Spending the summer as a Sod Dog doesn't sound all that appealing at first.
 
But if one of your college teammates is also there and both of you are among the league leaders, there are worse things. (You could be a Pirate. They're 4-15 as of this writing).
 
For Enrique Porchas and Matthew Garcia, being an Amarillo Sod Dog (It's kind of like of a ground hog or a prairie dog with a dash of minor league baseball marketing courtesy of the parent team Amarillo Poodles …okay, we're done!) meant the Bethune-Cookman teammates could keep up their skills and compete on a high level in the Texas Collegiate League.
 
Porchas led the TCL with 28 RBI and was second with four home runs. Garcia, who as a freshman was B-CU's third-best hitter when the season was suspended, was in contention to win the batting title with a .356 average in 29 games.
 
"I followed Enrique and Matthew the whole season and was impressed with how they performed," said B-CU Head Baseball Coach Jonathan Hernandez. "What they accomplished against that level of competition says something about the quality of player we have on our squad. It's going to be fun to see how their experience pays off in the upcoming season."
 
Having another Wildcat in the socially distanced dugout was a huge plus for both.
 
"We spent a lot of time in the batting cages just feeding off each other … and when you have an extra set of eyes when you work on something is always a plus, "Garcia said. "Since we're both infielders, we were able to work on multiple things out on the field as well."
 
Porchas said having Garcia around made things more comfortable.
 
"I knew I'd know somebody once I got there," Porchas said. "We picked each other up, we competed against each other, and that made things a lot of fun."
 
Also making it fun for Porchas: Going yard twice for six RBI in a 21-3 romp over the Texarana Twins on July 7 just five games into the season. That put him atop the league in both categories, and that added some extra incentive for the rest of the year. He finished second with four.   

"Being able to string a couple of big games together early helped my confidence and stay loose," Porchas said. "It helped show me what I'm capable of."
 
Summer ball has become a mainstay for collegiate players. Being able to get quality playing time during a pandemic made it even more so."
 
"After our B-CU season was over, to be honest, all I wanted was just to work," Garcia said. "Having access to a batting cage the whole day was huge, so was competing with and against a bunch of great players and learning from [Coaches] Jimmy Johnson and Ken Jarret. They really took the time to work with me and just their experience and knowledge."
 
Both are back on campus and ready to pick up where they left off both from last season and from Texas.
 
"I believe I'll be able to carry this momentum as long as I keep the same mindset I had out there," Porchas said. "And yes, it is great to be back."