MILWAUKEE — One swing of the bat is sending the Milwaukee Panthers to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2010.
West Bend East graduate Joey Spence, a senior catcher, hit a two-run walk-off home run to win the Horizon League Championship.
"It was straight out of a movie," Spence said.
The moment was equally memorable for his teammates.
"It was probably one of the coolest moments I have ever been a part of in my life," Charlie Marion said.
Marion, a senior outfielder from Franklin, was among those celebrating alongside Spence after the final out.
For Spence, the home run came after a season that had not met his personal expectations.
"As soon as I saw that ball go over the wall, the first thing I was thinking of was getting back with the boys and celebrating this. I have never seen a group of guys so happy and so loving for each other," Spence said.
Spence acknowledged the struggles he faced throughout the year.
"I have given my coaches and my teammates a lot of headaches and I haven't really performed to my ability throughout the year, and we have had so many guys on this team pull some big weight throughout the season," Spence said.
Head coach Shaun Wegner said the moment could not have gone to a more deserving player.
Watch: UWM baseball earns first NCAA Tournament bid in 16 years on walk-off home run
"I couldn't be more proud that it was Joey. He came in here just expecting to have a tremendous year and a lot of guys put a lot of pressure on themselves, and he wasn't performing to his standard, but when we needed him the most, he came up in the clutch," Wegner said.
The turnaround was nothing short of remarkable. At one point in the season, the Panthers were 5-23. They finished the year 20-8.
The team practiced at the Klotsche Center as a way to get back to their roots — a mentality that changed the course of their season.
"We are back in here in the K today practicing because the guys want to embrace who we are and want to be a part of this so we had to get back to blue collar and gritty and that is what you saw a resilient team at the end of the year," Wegner said.
The last time the Panthers were in the NCAA Tournament was 16 years ago — when Wegner himself was a player on the team.
"Knowing what they are feeling now, that's what makes it special for me as a coach. I can live through their eyes now in the same moment," Wegner said.
This is the Panthers' fifth overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The program is still in search of its first national championship.
"You know go play for each other. Go play for this program and represent the community well," Spence said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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