The calendar still reads winter but the UBC Thunderbirds are in full-on spring mode as they open up their NAIA conference season this weekend when they visit the Lewis-Clark State Warriors in Lewiston, Idaho.
It's a tough test right off the hop for the 'Birds as the Warriors enter the first weekend of NAIA West play as the 19
th ranked team in the country.
As for UBC, they're ready for the challenge having recently returned from a pair of trips south of the border where they faced strong competition, earning a series win over Concordia (Ore.) and a split with Benedictine-Mesa in Arizona.
Like every other season, the T-Birds are getting some new faces into the lineup with the likes of freshman pitchers Adam Meier and
Ryan Beitel while also relying on the veteran presence of infielders
Jaxon Valcke and
Nolan Weger, among others.
Last year the 'Birds split their eight-game season series with the Warriors, their lone win in Lewiston coming in the final meeting of the season by way of a 6-5 11 inning affair.
First pitch of the season opening series is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. PT on Friday, February 21
st at Harris Field. Saturday's double header begins at 12:00 p.m. and the series finale is set for 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.
Last Action
UBC earned a split against the Benedictine-Mesa Redhawks in Arizona last weekend including a 6-0 win that saw junior starter
Jared Spearing pick up his first win of the season pitching six and two thirds innings with just four hits and nine strikeouts.
The Warriors swept Concordia (Ore.) in Portland last weekend, outscoring the Cavaliers by a combined 18-5.
Players to Watch
Garrett Hawkins (#41, RHP) – The sophomore pitcher has put up a strong bid to be the T-Birds' ace with two wins in three starts this season with a 2.40 ERA. The Biggar, Saskatchewan native earned the Cascade Conference's Red Lion Pitcher of the Week award for his six inning, two hit, 11 strikeout performance against the Redhawks last Friday.
Noah Or (#17, C) – Leading the NAIA West with a .421 batting average, the sophomore catcher also boasts a .684 slugging percentage along with eight hits and nine RBI through just six games.
Coach's Take
It's a short NAIA West season, but the 'Birds know a lot can change from this weekend to the end of April.
"It's early in the year and I thought at times you could really see some of the positives that this team's going to bring," said UBC head coach
Chris Pritchett of a strong start to the year leading up to this weekend. "We're going to be challenged, we're going to play the best team this weekend that we've played so far and we've played a couple good ones so our guys are also going to have to be better than they have been the last couple weeks."
Obviously the main goal for the 'Birds is to come back from Lewiston with the series win, but this weekend is also about the long-term process.
"I just want to play well, I want our guys to be moving in the right direction," added Pritchett who's into his fifth season with the 'Birds. "It's a short sprint, but after each game we want to be able to say we played well and played the game the right way, it just makes whatever the result is easy to live with. I don't think it's always about wins and losses but I'd like to see our guys do things the right way, have the right approaches, and that's what we'll continue to stress."
