2007 Road Trip Journal by Mollie Schrank

	Sophomore outfielder/road trip journal writer Mollie Schrank

Orlando Rebel Games
Spring Break 2007

Friday, March 9
So the trip began officially at about 2:15 when the fight for the beds on our sleeper bus began. Basically we are superstars and instead of taking a coach bus we took a bus with 21 bunk beds most of which had their own TV. The bus also had wireless internet, a full bathroom and kitchen area. It was a very nice bus and great for sleeping, but after so many hours on that thing you get tired of lying down and having no window to look out of. I never had any idea where we were when we stopped! We left campus at 3:00 p.m. Friday afternoon and finally got to Atlanta at 1:00 a.m. The hotel we were staying in was right next to another hotel and when coach gave us our keys about half of us went to the wrong hotel before realizing our keys weren't working because we were at the wrong place. It was a little scary but kind of entertaining, those involved know what I mean.

Saturday, March 10
Another day spent on the sleeper bus. I slept from the time we left Atlanta at 9:00a.m until we stopped for lunch at about 12:30. After lunch I watched enough movies to last me awhile. We finally got to Orlando around 6:00 p.m. A few of us went for a run since we had been cooped up all day and then the whole team met for dinner at Bennigan's. After dinner everyone just hung out, played cards and did whatever until curfew at 11. We were all pretty anxious to actually get to play softball outside and against other teams. The weather in Dayton hasn't been cooperating, but Florida is gorgeous! First games of the season tomorrow! Go Dayton!

Sunday, March 11
Our hotel might not look all that great from the outside but it has an impressive breakfast buffet. After breakfast we loaded up to go hit and head for the ballpark. Despite being a returnee I was still surprisingly nervous. I think everyone was at least a little bit though since today was our first time playing outside this year. We played Rider and Manhatten and won both! A great start to our week. Coach made us a bet before the games that if we won both games on any day during the week she would buy us icecream, so she owed us ice cream today. After the games seven of us went with coach to Applebees and the rest went with their parents. I think we were all so tired that we were wound up and it was a very entertaining dinner. I laughed a lot but I'm not even going to try and explain what went on! After Applebee's we went to Baskin Robbins to get our much deserved ice cream and then everyone pretty much went to bed.

Monday, March 12
We had the earliest games today at 9 and 11. We played Mississippi Valley State and Hartford and lost both. We didn't really play that well. My parents came down for the first few days, yay!! So after the game I went with them to Bob Evan's. My parents were staying on the beach though instead of Orlando so after lunch they dropped me off at my hotel and they went to hang out at the beach for awhile. Since we were done early most of the girls went to the pool to swim and get a little sun. Poor Moty got thrown in wearing her uniform and we tried to throw coach in but were unsuccessful. The girls on my team are so funny especially Katie Jordan who I think won the splash and style contest, sorry Muffin. After swimming for a little bit KJ, Muffin, Blair and I secretly filled up some water balloons and I got out my launcher I brought and we attacked the team. It was fun; nobody expected that from us, they are getting to see my evil side this year! Later the whole team ate dinner at Ruby Tuesday's and then came back for a team event. I'm not sure I can explain the event, but it involved dancing and singing until someone could guess the song, very entertaining! Since Tuesday is our day off we were allowed to go stay with our parents tonight, my parents came and picked me up and I went back to their hotel so I could hang out at the beach tomorrow. Plus my fabulous roommate Muffin has pink eye and she is trying to give it to me so I'm letting her have the bed to herself just for tonight!

Tuesday, March 13
I love the ocean. I spent the morning hanging out at the beach and the pool with my parents. They are leaving today so they had to check out at 1. After we checked out they drove me back to Orlando and we stopped and got some lunch and hung out by my pool until they had to leave for their flight. I'm sad they have to go home but I'm glad they got to come a few days this year! They didn't come at all last year. We actually ran in to some of our extended family down here too which was really funny and random, I have relatives that play at IUPUI and we didn't realize they were staying in the same hotel as us. After my parents left I just relaxed and read a book for awhile then went with Erin and Sheena to get icecream and hang out. Some of the other girls went to Disney, others went to watch the Indians vs. Mets game, and the girls with Coach took boats out to the swamp and then went shopping. I didn't get to witness Coach Ward falling off the boat but apparently she fell into the swamp and it sounded pretty funny.

Wednesday, March 14
On the bus ride to the field we were talking about the lineup of catchers and everyone decided that Eggo and I could fight for the last and second to last catching positions because neither of us could call a game, but she could probably block a few more balls then me. Dang it, I guess my dreams of becoming a catcher were just crushed. Today we played Bucknell and Vermont. After the games we went out to a nice dinner with the team and parents at a Japanese Steakhouse called Kabuki. Dinner was good and when everyone was taking pictures afterwards Muffin, Eggo and I did our best to get in the backgrounds of as many pictures as we could. Sorry if we ruined anyone's pictures! After dinner I walked through Old Towne, which is a strip of shops and rides right by our hotel. I went with Maggie, Alisha and Chrissy; I learned a lot about pearls thanks to Alisha. Afterwards I went to bed, Muffin is still threatening to give me pink eye but I think I can take her.

Thursday, March 15
Today we didn't play until 3 and 5 so a lot of the team laid out for a little bit in the morning. We left at 12:30 for our games and stopped at Subway on the way. We played Lafayette and Yale. I hit an inside the park homerun though! Ok not really, Coach told me it was a single with an error, but Coach Ward said the right fielder never touched the ball. I told Coach that I never stopped running so it was a homerun to me, I mean I got to do the homerun dance and everything. It's the closest I'll ever get so I don't care if it was a single with an error; I'm calling it a homerun! We stopped at Boston Market for dinner on the way back and then I watched Grey's since it was new! Curfew is always 11 so after Grey's I showered and went to bed on our not so soft bed.

Friday, March 16
We were supposed to play at 1 and 5 today but it rained. We didn't end up playing until I think 3:30 and 7:30. We played Wisconsin Green-Bay and Colgate. We lost the first but won the second. So we started and ended the week on a good note. We ended up 3-7 for the week which isn't too impressive but it's a start and we showed improvement through out the week. I think things are going to go well for us, we just need to put everything together and fine tune it. We didn't get back to the hotel until almost ten. I went for a walk with Alisha while we were waiting for dinner, Coach ordered us pizza. Since we are leaving tomorrow morning coach extended our curfew to 1. Everyone packed up and played cards until curfew. A few of the rooms pulled an all-nighter, my room finally went to bed around 2:15 after prank calling the other girl's rooms. Call us immature, but it was sooo funny!

Saturday, March 17
Happy St. Patrick's day! We left Orlando at 6:00 a.m. and didn't get back to Dayton until 1:00 a.m. Sunday morning. It was such a long time, I tried to sleep as much of it as possible but it's hard to sleep that long. The toilet on the bus was broken for a little bit too which wasn't good. We made it though. While lying in my bed on the bus I began comparing this year's spring break to last years. Last year was fun, but this year for me was so much better. I love the girls on my team and I am so much more comfortable with all of them this year. It took me awhile to be myself on this team, pretty much all of last year I was the shy girl. This year the team is starting to see my mischievous side. I don't think Coach expected me to be the one who brought the water balloons and launcher but that's me. I'm immature. I'm going to miss Florida weather but I'm excited to see how the rest of the season evolves. I know we can be successful and I know we're going to have a blast as we continue to travel and play. Go Dayton!