UBC Thunderbirds starting pitcher
Ryan Heppner has been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, taken in the 19th round with the 577th pick by the Atlanta Braves, while T-Birds outfielder
Jonny McGill has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Angels as an undrafted free agent. The two become the 33
rd and 34
th Thunderbirds to be drafted or signed by an MLB team, with Heppner joining his older brother Sean in that exclusive group.
Ryan Heppner becomes the 20
th T-Birds' pitcher ever to be drafted into Major League Baseball and the third Thunderbird pitcher taken in the last two years. McGill is the sixth UBC baseball player to sign with an MLB team as an undrafted free agent and only the second position player ever to do so, after his former teammate Ty Penner signed with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2022.
"My reaction was just pure excitement," reflected Heppner, minutes after he got the call from Atlanta. "I was so happy, I think the Braves were definitely the number one choice for me, I really like their organization. To hear my name finally get called was just a massive sense of relief and excitement for what's to come in the future."
"It's a super awesome opportunity," said McGill, soon after agreeing to term with Los Angeles. "I'm very thankful to have the opportunity to play professional baseball as a player with the UBC Thunderbirds and the NAIA, very grateful to my family, my teammates, and my coaches. I'm super excited to get started!"
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Heppner was named first team all-conference last season after posting strong numbers across the board in his junior campaign. The right-hander was second in the Cascade Collegiate Conference in wins (7), third in both strikeouts (77) and opponents' batting average against (.250), and eighth in ERA (4.50).
"The Braves are getting an unbelievable person, first and foremost," said UBC Thunderbirds head coach
Chris Pritchett. "They're going to love the way that he goes about his business. He's going to be a great professional.
"They're also getting a tremendous athlete, one of the best that we've had. He's got a special arm and is just really scratching the surface of what he's capable of. I think that's a perfect organization for him, they're really good at developing pitchers and he's got a lot of upside left in there.
"He's the kind of guy who's a pitcher, but if he wanted to could be our starting shortstop. He could play anywhere, he's just one of those guys. I think when you have that kind of athleticism and body awareness, a team has a lot more to work with because it's easier to develop someone who has that level of athleticism, and that's who he his."
Remarkably, 2025 was not even the best statistical season of Heppner's three-year career at UBC, as he took the league by storm as a freshman in 2023. That year, he led the CCC with a 3.12 ERA, while also finishing third in both strikeouts (80) and opponents' batting average against (.242).
"I think one of the exciting things is that in his first year he was almost unhittable as a freshman," added Pritchett. "Then he went through some injury trouble in his second year, so his development was kind of stalled. If that hadn't happened, I think we're talking about him being an even higher pick than he was. But that's also the exciting thing, he's just now starting to regain that form and if he can do that then I think he's just going to take off in pro ball."
Heppner was born in Richmond, B.C. and grew up in his hometown of Point Roberts, Washington, he is a dual citizen who went to school, and played all of his organized baseball, in Canada. The Vancouver College graduate took the field for the Tsawwassen Athletics, the Delta Tigers, and the Delta Blue Jays before coming to UBC.
"First off, I have to thank God, it's my faith and my mentality that have got me here along with my parents and brother supporting me through it all," said Heppner. "The UBC Thunderbirds, the coaching staff at UBC with
Chris Pritchett,
Mitch Hodge, and
Sammie Starr, they gave me the opportunity and really helped me out through all the years playing and developing. I was blessed to be a starting pitcher from the beginning and I think that helped my development the most out of anything to get me to where I am today."
Ryan is the second Heppner drafted out of UBC in the past two seasons, joining his brother Sean, who was selected in the 12
th round by the Cleveland Guardians in 2024.
"My brother was my biggest role model growing up and him getting drafted last year too just made me want to fight and train even harder to get to where I am now," he added.
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Jonny McGill was often the offensive catalyst in a loaded T-Birds lineup last season, with his name appearing across numerous categories on the Cascade Collegiate Conference leaderboard. His rare combination of elite contact skills and prolific power is perhaps best summed up by the fact that he led the conference in both batting average (.405) and slugging percentage (.768).
The 23-year-old outfielder also topped the CCC in hits (89), runs scored (80), and total bases (169). He was second in both homeruns (18) and doubles (20), while finishing third in on-base percentage (.492).
"He was one of the most feared hitters in the NAIA this year," mused Pritchett. "So I think between that, and going in the draft league and doing as well as he did, it's why he's getting this opportunity.
"No one deserves it more, no one has worked harder at it than him, no one wanted it more, so I'm really happy for him and his family."
Born in nearby Richmond, B.C., McGill's spectacular senior season was the culmination of a steady ascension to becoming one of the most dangerous hitters in the NAIA. Along with his batting title this past year, he finished eighth (.362) and second (.392) in batting average in the CCC the previous two seasons.
"The Angels are getting a pure hitter," stated Pritchett, emphatically. "I don't think I've ever coached someone who wanted this more. He did everything. He just committed. I've never seen anyone hit that much, you couldn't get him out of the cages. So to see this finally come to fruition is really good."
The burly left-handed hitter earned CCC First Team All-Conference selections in both 2023 and 2025. He helped lead the T-Birds to their first NAIA World Series appearance in 19 years this past season, before being named an NAIA All-American.
"My coaches at UBC played a huge role," noted McGill. "
Chris Pritchett, Sammie Star,
Mitch Hodge, and the entire strength and conditioning team, they all played a really big role in helping me develop into the person and athlete that I am today, I would mainly credit the support staff at UBC in helping me get here.
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"I just want to try and develop into the best athlete I can be, so I'm excited to have the opportunity to play against the best competition and the best talent in professional baseball, I'm super excited."
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UBC Thunderbirds Baseball has now produced MLB Draft picks in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2018-2019, a particularly remarkable feat because the number of rounds in the draft was cut in half between 2019-2021, going from 40 rounds to 20.
Along with the Heppners, UBC's fireballing closer Vicarte Domingo was taken by the San Diego Padres in the 19
th round in 2024, rounding out the trio T-Birds hurlers drafted over the last two years.
They represent three of only 13 UBC baseball players ever to be taken in the top-20 rounds, highlighting the strength of the program's present player development in an era where the pipeline to the majors is narrower than it's been in decades.
"It's different now, if they select you then they really think that you have a chance," concluded Pritchett. "MLB teams are going to put you in a very competitive situation right away. It's quite an honour to be drafted, especially the way the game is right now."
Sean Heppner and Domingo are both enjoying solid season in the high-A affiliates of their respective organizations.
Ryan Heppner will be aiming to jump directly to that level as well and try to earn a spot with the Rome Braves, in Rome, Georgia. Other possible next steps include joining the A-affiliate Augusta GreenJackets in North Augusta, South Carolina or beginning at the Braves' training facility in North Port, Florida.
McGill is flying out this weekend to officially sign a contract with the Angels before his next steps will be determined.
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