven me to be a better coach and the team to improve as well.

"I've never seen a freshman so composed in the heat of competition," she said of Dockins, who was the only freshman picked to be a team captain. "She's just an old soul in softball. There is nothing that fazes her."

Teammate Brooke Clemetson, who is a "big sister" to Dockins, said the freshman has inspired the team.

"She has brought a whole new outlook for everyone," said Clemetson, a senior outfielder. "She fit right in and didn't skip a beat. She is an amazing girl and an awesome pitcher."

Dockins got her start as a pitcher at age 6. She watched the Women's College World Series on television and told her mother that she wanted to compete there some day. Her parents hired Beth Robinson Windham, a former University of Kansas hurler, to give their daughter pitching lessons. Dockins played for several travel teams, including the Firecrackers.

Windham eventually coached Dockins at Norco High, where she went 33-1 as a high school senior and was named the National Gatorade Softball Player of the Year.

She has made a near-seamless transition to college ball. A sinkerball pitcher, she frequently credits her teammates' defensive efforts for her success.

"It's definitely a challenge. I just have to keep the hitters off balance with ball movement and trust my defense behind me," said Dockins, whose drop curve and peel drop are her go-to pitches. "I'm trying to work off the plate more and focus on my spins."

At 5-foot-5, Dockins is short compared to most college pitchers. "I do the job. I work as hard as I can. I have to use my legs more."

Evaluating her five-inning no-hitter in an 8-0 victory against the University of San Diego, she said, "I was just trying to get them out and keep the ball down. It wasn't until late in the game when I realized I was pitching a no-hitter."

Pitching isn't her only softball skill, though. Dockins is the only Fullerton pitcher who regularly bats when she's in the lineup. "Taylor has a beautiful swing," Ford said. "She is poised and composed at the plate."

The teenager, who calls herself a lefty power hitter, was taught how to bat by her father, Rick. She ended up batting from the left side after mimicking her dad's left-handed hitting.

"She puts in a lot of practice behind the scenes," said Rick. "She always has been a hard worker. She has a heart that never stops and a killer instinct."

Her father also gave her childhood lessons on positive thinking.

"I tried to instill in Taylor when she was young that every day is a great day," said Rick. "She has taken that approach since day one and taken it to the next level."

At her mother Debi's suggestion, Dockins began posting updates on her medical condition for family and friends on Twitter at @16tmoney. Titan softball's Twitter at @CSUFSoftball has introduced "The Dockins Report," in which she gives short interviews.

"The support of everyone around me has really helped," said Dockins. "I have a very positive outlook on life. I never asked, 'Why me?' This is what God gave me. I'm just going to keep pushing through and moving forward."

Her father said the family has been in awe of the encouragement she has received. "She has this terrible disease, but it has brought all of these wonderful people in to our lives. The people following my daughter's story have been sending us their prayers and positive thoughts. It is a blessing."

Dockins, who has an older brother and sister, often spends time on the weekend with her parents. "We do a lot together. We love to drive to Laguna and travel up and down the coast," she said. "The beach is really peaceful place and takes my mind off everything. I love it down there."

On free weekends, she enjoys line dancing at the Old Town Temecula Stampede. "I put on my cowgirl boots and go with my best friend, Naomi Hernandez." A teammate of Dockins' at Norco High, Hernandez is an outfielder at Long Beach State. So it is likely they will likely face off some day on the field.

She hasn't declared a major but is leaning toward pursuing a communications degree while eyeing a career in sports broadcasting.

In December 2016, Dockins and her parents took a Make-a-Wish Foundation trip to be part of the New Year's Eve celebration in New York's Times Square and appeared on a Fox News report. She now gives speeches as a Make-a-Wish ambassador.

Dockins was invited for a tryout for the U.S. national team that will compete in the 2020 Olympics, but her cancer treatments prevented her participation. She hasn't discounted giving it a shot in 2024, but her main lifelong goal is to pitch in the College World Series.

"Being there in Oklahoma and winning that championship would just be a dream come true."

To see a video of Taylor Dockins' Make-a-Wish to New York, click HERE.