Unexpected Endings

Sophomores Michael Porcaro and Eric King, members of the Milwaukee baseball team, will be blogging all season long on the UWM website.

Porcaro is back for his second season of blogging, while King gets his first crack at it. Today is their ninth and final entry for the 2013 season.

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It’s hard to believe that the season is over. It feels like yesterday we were just getting on the flight to head out for the season opener against New Mexico State. As I drove home yesterday, all that was going through my head was all the memories from the season. So many positive/funny memories. As I look back, I can’t help but smile about all the good times this team had. We went through so much together and became so close with one another. We became a family.

Obviously, the season didn’t end the way we wanted to. It’s disappointing, but at the same time we can’t hang our heads. We had a great season, and accomplished so many things. We had to deal with all the crappy weather, not playing a home game until the end of April, traveling thousands of miles for the first two-and-a-half months of the year, and practicing inside a basketball arena for pretty much the entire year. Despite all of the adversity this team faced, we rose to the occasion. That’s what makes me proud to be apart of this team and to be a Panther.

This year was special. We won the regular season title, went undefeated at The Hank, and went 3-0 against Big 10 teams. It’s so cool to be a part of that. This program has come so far. Just typing this gets me excited for the future. I know each and every one of us who is returning next year is anxious to step back on campus. We got a taste of success this year, but we are hungry for more. With the type of guys we have returning, I fully expect each and every one of us to come back in the fall better than when we left.

Man, I just can’t believe it’s over. You spend literally every day with your teammates for about nine months. You become used to seeing the same faces every day. In the blink of an eye, it’s over. It’s hard knowing the seniors are leaving and you’re going to be away from your teammates for a few months. It’s sad.

I love this city, I love this team, I love my teammates and I love being a Panther. I can’t wait to come back in the fall. I hope everyone has a great summer. A lot of us will be around the state playing baseball this summer. Hopefully we will see some of you at the park.

It’s been real Panther Nation. Until next time …

Paco

Just Another Bus Ride ...

Sophomores Michael Porcaro and Eric King, members of the Milwaukee baseball team, will be blogging all season long on the UWM website.

Porcaro is back for his second season of blogging, while King gets his first crack at it. Today is their eighth entry for the 2013 season.

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Top 5 Things To Do On The Bus

So, while we were driving up to Minnesota, I was bored out of my mind and thought it would be a good idea to make a list of the top five things to do on the bus. This is also a chance for ya’ll to get a glimpse of what it’s like to be on a long bus trip as a Panther.

#5: Attempt to do homework

Notice, I said attempt and not do. It is almost impossible to do your homework on the bus. First off, you’re driving, and the bumps the bus hits every two seconds get really annoying when trying to write notes or do math problems. Second, you have plenty of distractions to keep you from doing your homework. There is usually a movie on, you got your cell phone by your side, and you also have the company of your teammates. The thoughts going through your head on the ride there are always, “I’ll do my homework on the way back to Milwaukee”. But, then on the way back, after playing a game and being completely exhausted, the last thing you want to do is homework. Your brain is fried and your body just wants to rest. This usually leads to an early wake up call the next day to finish homework before class.

#4: Attempt to nap

Once again, I said attempt. If you’re a freshman or sophomore, chances are you are sharing a seat and sleeping is very hard. Even if you have your own seat, it’s hard to get comfortable on the bus. Some guys go with the 'lay-out on both seats and have your legs in the aisle' technique. That usually kills your back. Others will go with the 'sleep on the floor' trick. That might be the most effective way to nap. You got to have a pillow to nap. Headphones are important as well so you can block out the noise on the bus. Personally, I try to nap by lying on both seats with my feet up on the seat on the other side. Usually works until someone from the front of the bus decides to take a bathroom break and runs into your legs. Then you spend the rest of the time trying to fall back asleep. Rooks!

#3: Utilize the technology you have

This is probably one of the most common things done on the bus. Before the trip it is important to make sure your phone, laptop, iPod, iPad and whatever other technology you have is fully charged. Otherwise the trip will be much longer. Most guys will go through their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feed every half hour. We are probably the most active people on social media during our bus trip because we have nothing else to do. Some guys will use their laptops or iPads to watch movies. Others will just listen to their iPods and think about life. Playing games on the phone is fun until you’re battery is low after two hours. Then you can’t even check your phone to use the map and see how far out we are. Once the phone dies, you go old school and look out the window and daydream.

#2: Watch the movie

We usually show about 2 or 3 movies on long trips, ones that are 9 or more hours. This is a pretty effective way to kill time. If you sit back and enjoy the movie, it saves battery life on your phone and makes the trip go faster. Comedy movies are definitely the best. There is usually at least one Will Ferrell movie on every trip. He’s a team favorite. When we don’t have a long trip and only show one movie, then you’re stuck trying to find another way to kill time.

#1: Play cards

This is by far the best thing to do on the bus. Bunko and euchre are the two most common card games played on the bus. Usually, there is a game of each going on at the same time. Six guys play bunko and four play euchre. I am a bunko guy. This is the first year I participated in playing bunko. It’s really fun and has made the road trips a lot faster. Playing cards is definitely a veteran move. Not a lot of young guys participate, but they’ll learn, as they get older it is the best way to make a road trip faster.

Well, we just got to Minneapolis. As my good friend Mike Goetz would say, this six hour drive was a lay up.

Time to go Gopher hunting.

Go Panthers! Paco