Zach Minor and Aaron Forsberg grew up across the street from each other in Moline and have played sports together for as long as they can remember.

Two decades later, Minor is a starting pitcher, and Forsberg a No. 1 doubles player for NIU.

After about 19 baseball games and tennis MAC championships, the duo will be done with their collegiate careers and ready to accept their degrees -together, just as they came into DeKalb.

They roomed together their freshmen year but have known each other since they were 2.

They became good friends when Forsberg moved across the street from Minor in third grade.

“Both our families got to know each other through all the sports we played,” Forsberg said. “Tennis, basketball, baseball – you name it. His mom had a van, so she always took us around to all the games.”

Tennis was the main area in which both shined. Minor said they were ranked No. 1 in doubles for several straight years in the 9-to-11 age bracket in their area.

But success did not mellow the relationship between Minor and Forsberg. If anything, the two became more intense and competitive every time on the court.

“We were best of friends off the court,” Forsberg said, “but when we got on the court, we always ended up in some kind of controversy.”

Forsberg has proven to be demonstrative on the court in his career. In between hard groundstrokes and angry shouts, he claims to have broken at least 20 rackets in his career. But in their playing days, Minor claimed he possessed the more volatile temperament of the pair.

“I was more of the John McEnroe type,” Minor said. “I had a tendency to lose my temper. We would play a singles match, and we would get so mad at each other and fight. But then we had to go play a doubles championship together like 10 minutes later, so we decided to play as a team again because we had to.”

Despite playing tennis together for six years, Minor and Forsberg went separate directions athletically in high school. Minor said he felt he had a better future as a pitcher, while Forsberg stuck with tennis.

The decisions seem to have paid off well for both. This year, Minor has posted a team-best 5-1 record and a 2.88 ERA in nine starts. Meanwhile, Forsberg has a 16-12 record at No. 5 singles and a 20-5 mark at No. 1 doubles with Willy Gali this year.

The fact that the Moline duo both chose NIU was ironic, Forsberg said. Both cited the ability to start their first year and the potential success of the baseball and tennis programs as deciding factors.

Since both of their sports are in the spring, the conflicts in their schedules are inevitable.

“We still see each other a couple times a month,” Minor said. “Our schedules are extremely busy with our sports. But we still hang out when we can on the weekends and whatnot.”

After college, Minor said, he hopes to play baseball professionally for as long as his body permits. Forsberg will be done with tennis and said he hopes to use his accountancy degree for an accounting firm.

Forsberg still sees a potential working relationship with Minor in the future.

“It’d be great if we could work together one day,” Forsberg said. “We could probably take over the sports world and become agents, handle money and market our athletes. It’s possible.”