Junior pitcher Chris Schmaltz said it best.

"Boy, Mr. Harris. I bet you get a real education on these trips."

The spring break trip, more than any other trip I take with any other team, puts me right in the middle of 27 young men and has me interacting with them at every turn. Chris was referring to learning their terminology, their music (I now know the words to rap songs I would have probably never listened to before. The jury is still out on whether that is a good thing or a bad thing).

But more importantly I get a chance to see these men become teammates and friends.

Spending time with these guys gives me a chance to hear them talk about their classes at Wabash, their plans for the summer, and what they hope to achieve when they graduate. In a way, it's sort of my quick, informal version of their sophomore and senior interviews conducted by the deans.

What really makes it interesting is the fact they pull no punches around me. Schmaltz once again said it best.

"Brent, you're just one of the guys on these trips. You're part of the team."

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Being part of the team took on a different meaning this year. While no one really said anything at first, it was a little quieter than normal when our baseball team boarded the bus for the airport Saturday afternoon. To a person you could not help but think of the tragedy that Bluffton University is dealing with. Shaun Rico, a junior heading back home on this trip to Arizona, finally spoke to the Wabash baseball team about Friday's accident in Atlanta --- the same trip the Little Giants took three years ago. Rico wanted the Wabash players to write letters to the Bluffton team, letting them know other teams were thinking of them and are keeping them in their prayers.

It's what I like about Division III athletics. Competitiveness and camaraderie. I have already seen a perfect example at our first breakfast. We found out the Lebanon Valley baseball team is staying in our hotel. Players from both Wabash and LVC were chatting Sunday morning about their teams, schools, and just about everything else under the sun. Monday we'll play LVC on the baseball diamond. Even though we've gotten to know a few of players now, we'll go out and do everything we can to hand them two losses today.

And when we see them at breakfast on Tuesday, I'm sure the conversation will be right back to school, girlfriends, music, and movies.

More from Arizona tomorrow.