ROCHELLE — Caleb Gould has made a name for himself at Rochelle Township High School through his achievements on the basketball court, but his performance for the Hubs varsity baseball team this season didn’t go unnoticed, either.

One of three Rochelle players to receive honors from the Northern Illinois Big 12 Conference including Cristian Burciaga and Kyle Seebach, Gould was selected as a First-Team All-Conference member, hitting well over .300 in conference play while going 3-1 on the pitcher’s mound. Burciaga and Seebach took home All-Conference Honorable Mentions.

“It was an honor for me and the rest of my teammates,” said Gould, who will be playing basketball at Kishwaukee College next year. “We worked hard all season and it feels good to be recognized. We had a lot of close games this year that could’ve gone either way, so I don’t think out record (12-13-1) showed how good we could’ve been.”

“I’ve worked hard up to this point so it’s a sign that my work is paying off,” added Seebach, who is taking his baseball talents to Northern Illinois University. “We had our ups and downs, but overall the season was fun. I’ll miss my friends from RTHS because we bonded pretty well over the years.”

“It feels good to be recognized as one of many top players in our conference and I couldn’t be happier,” said Burciaga, who will play first base and provide Kankakee Community College with a big bat next season. “I believe we did well overall on the season. We do have a tough conference and we competed in every game we played in. I’m definitely going to miss playing with all the guys I’ve been playing with my all my life.”

Seebach served as Rochelle’s No. 1 starter this year, and his best outings include a one-hit performance against the Sterling Golden Warriors on the road. The left-hander also hit over .300 at the plate, while Burciaga led the Hubs in home runs with eight. The big righty clubbed two homers including a walk-off shot in Rochelle’s home win over Kaneland, and he smashed three in the team’s close loss to Plano.

“I believe I excelled on offense,” Burciaga said. “This year I was very consistent and powerful at the plate. I feel like I could’ve done better at the crucial plays we needed to make to win games.”

‘I feel like I did well hitting and pitching this year,” Seebach added. “I feel like I really improved my hitting though. I think I need to take control of every game from now on when I’m on the mound.”

The three All-Conference honorees are a small portion of Rochelle’s senior class that will be moving on to greener pastures. While the success of the sophomore team and the possibility of several juniors returning are giving the Hubs a bright future, the boys are hoping their younger teammates can continue to step up and deliver while providing the same leadership they did.

“Have fun,” Seebach said. “You can’t do well in baseball without having fun. Also, work hard and stay dedicated.”

“Just give it your all and don’t make somebody else carry equipment,” Gould added. “Do it yourself.”

“Work hard and have determination to win,” Burciaga continued. “These four years will be the fastest time of your life so enjoy it while you can.”