WOLFPACK BASEBALL TO PLAY IN KELOWNA March 31, 2009
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Getting back into a winning frame of mind will be a top priority as the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack baseball team heads to Kelowna on April 1st (Wednesday). The WolfPack are tangling with the newest team in the Canadian College Baseball Conference, the Okanagan College Cubs (2-2) at Elks Stadium. This game is being deemed an exhibition affair.
The WolfPack recently swept four games from the Cubs in pre season (Mar 21-22). The two teams wer forced to play in Oliver, BC due to bad field conditions in Kamloops.
After winning only once against the Prairie Baseball Academy last weekend (Mar 28-29), Ray Chadwick’s crew is looking to turn things around. “We’ll be treating this one as a practice that we need to win. All pitchers will throw at least one inning to prepare for Calgary.” The WolfPack return home to face the U of C Dinos in a four game set beginning on Friday (April 3).
Past history doesn’t bode well for the Cubs. Chadwick says after a poor weekend, his crew is usually pretty honery.“ TRU baseball history has shown that the team or teams facing us after a bad weekend usually don’t have much fun or success against us. We usually come back with a little attitude and do and correct all the things that we did not do the previous weekend. We have gone on 11, 13, 15 twice and even a 23 game win streak after loosing 3 of 4 at home and this team has that ability as well as the attitude to do it.”
Chadwick is quick to point out what was his team’s downfall against PBA. “Our biggest problem this spring has been defence. Lack of defence was the main reason for two of the losses. If we had hit or executed with runners in scoring position we would have won 3 or the 4 or at least had a split.”
The WolfPack (1-3 on the season, 11-11 overall), like most of the teams they’ve played against this spring, have had a lack of time practicing outside. Chadwick says even though it’s early in the season, victories are important.“ At no point is winning less important. Winning creates the jelling and all other intangibles that make a championship team. No team does as much together on and off the field or is as close as a group as we are.“
Danny Moore (1st year, RHP, Victoria, BC) will start on the hill Wednesday for TRU. The WolfPack have only one regular on the shelf. That is first baseman Dillon Morgan (Camp Verde, Arizona). He is recovering from a twisted knee.
BASELINES: The WolfPack and the U of C will play a single game Friday (April 3), a doubleheader on Saturday (April 4) and a single game Sunday (April 5). Game times are 6 pm Friday, 11:30 am and 2 pm on Saturday and 10 am on Sunday. All four games will be played at Norbrock Stadium.
Mens Soccer ID Camp Deemed Success March 31, 2009
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Soccer ID Camp 2009
Over 35 players—both veterans and rookies—braved some winter like winds to show their stuff at the 10 th annual Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Men’s Soccer Evaluation Camp.
“I saw lots of good energy out there,” said WolfPack Co-Head Coach Sean Wallace after the second session at Hillside Staduim. That session consisted of a 2 hour intra squad match. “The young guys showed us some good things.”
“The rookies will definitely push a few of our veterans come August,” agreed WolfPack Co-Head coach John Antulov. “What I really liked was the fact the young guys didn’t look out of place.”
Following the two sessions, which included small sided games and skills evaluations in the morning, the coaches stressed the importance of fitness for anyone trying to crack this squad. “ We had to lay down the law,” said Wallace. “We can’t afford to spend time on the conditioning part of training sessions, our season is so short.”
“We need to work on the tactical portion of the game right from the start,” stated Antulov “For the younger players especially, it’ll be a big learning curve.”
Both Coaches agreed that the intensity of ID Camp 2009 was better than the previous year. The WolfPack are looking to improve upon their silver medal finish in the BC College Athletic Association in 2008. Thompson Rivers University finished 5 th at the CCAA Nationals.
Antulov and Wallace will surely have some holes to fill. They lost three players including all-Canadian defender James Byra (Chilliwack, BC) to graduation and will lose others who will either not return due to academic eligibility or move onto CIS schools to continue their eduation.
TRU opens it’s 2009 BC CAA regular season at Hillside Stadium on September 5 th against the defending league and National Champion Capilano University Blues.
Four Men’s Volleyball Players Named To National Jr. Team Training Camp Roster March 27, 2009
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Josh Boruck at the net
Four members of the 2008-09 Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Men’s Volleyball team have been invited to the training camp of Canada’s Junior National Team. Outside hitters Gord Perrin (2nd year, Creston, BC), Josh Boruck (1st year, Revelstoke, BC) along with middles Conor Eatch (1st year, Aurora, Ont) and Stefan Savoie (2nd year, Winnipeg, Man) will be attending the camp which will be held June 15-18 in Winnipeg Manitoba.
“This is great,” said WolfPack head coach Pat Hennelly. “ Not only for the WolfPack volleyball program but for these guys. They now get the chance to make a team which will represent Canada at the World Championships in India this summer.”
“It says that Pat has recognized talented players at a young age.“ says National Team coach Chris Green. “It says that these players are here for a tryout. In the end, regardless of where you are from, there is a style of volleyball we want you to play. Errors MUST be limited. Reliability to one another is CRUCIAL. Tactical and methodical play must be PRACTICED.”
Green watched all four perform at this month’s CIS Nationals in Edmonton. “At the CIS tournament in Edmonton, I was able to make assessments of these 4 players because their coach saw it in their best interest to play them for evaluation. I had not seen Josh and Conor play so this was invaluable. Pat had stated he wanted me to take a good look at them and thus we were able to because he had them contribute on court. I was able to see enough to warrant a look at tryouts. Pats assistance in that was and is appreciated.”
Perrin and Savoie were part of the team which finished second at the NORCECA Qualifying tournament in El Salvador last July. Perrin was a starter while Savoie was injured in training and named as an Alternate.
“Gord should have a good chance to start again,” stated Hennelly. While Green, who saw all four players perform at March’s 2009 CIS Nationals in Edmonton had this to say: “ What I saw in Gordon was a more mature and responsible athlete on court and this was very welcome. He has taken on a strong presence on the court for a young athlete in his position and at Worlds, where he could face guys who have been playing pro and earning pay checks. This tryout is about guys who can come in and be consistent, reliable and trustworthy. If so the team can count on them, and then so can the country. It is an honor to wear your country¹s uniform, and we feel the obligation to all who fund us. We want our players to understand this as well. Having said that, I am counting on Gordon to come to tryouts and carry on what he started last summer.”
Green goes onto say “His ‘advantage‘ is really up to him, I am looking for warriors to battle internationally. International Volleyball is serious, as the majority of these teams who have qualified, have their main players playing top pro divisions and have been trained at a young age to do that. Some programs are full time and some will have 25 weeks prep time.”
“I am confident that if guys like Gord come in with a strong frame of mind, we can achieve success at the world championships. These guys showed last summer, that no one will out work us. Gord was one who showed this. If he does this again, he has a great shot.”
Hennelly believes all four of his players have a great chance of representing Canada. “Gord has been one of our best players since he came to our program. Josh had a great final third of the season and was named to the CIS All Rookie team. He came up with some big performances at the CIS Nationals. Conor was hit hard by injuries this season but was a starter in November. He was “Player of the Match” against Dalhousie.”
The Four WolfPack players were notified of their selection to the 24 person camp this morning (March 27).
Baseball Opens Regular Season At Home March 26, 2009
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Head Coach Ray Chadwick
“We finished the pre season the way we wanted to. Now it’ll be up to us to carry the momentum on.” The words of Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Baseball coach Ray Chadwick as he looks ahead to his teams 2009 Canadian College Baseball Conference regular season opener. The WolfPack, who were to have kicked things off last weekend (Mar 21-22), entertain the defending league champion Prairie Baseball Academy Dawgs of Lethbridge Alberta.
The two teams will have a pair of doubleheaders at the Canada Games Field Saturday and Sunday (Mar 28-29).
Chadwick’s WolfPack come into the regular season hot on the heels of a four game sweep of the Okanagan College Cubs. Those four victories gave TRU a winning pre-season record (10-8).
“We were happy about the weekend,” he says. “Our pitching seems to be coming around as is our hitting. That is a bit surprising because we haven’t had a chance to perform outside aside from going out of town.”
Chadwick believes that his club will have all it can handle against the Dawgs. “Historically, it has always been them and us on top of the league. I believe if we played the way we have done in the past against PBA, the rest of the league wouldn’t beat us.”
The WolfPack haven’t been the only ones affected by the long winter. Dawgs head coach Blair Kubicek says his team’s development has also been stunted by the poor field conditions. “We have played 18 games and are 6 and 12. All of them have been away from home.”
The Dawgs enter the season with 12 returnees from the team which won it all last spring. They have some local flavour as third baseman Kirk Haviland (Merritt, BC) has started every game at third base. Haviland, who played with the Kamloops Sun Devils this past summer, is into his 2nd year at PBA.
Kubicek says the leaders on his team are 2nd year vets Curtis Beaudoin (shortstop, Cereal, Alta), Duncan Sourisseau (2nd base, Winnipeg, Man) and left handed pitcher Jay Johnson (Sussex Corner, NB).
The WolfPack intend to throw Mike Tomlinson (RHP, Campbell River, BC) in the second game of the series on Saturday. “ He has to do some school projects on Sunday,” says Chadwick. “So, he’ll play in the first game on Saturday.“ As for the starter for the series opener or games 3 and 4 on Sunday, Chadwick is undecided. It’ll either be Bryan Mahon (Fruitvale, BC) or Jordan Broatch (White Rock, BC).
Games Saturday go at 1 pm and 3 pm. The opening pitch on Sunday will go at 11 am and 1 pm. All four games are being played at the Canada Games Field at McCarthur Island.
LINE DRIVES: The WolfPack have a few injuries. First baseman Dillon Morgan (Camp Verde, Ariz) continues to recover from a twisted knee. Adam Halland (infielder, Kamloops, BC) and Scott Nevison (infielder/outfielder, North Vancouver, BC) are expected to be in the line up after missing last weekend’s games recovering from quad muscle injuries.
Men’s Soccer To Have I.D. Camp This Sunday March 26, 2009
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Head Coaches John Antulov and Sean Wallace at Spring Evaluation Camp
For ten years now, the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack Men’s soccer program has held a spring player identification camp. Over the previous nine, they’ve found a number of great prospects. This year, co-coaches Sean Wallace and John Antulov are hoping it’ll be no different.
“John and I hope we can find a few kids to fill some holes that may have been left by graduating players, those who are academically ineligible or maybe not coming back.“ states Wallace.
The WolfPack Coaching staff are expecting 35 players from as far away as the Kootenays, Squamish, South Okanagan, North Vancouver and Abbotsford to take in the ID camp, which is set for Sunday (March 29) at Hillside Stadium.
“We’ll have a two hour training session in the morning that will include some small sided games and some skill work to see where these kids are,’ says Wallace “Then, we’ll have an intra squad game in the afternoon to see how everyone stacks up.”
Wallace is being very diplomatic about what holes the WolfPack, who finished second in the BC College Athletic Association and fifth at the Canadian College Athletic Association Championships (beating FX Garneau of Quebec on penalty kicks) in 2008. “I guess to be fair to everyone, we have 18 holes to fill but some are smaller than others. Nobody has a guaranteed spot at this time in the season, so this weekend the returning vets will play along side the new recruits.”
The WolfPack kick off their 2009 BC CAA schedule Saturday April 5th when the defending National champion Capilano University Blues make a trip to Hillside Stadium.
The training sessions on Sunday are from 10-Noon with the intrasquad match going from 2-4 pm.