When senior Jorge Rodriguez comes home to his apartment from school, he has to make sure no one is ready to jump him.That's because Rodriguez and senior Jose Perdomo have known each other for so long that surprising each other is almost expected.
"He's always playing pranks on me," Rodriguez said.The Ball State University men's tennis players, along with a third teammate they live with - Eduardo Pavia - never know what to expect when they return to the apartment after school.
"I get back from school in my apartment and he's just hiding," Perdomo said. "He'll scare me or I'll scare the other kid. I'll go up to my room or the bathroom, and he's just hiding. We'll hide each other's foods so that he can't find it for three days. Little things like that."
From Puerto Rico to Muncie
Perdomo and Rodriguez, the No. 1 doubles team for Ball State, have played tennis together for so long that it's hard to mention one without the other. It all started years ago more than 1,900 miles away from Muncie. Puerto Rico is where the duo calls home.
"We've been practicing and playing each other since we were kids," Perdomo said.
Debating who was the better tennis player back then is still a topic Perdomo and Rodriguez joke about. Making the adjustment to life in Muncie was not a laughing matter at all.
"Puerto Rico is like a huge city. It's always warm." Rodriguez said. "Here it's a tiny town, and it's always cold."
Ball State might not be a popular name in an international sense, but that's not the case in the tennis community.
"We knew people already here," Rodriguez said. "There's been a history of Ball State recruiting tennis players from Puerto Rico. Among tennis players back home, I'll say it's kind of popular, but for the rest of the general public it's kind of an unknown."
Rodriguez transferred from Villanova University before coming to Ball State during his freshmen year. Rodriguez's sister, Bibiana, is a junior on Ball State's gymnastics team. Perdomo has been a Cardinal for all four years.
"Ball State really caught my eye because of the history of Puerto Ricans being here," Perdomo said. "Everything was a fit. I also have family who lives in Indiana, and that was also a plus."
Both Perdomo and Rodriguez had to overcome language barriers as Spanish is their first language. They knew enough English to get by, but having confidence when speaking to people was an issue.
"Being able to speak without fear or people not understanding you have become better," Rodriguez said.
Making improvements
The two seniors were not perfect in their skills as freshmen. Like everyone else they had to sharpen their abilities.
"They complement each other well in doubles," coach Bill Richards said. "They have a nice balance there where their strengths and weaknesses offset."
Last season, Perdomo and Rodriguez teamed up to defeat a doubles team from the University of Washington. This season, the seniors beat doubles tandems from DePaul University and Western Michigan University.
The two seniors have also made improvements in singles play since they first arrived on campus.
"Individually they've made a lot of progress in different ways," Richards said. "Jose, as far as singles is concerned, has done a good job of learning the balance between aggressiveness and consistency. Jorge, it was more of a fundamental standpoint. He had some issues with his forehand and his serve. He is a very gifted athlete so it was a matter of him changing a few things in his game to iron those things out."
Senior Leaders
Perdomo and Rodriguez might be from 1,900 miles away, but they are clearly the leaders of the Ball State men's tennis team. They are the first two players to start play on the court, usually setting the tone for the match. The Cardinals have five freshmen on their team, meaning their senior leadership is more important.
"We have that chip on our shoulder," Rodriguez said. "We have to carry on the team and help them."
The tight friendship Perdomo and Rodriguez have helps them on the court as the leaders.
"The fact that we known each other for so long, that if there is a problem on the court or outside the court, we can go right at and talk it out," Perdomo said.
With so many freshmen on the team, it's hard not for the seniors to put the underclassmen in their place. Freshmen Andres Monroy was the victim of choice last semester.
"In the fall, I put his bed in the bathroom of the hotel," Rodriguez said. "It was pretty funny."
Leaving a Legacy
Ball State is 4-3 on the season and is undefeated at home. The Cardinals four victories were 7-0 shutouts.
"I think this year we have a really good team," Rodriguez said. "The guys get along really well. I think we have a chance of proving we're still the best team in the MAC."
Winning the Mid-American Conference has been the goal from the start of the season, and for Perdomo and Rodriguez, it's how they want to end their college careers.
"I would like to be remembered as a guy that brought back the Ball State tradition of winning MAC championships," Perdomo said. "We've had two years where we haven't won it. Last year was really bad. My sophomore year we didn't win it but we were there, right there. Just being part of a team that brought back what we stand for, which is winning MAC championships and going for the NCAA."
Rodriguez plans to graduate this year with a degree in financing. Perdomo is a business administration major but plans on trying to play tennis professionally.
"A couple of years after I graduate, I would like to travel and play in future tournaments," Perdomo said.
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