The Matchup
The UBC Thunderbirds (22-10, 12-7) are back from a bye week and back on the road this weekend visiting the Corban (Ore) Warriors (13-23, 7-16) Friday, April 14th and Saturday, April 15th for a pair of double headers.
The T-Birds took three of four games against the Warriors when they visited Vancouver last month and aside from a 13-5 UBC win, every other contest was a low-scoring affair. The Thunderbirds' two other victories came by a single run, one of them in a 14-inning marathon.
The 'Birds enter this weekend hot, winning six of their last eight games, while the Warriors have won just three of their last ten.
First pitch Friday is set for 12:00 p.m. PT with the second half of the double header scheduled for 3:00 p.m. PT. Saturday's games begin at 11:00 a.m. PT and 2:00 p.m. PT respectively. The entire series will be played at Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer, Oregon.
Last Action
UBC earned a hard-fought series win over the visiting Lewis-Clark State Warriors two weekends ago taking three of the five games against the then-12th ranked team in the NAIA. The 'Birds swept a Friday double header before losing both games on Saturday, but rebounded with a 9-6 win in the Sunday rubber match.
Corban split a four-game series at home last weekend against the College of Idaho Yotes. The Warriors earned 3-1 and 4-1 wins, but allowed a combined 21 runs against while scoring just twice in their two losses.
By the Numbers
3.18 – UBC continues to lead the conference in most pitching categories including an overall 3.18 ERA. The T-Birds also have a conference best opposition batting average of .222 while issuing a total of just 78 walks, or 2.44 per game.
.292 – The T-Birds continue to perform well at the plate with a team batting average of .292 and a combined .428 slugging percentage.
Players to Watch
Vinny Martin (#40, 1B) – The first baseman hit his third home run of the season in UBC's last game against Lewis-Clark, part of a two-hit, four RBI effort for the Vancouver native. Martin finished the series with six hits and six RBI while bumping up his batting average to .299.
Austen Butler (#15, OF) – The outfielder continues to have an impressive rookie season batting .337. In UBC's last series with Lewis-Clark, Butler went 7/20 at the plate.
Coach's Take
Coming off a bye week can disrupt some momentum for the T-Birds but UBC head coach
Chris Pritchett says it was also good timing with several guys playing more than usual against Lewis-Clark while also dealing with some nagging injuries.
"Balancing the rest versus keeping them sharp is going to be the challenge this week but I think more than anything a couple guys needed some rest," said Pritchett.
It's also exam season for student-athletes which can add mental stress and additional challenges, but Pritchett says it's nothing most guys are unfamiliar with.
"It's so important to have routine and now classes have stopped and guys are off studying so they're mentally fatigued at times. It's our job to make everything as normal as possible and try to keep as much continuity between what we normally do going into the weekend."
While the 'Birds sit quite far ahead of Corban in the conference standings, things can change quickly and Pritchett expects a tight battle with the Warriors.
"Their team's scrappy, they split with us down there last time. It's going to be a challenge and hopefully our guys are ready to go. We're doing everything we can to get everyone ready."
