"Built By MKE" is a website feature started during the 2020-21 school year by the Milwaukee Athletic Department. The series, presented by Educators Credit Union, features former student-athletes and looks back on their time in Milwaukee. It includes updates on where they are now and what they have been doing since graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The individual features include a short bio of their time as a Panther as well as a question-and-answer session touching on numerous topics covering a wide variety of department alumni from all sports and time periods. 
 
The next entry is former Milwaukee baseball player Rick Cavaiani.
 
Cavaiani spent his final two seasons wearing Black & Gold in 2005 and 2006 following a very successful two years at Madison College. With the Panthers, he made 34 appearances in those two springs, including 21 as a starting pitcher. He struck out 118 batters and walked just 38 in 164.0 innings of work.
 
As a junior, he posted a team-leading 3.86 ERA, ranking fifth in the Horizon League. He also finished second on the team with 52 strikeouts and 84.0 innings pitched. He was named Horizon League Pitcher of the Week in April after pitching a complete game against Cleveland State, allowing no earned runs.
 
He followed that up with a tremendous senior campaign, earning Second-Team All-Horizon League accolades after going 8-2 overall, tying the school mark for best winning percentage in a season (.800). He struck out a career-best 66 while walking just 19, finishing with the third-best K/BB ratio (3.47) in school history. He set a career-high with 11 strikeouts in eight scoreless innings in a win over Cleveland State in May, helping him to Horizon League Pitcher of the Week honors for the second time in his career. He achieved all that after not starting his first game of the year until late March due to a preseason injury.
 
He began his MKE career after being one of the top starters for his team in junior college. As a freshman, he posted a 2.74 earned run average while leading the team in innings (61.1) and strikeouts (60). He then became the staff ace as a sophomore in 2004, going 8-4 with a 2.79 ERA in 84.0 innings of work, fanning 87 batters while walking just 14. Cavaiani was named first-team all-league and a First-Team All-Region 13 selection. He also set what was then a Northwoods League record with 19 saves with the Wisconsin Woodchucks in the summer of 2004.
 
*What is your current role/position and how would you describe what you do?
"I am the Operating Owner of Cavaiani Baseball Training LLC (CBT) in the Appleton area.  My job is to train and develop young baseball players and get them ready for college baseball through training, recruiting, and making sure they are ready for their college and (hopefully) professional baseball careers.  I also help create and mold the young men in my program to better themselves off the field, including being leaders in their families and community by combining and empowering them through competitiveness, confidence, poise, and perseverance."
 
*What has been the most enjoyable part of your current position?
"Going into my 12th year, I've had the opportunity to see many of the boys grow up into young men, husbands, dads, and leaders.  It is very rewarding to see those that you've helped be successful down the road.  I also enjoy helping those players through exposure, getting them opportunities, and seeing them take advantage of those opportunities."

*How did you first get interested in the career role you are currently in?
"Baseball is and has always been my passion since I was a kid and through playing at UWM.  I knew at a young age I had to do something with baseball and even though coaching wasn't something I anticipated doing while I was in college, an opportunity came along during my fifth year at UWM to coach college baseball at MSOE in Milwaukee.  That experience opened my eyes and gave me the vision that coaching could be something I could be good at.  I coached several players then (at age 22) that were a year older than me; seeing those players respect me and value my knowledge on baseball gave me confidence in the coaching arena and I haven't stopped doing it since." 

*What other jobs have you had since graduation that have been influential?
"I was a buyer at a sporting goods store for three years immediately after college and I coached part time during that span.  The three years at the sporting goods store wasn't exactly what I was looking for as a career. An opportunity through Panther Baseball Club got me started in the baseball/travel ball industry.  I was with the Panthers for nearly nine years before starting my own program, and am excited to be entering my fourth year."

*What did you study at UWM and when did you graduate?
"I studied Sociology and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 2007.  I really enjoyed it and enjoyed learning from a very diverse group of students and professors."

*What did you do as an undergrad at UWM that most prepared you for post-graduate job landscape?
"Definitely playing on the baseball team was a huge thing for me in regards to time management, responsibility, and discipline.  In addition to going to school and playing Division 1 baseball, I also worked for the UWM athletic department. Between playing baseball, going to school, studying, and having a part-time job, it prepared me for life after college.  I remember getting home from a road trip to Oklahoma State University (a 15-hour bus ride) at 6:30 a.m. and going directly from the bus to take a test in one of my classes.  I gave my bags to a roommate to bring to our house, and went to take the test, still wearing my uniform. Experiences like that helped give me the discipline to handle anything that the business world can throw at you."

*What are your long-term career plans?
"I am doing it now.  One of my life's goals was to be my own boss and I have made that a reality.  I plan on running my own baseball program for the next 25-30 years.  After that, my goal is to have a place in Arizona for 3-4 months a year during the cold season in Wisconsin, while maintaining a place back in my hometown of Appleton.  I love being able to control my own destiny as far as my work, my schedule, and making my own decisions.  It has also afforded me the ability to spend so much more time with my kids (ages 4 and 2) and has been an absolute blessing."

*What advice would you give to current UWM upperclassmen to prepare them for after graduation?
"Know what you're good at and what you love, and just go for it.  My first three years in the workforce (at the sporting goods store) weren't fulfilling for me.  I finally made a decision, as I knew baseball was my passion.  I made a path for myself through hard work and perseverance and now run my own business.  I'm truly living the dream. But with that said, it didn't happen overnight.  Things do take time. As long as you have a goal that keeps you focused and humble, and you understand things aren't always going to be easy, it will all work out in the end if you stick to what you love and work hard at it."

*What do you miss most about UWM campus life?
"I certainly miss being a teammate on the baseball team and enjoying all the fun times with the guys.  That certainly is a favorite for me with the bus trips, the dugout, and learning from the coaches was all great.  I also remember my last class on campus when I knew it was my last day and I would be graduating … I remember feeling so happy and had so much adrenaline, I basically sprinted all the way back to my house, which was probably a mile and a half away from campus, with my backpack on.  I'll just say I got some weird looks when I did that, but I didn't care as I worked really hard to get my degree.  It was something I honestly didn't anticipate doing when I first went to college, so it was a day and event I'll never forget.  School didn't come as easy to me as sports did; my degree from UWM is something I take great pride in." 

*What are your top one or two memories from your days as a UWM student-athlete?
"My senior year, just before we were to leave for Hawaii where I was going to pitch game one in Honolulu, I was hit by a line drive in my head and fractured my skull at one of our practices in the Klotsche Center.  I was taken immediately to the hospital where I spent almost four days in the ICU.  It was a tragic event, but it is a good memory for me because of all of the support and visitors I received in the days following.  I remember all my teammates and coaches being there in addition to other athletes and administrators in the athletic department.  I remember at one point there were so many people there the hospital started having to kick people out.  The support, concern, and time my teammates, coaches and UWM administrators who came to visit me, has always stuck with me.  I'm forever grateful for that and it showed how supportive everyone is at UWM and how much everyone cares for each other.  I missed the trip to Hawaii that year and the first six weeks of my senior season.  Another one of my life's goals is to get to Hawaii to make up for missing that trip!"