UBC opens conference tournament with resounding win over College of Idaho

The UBC Thunderbirds beat the College of Idaho Yotes 11-1 in the first game of the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament on Friday. Photo: UBC Athletics

May 2, 2025

By Jeff Sargeant

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER, B.C. – The host University of British Columbia Thunderbirds earned a convincing 11-1 decision over the College of Idaho Yotes to open up play Friday night at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament.

In front of a capacity crowd at Tourmaline West Stadium, the T-Birds scored three times each in the third, sixth and seventh innings to invoke the 10-run rule in what was a top-to-bottom, clinical performance in their first home game at the conference tournament since 2010.

"I never felt like we were jittery so I think we handled that really well," said UBC head coach Chris Pritchett after his team won their conference tournament opening game for a fifth straight season. "I was really happy with the way Will (Anderson) threw the ball, he looked really confident. Sometimes you get a guy that hasn't been in this situation before at home and he just looked like he was really comfortable and we feed off that. And I think the hitters really came to play today so yeah, I was really happy with the way we played."

Opening scoring in the bottom of the first with a Trent Lenihan (White Rock, B.C.) RBI single, the T-Birds broke things open in the third scoring three times for a 4-0 lead. Jonny McGill (Richmond, B.C.) hammered his first of two home runs on the night, well over the centre field wall, plating two.

UBC then strung together a series of hits culminating in a Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.) single to a gap in shallow centre to score Lenihan.

With two down in the top of the fourth, Jack Ingraham was caught stealing second when T-Birds catcher Russell Young (Surrey, B.C.) gunned the ball to David Draayers (Abbotsford, B.C.) who made the inning ending tag.

The Yotes scored their lone run of the contest in the fifth when Trevor Watkins singled to right allowing Bryce Mahlke to score.

UBC got the run right back in the bottom half with McGill's second homer of the game, a solo shot to centre.

The fifth-seeded Yotes threatened again in the sixth with two on and one out, but Will Anderson (Delta, B.C.) got the T-Birds out of the jam striking out Caden Casagrande, his fourth K of the night, before Mahlke lined out to end the inning.

Mitchell Middlemiss (Chilliwack, B.C.) hammered UBC's third homer of the game to leadoff the sixth, staking out a 6-1 T-Birds lead. Entering the game as a pinch hitter, Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.) drove in another run with a single to right. McGill was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Lenihan took advantage with his second RBI single giving UBC a seven-run advantage.

James Brock (Burnaby, B.C.) came in from the pen to pitch the seventh and retired the only three batters he faced, setting the stage for the mercy-rule invocation in the bottom half of the frame. Aidan Rose (Calgary, Alta.) hit a two-RBI double to centre and Kaden Zarowny (Strathmore, Alta.) got the 'Birds to a 10-run lead, driving Rose home with a single to left.

Ten different T-Birds managed at least a hit Friday night with Aaron Marsh (Nanaimo, B.C.), Lenihan and McGill combining for seven hits and five RBIs as UBC's big bats didn't disappoint.

"Especially with this kind of tournament, everybody here can beat everybody so your best players have to be at their best," said Pritchett. "That's not a secret, that goes for all the teams here. So our guys, I thought they stepped up today and there were some really good at bats in the middle of our lineup and we'll need that going forward. First step, game one, and now it gets really interesting."

The Yotes' loss pits them in an elimination matchup with the winner of Saturday's early game between Oregon Tech and Bushnell.

UBC's will now face long-time rival Lewis-Clark State Saturday afternoon in a meeting of the only two remaining undefeated teams in the tournament. The Warriors began their quest for another conference title with a 6-1 victory over Oregon Tech earlier on Friday.

UBC and LC State each won four times in their eight regular season meetings as Saturday's battle promises to be yet another classic between the two perennial conference contenders.

"They're rivals but we have so much respect for them and they really play the game the right way. I think that we both bring out the best in each other so these are games we look forward to. Tomorrow's going to be a good one, we just got done playing these guys and they're throwing a lefty that really held us last time so hopefully we can adjust. We're really hoping (Ryan) Heppner can step up and do what he's capable of because he's got a great arm and we're going to lean on him."

First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m. at Tourmaline West Stadium.