WOLFPACK BASEBALL WINS CCBC TITLE FOR THIRD TIME (2ND IN 3 YEARS)
Bryan Burston and Brock Stewart are CCBC Champions
For Immediate Release: May 16, 2009
Lethbridge Alta--This was supposed to be a rebuilding year for the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack baseball team. After all, they had lost their entire starting outfield, all of whom were all-stars. And their pitching staff was decimated.
But someone forgot to tell the players on the 2009 squad. They also forgot to tell them when you can't get onto a baseball diamond until mid March, you aren't supposed to win a championship. Good thing that those nay sayers didn't succeed.
The WolfPack captured their third Canadian College Baseball Championship on Saturday (May 16). Ray Chadwick's crew got a walk off homer from Matt Walker (outfielder/pitcher Bowen Island, BC) in the bottom half of the ninth inning to beat the defending league champion and host team Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs 9-8. It was the WolfPack's second CCBC title in three years.
"There was something special happening on that field today," said Chadwick. "Here we were playing a team which beat us six of our last eight meetings, and we trailed 5-1 after two innings. Still, our players knew that we could come back and that's what they did."
Although they went through the League Championship Tournament unbeaten (3-0), the 'Pack found themselves down 5-0 after an inning in a half.
"It was dumb luck for the most part," stated Chadwick. " A ball hit the pitcher, then some jammed shots that our defence couldn't get. That and we kicked balls around. I thought it wasn't going to be our day.
The WolfPack scored three in their half of the third to tie the contest at 3. But PBA wasn't going to go down without a fight. The Dawgs notched a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to go up 7-5. TRU countered with three of their own in the bottom of the fourth to go up 8-7.
PBA added another in the fifth inning to draw even before Walkers ninth inning heroics. Chadwick said Walker did what was asked of him this year after coming into the program as an outfielder. "We had such a short pitching staff that I was forced to put Matt into the bull pen. He became our closer, " he explained. " He's the type of guy who can hit the long ball at 5 pm (our practice time). I told him before the game we need him to do that sort of long ball stuff earlier. And he came through."
Jordan Broatch (RHP, White Rock, BC) was the winning pitcher. Broatch tossed a complete game 11 hitter, surrendering five earned runs, striking out three and walking one. "The guys were confident with Jordan on the mound," Chadwick said. "Hes beaten PBA before and had never been scored upon by them this season. Even down 5 runs we knew that with Jordan on the mound, we had a chance."
Chadwick credited Broatch for being one of the leaders on his team this year. "Jordan knew we were short compared to other years in the pitching department. He really stepped up."
Another player garnering praise from the WolfPack skipper was shortstop Kyle Dhanani (Blaine, Wash). Dhanani likely played his last game in a TRU uniform either moving to an N.A.I.A. school or quite possibly being drafted or signed by the National League Milwaukee Brewers in the coming weeks.
"He was a huge leader," stated Chadwick. " He came every game ready to play."
FOUL TIPS: Chadwick credited the entire team for never falling back on the excuse they had lost many starters from the previous years. "Each game someone else came through for us."
Chadwick on the 2009 title against 2007. "There were some similarities. We went through the round robin unbeaten but that year, we took on Malispina (Now VIU). We had beaten them before so we were pretty confident. Against, PBA we had the record going against us even though we took them earlier in the week."
Chadwick on the programs success. " We are always compared to PBA. But we have no big money or scholarships behind us. We don't get the perks. Our guys have to practice at 6 am. But they don't let that get to them and persevere.
Chadwick on repeat in 2010: "We lose the four guys (Bryan Mahon, Mike Tomlinson, Ben Bradford: all to graduation and Dhanani). We'll have to rebuild up the middle. The job Dhanani has done for us the last two years at shortstop will be hard to replace.