Thursday, May 14, 2015

One Last Weekend at The Hank ...

Senior Mike Porcaro, a member of the Milwaukee baseball team, will once again be blogging all season long on the UWM website.

Porcaro is back in the saddle for his fourth and final season of blogging. Today is his fourth entry for the 2015 season.

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It’s kind of crazy that the last weekend of the season is upon us. Like every season, it’s gone by pretty fast. I think that is why you have to enjoy every moment and every opportunity you get to play this game because before you know it, it’s all over. That is the most important thing going into this final stretch. We have a weekend series against Oakland before we head to the conference tournament. We cannot afford to look ahead. We have to take it game by game if we want to accomplish one of our goals of winning the Horizon League Tournament. We can get a better seed in the tournament if we take care of business this weekend. We are all looking forward to Friday’s game at Miller Park, but it all starts today at The Hank. I hope all of you can make it out this weekend and watch us one final time, either at Miller Park or at The Hank!

I also want to add that this Saturday is Senior Day. Pretty unbelievable to think that it will be me and 13 other seniors getting recognized that day. I swear it was just yesterday I was hugging Cole Kraft and Chad Pierce as a freshman on their senior day. I’m sure there will be a lot of emotion that day as we play our last game at The Hank. To all the other seniors, we’ve been through quite a bit during our time here at Milwaukee. Some of us have even put a half-decade of work into this program! Lets enjoy this last little ride and create something special! Can’t wait to get out there this weekend and go to battle!

This weeks “Call to the Pen” features the man you have all been waiting to hear from. He has been an absolute stud all year long and a real treat to watch. Yes, I’m talking about Sam Koenig. This guy has been raking all year long and been one of the best in the COUNTRY! All of us have been fortunate to watch what Sam has been doing this year and I know he’s not done! It’s been a pleasure to be his teammate and he no doubt has our vote for POY!!!!!

Paco: You’ve been in an absolute zone this year. Has the ball just been a beach ball to you or what?

Sam: It’s been a beach ball for a while, but some days it looks like a golf ball (laughs).

Paco: You’ve hit A LOT of balls a long way this year. Is there one homer or one at bat that sticks out in your mind as most memorable?

Sam: Outside of the home run in the home game vs. Valpo when all of my family and friends were there I would say Grand Canyon just because it was my first home run of the year.

Paco: Like a lot of us, you’ve been here half a decade. What’s your favorite memory on the field, and favorite memory off the field?

Sam: On the field would have to be this past weekend when Varsh slammed a walk-off home run off of the scoreboard and the mob at home plate. Off the field would have to be taking Tell Taylor to school in mafia.

Paco: You live in a house that has eight baseball guys (Sam, Hammer, Thicke, Luke, Barwick, Tuttle, Quish, Solberg). If you guys got thrown into a ring, who would win a Royal Rumble?

Sam: Quish and Tuttle are out from the start. Then Rick (Solberg) and Barwick are out in the early rounds as well. I think it would come down to whomever lays a good punch between myself, Meeteer and Hammer. Thicke would be a no-show because he’s never home.

Paco: You come from a baseball family. Both of your brothers, Lucas and Taylor, played baseball. Who wins in a home run derby if all of you are in your prime?

Sam: My brother Lucas will think he has a shot, but I would come through in the clutch. If I lose it’s probably because of the BP pitcher (Lucas).

Quick Hits…

Favorite Food: Chipotle

Favorite Movie: The Campaign

Favorite Baseball Player: Miguel Cabrera

Pet Peeve: When the L screens aren’t lined up in BP

Vacation Spot: I want to go to Alaska

Celebrity Crush: Rachel McAdams

Song you’d want to perform on a karaoke stage: Your Man by Josh Turner, especially if the team is around.