VANCOUVER – Boasting the third longest win streak in the NAIA, the UBC Thunderbirds (30-13, 15-5) host their final – and most critical – series of the season with the No. 9 ranked Lewis-Clark State Warriors (27-9, 13-3) in town for a four game set starting Friday, April 19 at Tourmaline West Stadium.
Winners of ten straight and having already clinched a berth in the upcoming Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship, the T-Birds battle the team they need to catch in an effort to finish first in the standings and the right to host the tournament. But currently trailing the Warriors by three games, the blue and gold have little room for error.
"I think we're ready, we have a really big test this weekend against a top ten team and they just wiped out the number two team in the country so we know they're good and they're playing well too, but our guys are really excited," said UBC head coach
Chris Pritchett. "I think our guys are really pulling together. There's been some injuries and some people have stepped up that's made them really feel like they're part of what's going on here. And we're playing pretty well, we'd sure like to get some of those injured guys back to put our best team on the field but I like where we're at the last two weeks we've really improved, especially offensively."
That offence was on full display last weekend with junior infielder
Aaron Marsh tying a conference record with 11 RBI in a single game, finishing UBC's sweep over the College of Idaho with a .591 series batting average with 12 RBI and 11 runs scored.
UBC first baseman
Trent Lenihan continues to pace the CCC in hits (77) and runs (52) while sitting second in batting average (.428) and RBI (48). Along with
Mitchell Middlemiss and
Jonny McGill, the 'Birds represent three of the top eight conference hitters.
While UBC has been on an unquestionable heater of late, they face their most formidable opponent to date with the Warriors on an eight-game win streak of their own having dropped just three conference games this season. The 'Birds and Warriors met in pre-CCC action in Lewiston, Idaho early last month where UBC suffered a four game series sweep.
"They've got big, strong athletes. There's not really a weakness," Pritchett added. "We're looking forward to the challenge. We know what they look like so we feel like we can compete."
What's made UBC's recent success all the more impressive is being forced to play with a depleted roster due to a number of injuries. But the 'Birds' depth has shone through, especially in the bull pen of late.
"Any good team I've ever been a part of…when other guys go down and those roles have to be plugged by other people, the good teams have always found a way to get it done. That's been the encouraging thing here. Some guys who didn't have some of those high leverage innings because we had other people in that spot, have taken the ball and succeeded and they've been confident. I'm really proud of those guys. But these hitters they're facing this weekend are probably the toughest challenge they've had, so it will be a good test for them as well."
This weekend's series concludes the T-Birds' regular season with UBC's conference bye coinciding with the final week of the campaign. If the 'Birds can split or better with LC State, they'll give themselves a chance at finishing first while going into scoreboard watching mode.
But first thing's first for UBC with the team, to a man, just ready to put themselves in the best position possible heading into the post-season whether that means playing at home – where the 'Birds remain a perfect 12-0 – or on the road.
"We're going to try to win each game with everything we can so it's a playoff type atmosphere in our dugout, I don't know if the other team will view it like that but we certainly will. And that's fun, it's a fun environment. Not only does it get them ready for the post-season, games like this, but I really think it gets you in that mindset that we're going to need later."
First pitch for the 'Birds' final series of the season is set for 6:00 p.m. at Tourmaline West Stadium. Saturday's double header with the Warriors gets underway at 3:00 p.m. while Sunday's series finale is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
