Betts: No shortage of Canadians in the NAIA World Series
North Delta Blue Jays grad Jonny McGill (Richmond, BC) is lead the UBC Thunderbirds with 17 home runs and a .401 batting average this season. He is one of 37 Canadians on UBC, who will compete in the NAIA World Series starting this Friday. Photo: UBC Athletics
May 21, 2025
By Matt Betts
Canadian Baseball Network
When the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics World Series begins on Friday in Lewiston, Idaho, a total of 44 players with ties to Canada will be on five of the 10 participating teams.
Thirty-seven play for the University of British Columbia, three don the jerseys of Southeastern University, with one each suiting up for LSU Shreveport, the University of the Cumberlands, Georgia Gwinnett College and Loyola University.
Let’s take a look at who they are and how they got there.
University of British Columbia (39-17)
The UBC Thunderbirds are back at the World Series for the first time since 2006 when they went 2-2.
With a roster made up of Canadians, and the only four-year program competing primarily south of the 49th, they’ll be the team to watch for fans north of the border.
The T-Birds make their way to Idaho thanks to wins over No. 11 Oklahoma Wesleyan and a pair of victories against No. 18 Indiana University Southeast in the Hattiesburg bracket of the NAIA Opening Round.
Offensively, UBC has hit .319 as a team.
Five players own a .300 batting average or better, with Jonny McGill (Richmond, BC) leading the way at .401. Trent Lenihan (White Rock, BC) has a .362 mark, Mitchell Middlemiss (Chilliwack, BC) is batting .340, Aaron Marsh (Nanaimo, BC) is hitting .362 and Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.) is sitting with a .331 average.
Over half of their 89 team home runs have come off the bat of McGill (17), Lenihan (15), Middlemiss (10) and Kaden Zorowny (Strathmore, Alta.) who also has 10.
On the mound, they’ve pitched to a 5.43 ERA.
Chris Pritchett’s staff has turned to four pitchers to make the bulk of their starts. Left-hander Will Anderson (Delta, BC) tops the team with a 7-1 record and 2.79 ERA. Ryan Heppner (Delta, BC), Daniel Orfaly (White Rock, BC) and Ryan Beitel (Surrey, BC) have also made 11 or more starts.
The other Canucks: OF Kyle Anderson (Burnaby, BC), OF Jackson Boomer (Vancouver, BC), Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.), RHP James Brock (Burnaby, BC), C Sam Byers (Ottawa, Ont.), INF Oliver Clements (Vancouver, BC), INF David Draayers (Abbotsford, BC), LHP Oliver Duthie (Dubai, U.A.E), OF Noah Grant (Thorndale, Ont.), RHP Evan Hoegler (North Vancouver, BC), RHP Lucas Huynh (Vancouver, BC), RHP Marcus Janovsky (Surrey, BC), RHP Adam Khan (Aurora, Ont.), INF David Krahn (Langley, BC), INF Jaden Lamothe (Langley, BC), RHP Scott Langley (Vancouver, BC), RHP Alex Lee (Burnaby, BC), RHP Owen McConnell (Vancouver, BC), LHP Dylan Myttenar (Vancouver, BC), RHP Otis Pritchett (Vancouver, BC) INF Aidan Rose (Calgary, Alta.), C Kenny Scott (Delta, BC), C Jordan Stewart (Vancouver, BC), RHP Kansai Sugimoto (Kyoto, Japan), C Stephen Waters (Toronto, Ont.) INF Hilo Yamamoto (Whistler, BC), C Russell Young (Surrey, BC).
Game 1: vs. Georgia Gwinnett
LSU Shreveport (54-0)
LSU Shreveport has had a historic season already as they carry a perfect 54-0 record into the World Series.
Their 2.32 team ERA is the best in the country and their .364 batting average is good for third.
Former Ontario Terrier Austin Gomm (Georgetown, Ont.) is their lone Canadian but he’s made a significant impact in the bayou.
Playing in 48 of the 54 games, Gomm has hit .380 and is tops with 11 home runs, which represents 15.7 per cent of the team’s total.
The Pilots scored 29 runs in wins over Ottawa University, Johnson University and Mid-America Christian University to qualify for the big dance.
Game 1: vs. Grand View
Loyola University (41-16)
Loyola has some impressive wins on their schedule, having gone 7-2 against ranked teams in 2025.
They closed their season with back-to-back series wins over No. 12 Faulkner University and No. 9 William Carey.
In the Southern States Athletic Conference Tournament, they again defeated William Carey before upending No. 25 Oakland City and No. 5 Reinhardt in the Waleska bracket of the NAIA Opening Round.
Needless to say, they’re prepared.
And the Wolfpack have a Canadian that’s been instrumental in their success.
Outfielder Marcus Steen (Ladysmith, BC) has a .318 average to go along with an .859 OPS and 15 stolen bases.
Game 1: vs. Tennessee Wesleyan
Georgia Gwinnett College (53-5)
The 2021 NAIA World Series champion Grizzlies make their eighth trip to Lewiston since 2014.
Jeremy Sheetinger’s squad has lost just five games and have yet to lose two in a row.
Their only Canadian, left-hander Jake Finkelstein (Richmond, BC), has made seven appearances with a 10.13 ERA over eight innings.
Despite single digit losses, the path to Lewiston wasn’t easy for Georgia Gwinnett as they had to beat Keiser University twice in the Lawrenceville bracket final of the NAIA Opening Round to secure their spot.
Game 1: vs. University of British Columbia
University of the Cumberlands (48-10)
The University of the Cumberlands won the Mid-South Conference Tournament before sweeping their way through the Williamsburg bracket of the NAIA Opening Round and now find themselves among the final 10 teams.
Former Ontario National RHP Ethan Schofield (Toronto, Ont.) represents Canada on their roster but has yet to play this season.
Game 1: vs. Hope International
Southeastern University (44-13)
The Southeastern University Fire rebounded from a disappointing 2-2 record in The Sun Conference tournament by sweeping their way through the Lakeland bracket of the NAIA Opening Round.
They sport three Canadians on their roster in catcher Connor Hicks (Toronto, Ont.), OF Tyler Hinrikus (Waterloo, Ont.) and infielder Alfonso Villalobos (Kirlankd, Que.) and all three have had impressive years.
Hicks leads the trio with a .401 average, Villalobos is tops with 14 home runs and Hinrikus has posted an .840 OPS.
The Fire will look to win their third World Series title after taking the national championship in 2018 and 2022.
Game 1: vs. Webber International