Britney Salinas is a girl who will always remember the last moment of her career as a softball player at Knox College.
In her final season, which came to an end in the spring of this year, Salinas had been enjoying perhaps the most productive year during her four-year tenure playing for her team, the Prairie Fire, hitting well over .300 and playing every game as an outfielder. Some unforgettable moments occurred during the team’s homestand of two games and their season-ending game against Monmouth College, a conference rival. Monmouth College.
Salinas was among the seniors who were honored at his Senior Day matchup on April 28. The game lasted 18 innings, with Monmouth College outlasting Knox College 5-4. In spite of the loss Salinas was 5-for-8 and had a double and an RBI during the game. Former Rochelle Township High School softball player went 1-for-3 with an RBI and stole a base during the season’s final game on May 2nd, leading to the Prairie Fire over the Scots 5-3. He also snatched an inbounds fly ball to make the last out of the game.
“I’ll never forget making that final catch to win the out of my final sport,” Salinas said. “That was a very special experience for me. I was a fan of the team atmosphere in Knox College, especially this season. I had the pleasure of meeting many of my best friends from the softball team, and I always felt that I was able to relax and be who I was. Knox College always emphasized school first, and I never felt as if I was forced to choose between sports and school. It was a perfect balance, and we had lots of fun as a unit. .”
Salinas played in every game for The Prairie Fire this season, breaking records in various statistics. She posted an .375 hitting average and led the team with 41 RBIs and 36 hits and also an .430 on-base percentage as well as a .490 Slugging percentage. Five of her scores in the game against Monmouth College were the most in a single game during the college season.
“I was extremely proud of my performance during the season” Salinas said. “I enjoyed our team bonding this season and believed it was the most enjoyable it’s ever been. We always pushed each other to the limit and kept our enthusiasm up. I would not change the way my final season was or my friends I shared it .”
Salinas was on fire during the last months of her junior year she ended her season on a 12 game streak of hitting, with 22 hits and an .537 batsman’s average over the span of. Her success on the plate earned her the Second-Team All-Midwest Conference honors as well as the team’s Most Valuable Player Award this season. The honors were especially memorable for Salinas who suffered from shoulder injuries in her junior year and tried to rebuild her confidence.
“The help from my teammates as well as my family was incredible,” Salinas said. “I had a difficult time last year with my hitting , as well as shoulder injuries and then slipping into slump. I was unsure of what I could expect to do to be able to come back this time. I was working hard during the offseason for my old traveling team Express Fastpitch, and I gained faith back up. I was unable to swing once more and, when I returned to Knox I worked alongside my trainer until like my swing was more smooth. .”
Salinas played in 101 games during her four-year playing career in softball and finished with 60 runs, 82 hits along with 35 RBI. Salinas has earned her bachelor’s degree this spring, is planning to attend Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa, where she’s planning to pursue her studies for the next three years, before becoming a chiropractor. Salinas majored in biochemistry , and minored in psychology while studying at Knox College.
“I always loved science so I knew that I was interested in them and wanted to pursue further,” Salinas said. “Once I began to explore the biochemistry pathway I realized it would combine my interests into a single major and would aid me in my future at Palmer. In my studies in psychology, I have always found it fascinating to learn about the way our minds work and how it influences our thoughts memories, emotions, and behavior. Psychology has always fascinated me since my high school .”
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