ROCHELLE — Britney Salinas had no idea what was in store for her at the Rochelle varsity softball team’s season-ending banquet this past Wednesday.

After turning in a junior campaign where she hit .304 and started in center field for the Lady Hubs, Salinas earned First-Team All-Conference recognition by the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference. It was unlike any honor she had received before, and she said she was honored to bring home the award.

“I was really shocked to find out I made First-Team All-Conference,” Salinas said. “I know I have a lot of room for improvement since I’ve only been playing center field since last June, but I’m happy to see the improvement I’ve made under my Express coaches and my high school coaches. Without them I wouldn’t be anywhere close to where I am today.”

Salinas wasn’t the only Lady Hub to win a conference award either, as senior Christina Payton took home an All-Conference Honorable Mention for her performance this season. Payton recorded a team-high nine RBIs while hitting .286.

“I was quite shocked when I found out,” Payton said. “It’s a great feeling and I’m honored to be a part of all-conference and to even be nominated.”

One of three Lady Hubs to hit a home run this season, Salinas overcame a slow start and recorded some of her best offensive performances during the middle and end of the season, often finding herself at the top of Rochelle’s batting order. She also said she improved on the defensive end by reading the ball off the bat, but she said she still has work to do on both sides of the ball.

“I think I performed well by putting the ball in play,” she said. “I started the season off a little shaky with at-bats and strikeouts, but over the season I began to put the ball in play and make the defense work. I need to improve on being less anxious. I tend to get anxious in the box and I don’t swing at the best pitches when I have a low strike count… Something I need to work on defensively is finishing the catch and firing home.”

As for Payton, who played a myriad of positions for the Lady Hubs this year while typically hitting in the heart of Rochelle’s lineup, she said some of her offensive success this year was a result of her comfort batting in the middle of the order. She said she also prides herself on her defensive versatility, which allowed head coach Lindsay Suess to start her at various spots including third base, shortstop and left field.

“I feel I perform well at the top,” Payton said. “I get to see the pitcher throw to a few batters and then I get to have my turn… Defensively I feel comfortable anywhere the coaches put me.”

Payton is one of five Rochelle seniors leaving the program, while Salinas will be returning next year for her final season with the Lady Hubs. Both players are proud of how far the softball team has come over the past few years, though, and both girls said they believe the program has a bright future.

“I think the season was definitely a step in the right direction,” Payton said. “We moved forward and I know our record didn’t really show how much we improved but most of the games we played we were in until the sixth or seventh inning… My advice for younger players is just to have fun. A lot of mistakes can happen in the game but the next play is coming up faster than the last one so you just need to shake off any mistake you make and go harder for the next play.”

“I know Rochelle was hoping for a few more wins this year, but even though that didn’t happen I felt we had a great season,” Salinas added. “We continued to give every ounce of effort we had, whether we were down by 10 or up by one run. Coach Suess and coach [Elise Maliszewski] really did a great job helping us stay positive and get better every single day in practice… I want other teams to know that Rochelle is on the rise and we don’t plan on stopping.”