As the fall semester comes to an end, sports fans at UFV have reason to be excited for the upcoming spring season of UFV Baseball. Coming off of a tough season for the Cascades, the team is changing tack with the hiring of a new head coach for the 2024 Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) season.
UFV alumni and former Chicago White Sox affiliate Riley Jepson will be taking over the ship’s helm and will be setting a new course for this upcoming season in the spring. After four years with UFV, Jepson went on to attend an NCAA Division Two university before turning pro and playing independent baseball for three years with the Great Falls Voyagers in Montana. Jepson posted a .384 avg, a 1.052 ops and 16 HR over three seasons with the Voyagers, amounting to Jepson signing a free-agent contract with the Chicago White Sox, becoming the first UFV alumni to go on to play professional baseball.
“[Chilliwack is] where I originally started university,” said Jepson when asked why he chose to come back to UFV. “My friends were here… it was basically the best spot for me, personally, just because of my training and where my life was at that time. I just proceeded to never leave.”
Jepson hopes to be like the coaches he enjoyed when he was playing. “I’ve had a lot of great mentors throughout my day,” said Jepson — referring to coaches like Brent Porsche of UT Tyler. “He was more of a father figure than a guy that’s going to be super hard on me. He really showed me how I wanted to be coached, and how to deal with everyone and all the multiple personalities.”
When Jepson made it to pro-ball, he was lucky enough to find another great coach who exemplified the style he would later adopt. “My manager I had in Great Falls… had 46 years of affiliate baseball managing in his background. … He was very personal with me — more like a player’s coach… I really appreciated that, and I knew a lot of the guys loved that.” Jepson resolved to be that kind of coach as well, as it fit with his personality. “I don’t want to be super hard on everyone all the time. That’s just not really my style.”
Jepson has been helping with the Cascade team for about four years now, creating a connection with the players on the team that he hopes to carry over as head coach. He aims to keep a balanced approach to his coaching style, “keeping it loose when it’s time to be loose, and then being focused when it needs to be focused.”
“I’m excited for this coming year,” said Jepson. “We’ve got a lot of guys that can play — a lot of guys that can contribute. I can’t really ask for anything more in my first year.”
The Cascades baseball team will be taking the field in the spring of 2024 but will be kicking off the season with a trip down to Arizona over reading break to thaw out and start the season hot and ready to go. #GoCascades
