UBC defeated Bushnell 8-3 in Game 1 of their doubleheader on Sunday. Photo: UBC

April 26, 2026

By Ian French

UBC Communications

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds are Cascade Collegiate Conference regular season champions for a second straight year after sweeping their season-ending doubleheader at Tourmaline West Stadium on Sunday.

The T-Birds took down the Bushnell Beacons twice, earning an 8-3 win in game one, then following with a dramatic, 9-8 walk-off victory in game two, to finish the year with an identical conference record to Lewis-Clark State, splitting the regular season title. The Warriors hold the head-to-head tiebreaker and will therefore host the conference championship tournament next weekend.

UBC's ballpark was packed for Senior Day, as multiple Thunderbirds in their final year of eligibility were suiting up for their last home games in the blue and gold uniform. Daniel Orfaly (White Rock, B.C.), James Brock (Burnaby, B.C.), Oliver Duthie, Otis Pritchett, Kellen Bourne (Calgary, Alta.), Josh Cote (Midland, Ont.), and Jaden Lamothe (Langley, B.C.) were all recognized for their T-Bird tenures, posing for pictures with coaches and family to close out the 2025-2026 campaign.

"Some of these kids have been here for four or five years, so it's really weird to think we won't have them around next year. It's emotional, I know some of them probably found it hard to focus," reflected UBC head coach Chris Pritchett. "At the same time, we have so much to look forward to this coming week. I don't think it's really hit me yet. We're still grinding, but it was definitely a bittersweet day."

Starring for the 'Birds in the doubleheader was David Krahn (Langley, B.C.), who combined for four hits and two RBIs across both games. Oliver Clements (Vancouver, B.C.) chipped in with four hits of his own and scored three runs over the course of the day. T-Birds' starter Myles Chamberlain (Victoria, B.C.) improved his record to 9-1, striking out four over five innings of two-run ball to earn the victory in game one.

Game 1

After a quick top of the first, the bottom half saw the 'Birds go to work. A hit-by-pitch led off the inning, and a subsequent passed ball put a runner on second base. Braedon Scott (Vancouver, B.C.) and Krahn followed with a pair of deep singles to tally two early runs for UBC.

The Beacons wasted no time responding, starting the second with a pair of walks followed by an RBI-single from Dylan Carson. A few plays later, Danny Womack laid down a successful squeeze bunt leading to a close play at the plate, with the runner ruled safe to tie the game at two apiece.

The score held until the bottom of the fourth where, after UBC put two runners in scoring position, Matt Vrlak (Vancouver, B.C.) shot a single into centre field to drive in both and re-establish the home side's two-run lead.

The 'Birds loaded the bases to start the bottom of the sixth and managed to tack on two runs with a sacrifice fly and a single. Then, with two outs, Cote stepped into the box and crushed one down the left field line for a two-RBI double, inflating his team's lead to 8-2.

The Beacons managed to add on another run in the seventh, and had several hitters reach base, but they could not bring them home, falling 8-3.

Game 2

After a quiet start to this one, the Beacons continuously capitalized on fielding errors to slowly work up a healthy 5-2 advantage deep into this ball game.

In the bottom of the seventh, the T-Birds answered with a run before Bourne stepped up with the bases loaded and belted a single through the infield and into shallow right, scoring two to tie the game once again in his final game at Tourmaline West. A pair of Bushnell errors scored another two for the T-Birds as they stormed back to take a 7-5 lead by the time the inning was done.

The 'Birds tacked on another in the bottom of the eighth for a three-run advantage, but just as it looked as if UBC had a win in hand, Bushnell fired back in the top of the ninth. The Beacons put two men on, but things still looked bleak as they were facing their final out. Then, Mana Heffernan and Davis Grawey stepped up in the clutch and delivered a pair of singles to even the score at eight and send the Beacons' dugout into a frenzy.

However, as the T-Birds have done all season, they responded in the bottom half of the ninth. Clements led off with a single, and after an error and a bunt, he made his way to third. Kyle Yip (Calgary, Alta.) followed and bounced a dribbler up the third base line, giving enough time for Clements to cross the plate and score the game's winning run in walk-off fashion, earning the T-Birds a 9-8 victory.

Despite UBC winning both of their final games of the season, the Lewis-Clark State College Warriors (38-7, 30-7) also earned a victory on their home field on Sunday to solidify the two as co-regular season champions. With LC State holding the tiebreaker, they will host the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championship Tournament next week, meaning the Thunderbirds will head to Lewiston, Idaho, to take on the College of Idaho Yotes on May 1 at 2:30 p.m. P.T. for their first game of the double-elimination event.

"[The Yotes] had a good season, some pretty good offensive players that can run. There are many ways they can beat you. We're just going to get to work on trying to neutralize all of those factors," said coach Pritchett. "If we play well, that's all I'm worried about. As long as we go out there and play good baseball and whatever happens after that, as a coach, you feel good about it."

UBC becomes CCC regular season champs with doubleheader sweep of Bushnell