By Will Phillips ’25
The most enjoyable part about this trip was seeing a different way of life. I’m a rhetoric major who grew up in Indiana, so I didn’t get to experience different cultures. Seeing things that are pretty similar to what you know—little kids running around the parks or individuals just going through their day—was extremely interesting to me. When this idea was pitched to us, the thought of being able to truly see their way of life, how baseball is so immersed into the culture, had a big impact on me.
From a baseball perspective, it was impressive to experience how embedded the sport is within their culture. I felt so much respect while on the field. Obviously, there was a language barrier, but the sport crossed those barriers. There was an appreciation for a good catch or a big hit. I appreciated the level of respect that Dominicans brought to each game. Even the kids around the fields, hanging out and wanting to talk, even though their English was about as good as our Spanish, showed us a great love for the game. They were so happy to get a pair of batting gloves.
This experience helps you understand the reason you’re there and the opportunities you receive. It’s why you show up to practices every day, why the games matter, why you do the extra work. It’s truly for the love of the game. It was a great bonding experience. We got to see good teams and players and we struggled together. Baseball is a game of failure, so this experience together as a team will make us better in the future. I was happy to see the guys compete there against some high-level talent. I hope it leads to a lot of success in the future.
I won’t forget the kids at the field on our last day. It rained the night before and we spent the morning cleaning up the field and getting it ready to play. There was a group of kids there following us around, singing silly songs to make us laugh and keep us going. They were singing while we were collecting water with sponges and buckets. It was so cool, another moment where the love of the game shows up.
I really enjoyed the day we spent at the Colonial Zone in Santo Domingo and the sugar mill. Everywhere you turned, you learned a little more. I found all of that history very interesting.
This was such a great experience. I haven’t had an opportunity to study abroad yet, so being able to do this was something special. I don’t know how many other college teams get an immersion experience like this, but I do know that this is something that will impact me for the rest of my life.
