VANCOUVER - For the first time in 2012, the UBC Thunderbirds will  host a home series, as they entertain the Lady Argos of the University of Great Falls.  The Thunderbirds have been road warriors so far this season, travelling all over western North America to play some of the best teams in the NAIA. The visitors from Montana belong to the Frontier Conference and will face UBC twice more this weekend at the Simon Fraser Invitational in Burnaby.

GAME TIMES

Fri., Mar. 30 - Great Falls at UBC (2 p.m. at London Park, Richmond) - DOUBLE HEADER
 
UBC Thunderbirds
2012 record: 10-22-1

For once, the UBC Thunderbirds don't have to worry about a long bus ride to get a game in.  The team has played 33 games on the road, with two more cancelled because of bad weather (at Eastern Oregon).

The Thunderbirds have managed ten wins so far this season, as well as two one-run losses to No. 6 Oregon Tech.  

Jess Hodge leads the team with a .403 batting average.

UBC is coming off an eight-game stint at the Tucson Invitational Games.  The Thunderbirds scored two wins (5-0, 10-5) over Graceland University of Iowa on March 19.  

The next day, UBC made school history.  Pitcher Nicole Day of Surrey threw the first no-hitter in T-Bird history as the team shut out Hastings College of Nebraska by a score of 5-0.  She struck out seven batters and walked three, without giving up a hit.

“Coming off of two big wins yesterday, the team did a great job of keeping things rolling,” said Day.  “My goal was to just keep the other team off balance and do my best to help us come out with a win. Everything just clicked and it was an all around great day for us at the park.”

In a rematch later the same day, UBC barely got by Hastings 7-6.  Then in the final game of the day, they beat Augsburg College of Minnesota 17-8 for a five-game winning streak.

On March 21, UBC saw their streak end as the had the tough task of playing the current No. 2 team in the NAIA, Cal State-San Marcos and No. 13 St. Gregory's of Oklahoma (twice).  The Thunderbirds lost 10-2 to San Marcos and got outscored 13-2 in two losses to St. Gregory's.

The team will play Simon Fraser tomorrow to open the SFU Invitational in Burnaby at 2p.m. before facing Great Falls again in Burnaby at 4 p.m.

UBC gets to face the same teams again on April 1 at SFU.

Great Falls Lady Argos
2012 record: 5-19

The Lady Argos are very similar to the Thunderbirds in that they have not hosted a game in 2012.  That will change when they host their own tournament in April but so far, Great Falls has played 24 games all over the western part of the continent.  

They have lost all six games to opponents that UBC has also played, while the T-Birds are 1-5.

Alex Lowry lead the Lady Argos with a .426 batting average and 23 runs batted in.

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