Over the summer, Sacramento State softball head coach Lori Perez called three of her players to see if they are ready to step up this season into captains.

Seniors pitcher Taylor Stroud, catcher Paris Prado and junior outfielder Alexa Chattleton were on the other end of the phone call and were ready to grasp hold of the position.

The three have played together since 2012 and all want to contribute as leaders on the team.

Stroud said she was excited about the opportunity to lead her team this season.

“I wanted use this opportunity to take the underclassmen under my wing,” Stroud said.

Now in her fourth season with the Hornets, Stroud has a combined 26-30 record, has averaged more than 100 innings per season and a 2.51 ERA.

While Stroud has showed her leadership on the field, Prado showed that working hard pays off.

Prado came out for the team in the fall of her freshman year, but she failed to make the team in the spring.

After joining the team on her second attempt during her sophomore year, has spent it as a backup catcher for the Hornets.

She said being named captain is special to her because of what she has been through.

“This shows that everyone has their role on the team, no matter how big or small,” Prado said. “All of my hard work is really paying off to be acknowledged.”

After rejoining the Hornets in 2012, Prado made four appearances, mostly as a defensive replacement, but did make one at-bat that year. That same year, she was awarded as part of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Commissioner’s honor roll.

Although Prado played in 13 games last season and had .222 average with four runs scored, this season she is hitting .375 with three doubles and two RBIs through six games.

After Chattleton was asked to join Stroud and Prado as captain, she looked too good friend Kelli Frye for guidance.

Chattleton said she talked to Frye and she told her that she should just trust her instincts.

As a junior, Chattleton appeared in 37 career games, which she started 32 of them.

Over that span, she hit .235 with four doubles, one triple, one home run and 9 RBIs. The home run came against Idaho State in last season’s inaugural Big Sky Conference tournament.

Chattleton was awarded to the Big Sky Conference all-tournament team for her performance against Idaho State and Southern Utah.

After the three players accepted their new roles as co-captains, they wanted to get back to their team and have a special year this season.

“We want to emphasize family,” Prado said. “We are not asking to be best friends, but when we are here at practice or playing a game we need to be here together for one another.”

Clifton Jones and Ryan Kuhn can be reached on Twitter @SH_Sports