On the heels of a successful NAIA conference opening series last weekend, the UBC Thunderbirds are preparing to keep building with another solid test when they host the Corban Warriors for a pair of doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday, March 9 and 10 at Tourmaline West Stadium.
It's another special weekend for the 'Birds as legendary alumnus and former MLB pitcher Jeff Francis will be on hand Saturday to have his #16 UBC jersey officially retired between games.
Not only will the T-Birds aim to keep their strong early season results going, but also build on what has been a wildly successful stint at the brand new Tourmaline West Stadium. Since the new park opened its doors midway through last season, the 'Birds have gone 17-4 on their home turf in conference play.
The Warriors have also got themselves out to a strong start to conference play as this series features the two top teams in the NAIA West after the first weekend of action.
UBC and Corban last met in the 2018 Cal Pac Conference Championship where the 'Birds downed the Warriors 5-3. The two split their regular season series in 2018.
First pitch Saturday is 12:00 p.m. PT followed by the Jeff Francis jersey retirement ceremony before the second half of the doubleheader. Sunday's double gets underway at 11:00 a.m. PT.
Tickets are available online or at the gate.
Last Action
The T-Birds took three of four games over the Lewis-Clark State Warriors for their first series win over the NAIA World Series hosts in two years. UBC outscored the Warriors by a combined 19-12 and out-hit LC 24-17.
Corban also won their conference opening series taking three of four at home last weekend over the Oregon Tech Owls.
Players to Watch
Nolan Weger (#5, IF) – The sophomore infielder from Surrey had four hits and three RBI against Lewis-Clark with a .333 batting average. Weger leads the 'Birds with a .407 on base percentage.
Daniel Sereda (#32, LHP) – Forced into action early last Saturday, the rookie pitcher picked up his first conference win going six innings strong allowing just one run on three hits striking out four batters. The Vancouver native is now 2-1 overall with a save and a sparkling 2.81 ERA.
Coach's Take
From
Niall Windeler's 15 strikeouts to
Garrett Hawkins' complete game win, the T-Birds saw several impressive pitching performances last weekend, a trend they hope will, and need to, continue.
"We did identify pitching as a strength of our club and more than anything it was nice to see them set the tone and hopefully that breeds a little confidence," said UBC head coach
Chris Pritchett. "As they go, we go. We're also continuing to improve on the offensive side and I thought we caught the ball pretty well so I'm really happy with how things are shaping up but for sure it's our pitchers who will lead the way if we're going to have a successful year."
The 'Birds know they're facing another strong test against Corban, and perhaps a different style of team than they faced last weekend.
"Corban's always a good team, they play small ball really well, they'll really test us," added Pritchett. "I thought we played well last weekend and I look for us to continue to do that."
UBC looks forward to the challenge, but also to once again host the legendary Jeff Francis who continues to be a source of inspiration.
"He was able to develop here, get a great education and get drafted in the first round and end up pitching in the World Series. It's a reminder when we're recruiting for players to know if they can play, they can stay here in Canada, get a great education and have a chance at playing at the highest level."
