The UFV men’s baseball team capped off another great season by winning 80 per cent of their remaining games in the month of May. After a close 5-3 win over Edmonton Collegiate, their next three games were dominant blowout victories. A loss to Thompson Rivers University at the end of the season wasn’t the preferred way to end the year, but in the larger picture, the Cascades registered a great season of ball yet again.
With UFV’s continued and consistent success on the field, a question arises: will we ever see UFV Athletics completely adopt a baseball program into varsity sports, as opposed to the club format? Though the change would be significant, it would almost be warranted based only on the success of the program, as the UFV Cascades Baseball Club is proving to be a very legitimate installment of UFV sports.
It is for this reason that UFV recently took home substantial honours at the Canadian College Baseball Program (CCBC) annual awards dinner. The team was credited with seven all-star selections, tying Okanagan College for most players selected and shattering UFV’s previous record of three. With four first team and three second team acknowledgements, it caps off a record year for the program and its athletes.
The star of the show for the Cascades was Riley Jepson. The third-year first baseman continues a trend of excellence that he has set all season and is now the league’s premier hitter for the second straight season. He batted a stellar 0.405 to win the batting title and registers six home runs to be the co-home run king of the CCBC, tied with VIU Mariner’s Phil Whelan.
Joining Jepson on the Cascade’s first-teamers are Josh Berenbaum, Dylan Merritt, and Dylan Emmons. Berenbaum finished top 10 in batting average, doubles, and walks. Merritt finished second only to Jepson for batting average with 0.381 and added eight stolen bases. Emmons would set the tone for the Cascades pitching as he posted the best earned run average (ERA) in the league, at an impressive 1.23.
The second team featured Jonah Weisner, Brad Bishop, and Travis McDougall, all of whom put forth award-worthy seasons. Weisner finished 12th in batting, top 10 in stolen bases, and he posted 13 walks to nine strikeouts. Bishop finished top five in ERA, and only registered five walks on the entire season to his 19 strikeouts. McDougall finished top 10 in ERA and strikeouts as a rookie, impressing in his first year.
All in all, the Cascades have enjoyed a massive success this season, both from an individual and team perspective.
Image: UFV Cascades Flickr
