UBC Thunderbird Baseball Fan Page

The 10th Annual UBC Baseball Fall Golf Classic is on Tuesday, Sept. 22, at the Mayfair Lakes Golf and Country Club in Richmond. It is organized by the Friends of Thunderbird Baseball.

The cost is  $275 per player or $1,100 per foursome. A tax receipt for $135 per person or $540 per foursome will be issued. Included is a round of golf, golf cart, lunch, dinner, a no-charge beverage cart and a golfer goodie bag.

There are also sponsorship opportunities.

Registration starts at 11 AM. The welcoming remarks are at 12:30, and the golf starts at 1 PM. Registration is limited to 144 participants.

Information letter

Registration form

The Thunderbirds are providing a substantial amount of talent for the Western Major Baseball League.

Okotoks Dawgs: Dan Britton-Foster, Mark Hardy, Sammie Starr

Edmonton Prospects: LHP Sheldon McDonald (transfer from Northeastern), Mitch Grossell

Lethbridge Bulls: Matt Bannister

Medicine Hat Mavericks:  Eric Brown, Geoff Burke, Ashton Florko

Yorkton Cardinals:  RHP Jordan Herbison (transfer from Monroe CC). Herbison's record as of June 21 is 2-0, 1.80 ERA.

Playing for the independent Burnaby Collegiate Bulldogs, coached by Connor Janes: Nic Lendvoy, Alex White,Bob Foerster, Scott Webster, Taylor King, David Hole, Mike Elias, Nic Lindsay, Shawn Hetherington. The Bulldogs are playing their home games at Robert Burnaby Park and Thunderbird Park.

Mississauga Twins (Ontario Intercounty League): Greg Densem, Sean Pisarski

Florko is also playing for the independent (and defending BC champions) Trail Orioles.

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NAIA West and Lewis-Clark State

BC players

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First, if you thought that the Thunderbirds played very well defensively this year, the numbers back you up. They had a fielding percentage of .979, which is the best in the NAIA. The second-place team was Point Loma Nazarene, with a percentage of .976. The Sea Lions defeated the sans-Mark Hardy Thunderbirds in the sectional tournament, and eventually finished second in the NAIA Baseball National Championship.

Mitch Grossell was honoured by the NAIA as a scholar-athlete.

Terry McKaig was named Coach of the Year for NAIA West Plus Lewis-Clark State.

The following players received Rawlings Gold Glove awards for  NAIA West Plus Lewis-Clark State:

1B - Scott Webster
2B - Alex White
SS - Sammie Starr
CF - Jon Syrnyk
P - Taylor King

Curiously, no Thunderbirds received national Gold Glove awards.

These players were selected to the NAIA West Plus Lewis-Clark State All-Star team:

OF - Jon Syrnyk
Pitcher - Mark Hardy
Pitcher - Eric Brown
Relief Pitcher - Shawn Hetherington

Syrnyk set a school record for stolen bases in a season, with 24 of them. Webster tied the school record for fielding percentage, 1.000. Ben Chan also had a fielding percentage of 1.000, but it's not clear yet whether he had enough chances to qualify for the record. (For what it's worth, DakStats thinks that he did.) The other Thunderbird who fielded 1.000 was Matt Chester, in 2007.

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The Thunderbirds led 8-1 after two innings, and trailed 11-8 after five. They took a 12-11 lead with four runs in the bottom of the seventh, led by a two-run home run by 1B Scott Webster. The Cougars tied it 12-12 in the top of the eighth on a home run by Virgil Chavira. The Birds had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the eighth, and they left them loaded. The Cougars didn't make the same mistake; they loaded the bases in the top of the ninth, and scored three runs on a double by C Ryan Delgado off the left-center field wall.

It still wasn't over. The Birds loaded the bases again with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, but pinch-hitter Jordan Pandoff hit a hard line drive to first base that was snagged with a good defensive play, ending the season.

The Cougars got 19 hits off three Thunderbird pitchers. Dan Britton-Foster started, lasted four innings, and gave up six runs on nine hits. He was replaced by Jeff Hall, who had a really bad day. He recorded only one out, and was lit up for five runs on four hits. He walked two, and threw two wild pitches. Shawn Hetherington went the rest of the way. He allowed only one run over the first three innings that he pitched. He should have been out of the ninth inning with no further damage, but an error set up Delgado's double and three unearned runs. It was a valiant effort by Hetherington, who was pitching with bad back spasms.

Starr went 5-6, and hit a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first. CF Jon Syrnyk, in his final game for the Thunderbirds, went 3-5 with four RBI. LF Nic Lendvoy was 3-4.

Some words from Coach McKaig: " Just trust me in the fact that these kids are a special special group.  We were on fumes (especially pitching) and they never stopped fighting.  Guys playing through injury, pitchers gutting it out while completely spent etc.  All the coaching staff could have asked for... These players left everything they had on that field tonight.

"An amazing season.  This group really over achieved and their commitment, heart, leadership really came through carrying us till the bitter end.

"Thanks for the support this season everyone.  It was a lot of fun.  We will reload and be ready to make another run next year."

Box score

Story from UBC Athletics site: T-Birds Lose Epic Battle to Cougars As Season Ends

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The Thunderbirds were out-hit 14-8 by the Sea Lions, and were kept off the board after the fourth inning.

The Sea Lions got the winning run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by DH Travis McCleary. It was the sixth inning, however, that was disastrous for the Thunderbirds. They loaded the bases with no outs on three consecutive batters hit by reliever Josh Brink. Brink was replaced by Jeff Hall,  who immediately threw a wild pitch to score a run. The Sea Lions got another run on a sacrifice fly by 1B Steven Winnick, and one more on an RBI single by SS Tyler Kuehl.

The Sea Lions had the bases loaded with no outs again in the seventh inning, but Hall was able to get out of the jam with two force-outs at the plate and a ground out.

The Thunderbirds' runs came in the fourth inning on a home run by 1B Scott Webster with CF Jon Syrnyk aboard. The Birds had a chance to do some more damage in this inning. 3B Ryan Pilgrim and DH Mitch Grossell were hit by pitches, and C Ben Torrie hit a single to left field, but Pilgrim was thrown out at home to end the inning.

Taylor King started, and gave way to Brink after only 3 2/3 innings; he allowed 11 hits, and got the loss. Hall ended up going the rest of the way, and gave up one run on three hits over three innings. Sea Lions starter Chris Honer went eight innings, and got the win. He struck out eight.

SS Sammie Starr and Syrnyk went 2-4.  McCleary went 3-4 for the Sea Lions, and C Tim Winslow went 3-3 with two doubles.

Box score and play-by-play

Story from UBC Athletics site: T-Birds lose 7-2 Sea Lions, Must Win Three Straight to Earn Spot at World Series

Story from Azusa Pacific site: Sea Lions Advance To Championship

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