Need to Know
'All the marbles', 'season defining': you can pretty much insert whichever sports cliché you prefer when describing the magnitude of the UBC Thunderbirds (31-16, 17-10 NAIA W) four game set with the College of Idaho (30-15, 17-10 NAIA W) this weekend.
UBC is hard team to beat in Point Grey (14-4), while College of Idaho is a very good road team (13-8). 'The team that plays best', 'flip a coin', 'not much to choose from': you can pretty much insert a cliché here too.
Last Week
A glance at the NAIA West standing this week showed just how huge UBC's two wins versus Lewis-Clark State College at the formidable Harris Field were. The 'Birds took the first two of a four game set from the Warriors, ending LCSC's 22 game home winning streak. The wins pulled the 'Blue and Gold' into a virtual tie with College of Idaho, setting up this weekend's duel at Thunderbird Field. The 'Yotes are coming of a weekend split with Oregon Tech.
By the Numbers
1.49 / 1.75 / 2.25 – The respective ERA's of UBC's "Big Three" starting pitchers
Alex Webb (Surrey, B.C.),
Curtis Taylor (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), and
Connor Noble (Vancouver). If these three hurlers are dealing, 'Birds head coach
Chris Pritchett will like his chances of winning this weekend's series.
1.022 / .373 – the monstrous OBS and batting average of UBC first baseman
Bruce Yari (Waterloo, Ont.). Yari leads the 'Birds in pretty much every offensive category this season. When his bat is sizzling, UBC is a very tough team to beat.
The Matchup
Scant winning percentage points separate the two teams in the NAIA West standings. This series will most likely determine who plays host, as the two teams seem destined to meet in the NAIA West Championships in early May. College of Idaho (.667 PCT.) holds down the two spot in the Cascadia Collegiate Conference while UBC (.660 PCT.) is third. Conference frontrunner Lewis-Clark State College will defer hosting duties as they are defending champs and receive an automatic berth in the NAIA World Series.
Coach's Take
"They're obviously a good team, we come in tied with a lot riding on this series," says Pritchett. "If anything we are trying to get the guys focused on fundamentals because we know they are going to be amped up for the series. This is why we're here, this is why we play, and this is why we coach."
