The UBC Thunderbirds are off to the NAIA Championships and Ryan and Sean Heppner are a big reason why.
The brothers from Point Roberts have been dominant on the mound, delivering clutch performances and earning conference awards.
Sean was named Cascade Collegiate Conference Pitcher of the Year thanks to leading the way in strikeouts (82) over 75.1 innings of work. The sophomore was third in ERA (3.46) and second in opponents batting average (.227) while recording six wins. He was twice named pitcher of the week and selected to the All-Conference Team.
Meanwhile, Ryan was dominant in UBC’s semi-final playoff win over the Lewis-Clark State Warriors in Oregon last weekend. The freshman struck out 12 over eight innings in a 4-2 victory.
It was Ryan’s seventh win of the season. He has recorded 76 strikeouts over 65 innings, while issuing just 15 walks.
The Thunderbirds went on to capture their first-ever Cascade Championship with a come-from-behind 11-7 win over Oregon Tech. They open their national regional bracket in Santa Barbara on Monday against the University of Antelope Valley.
The Heppners came through Tsawwassen Amateur Baseball before moving on to the rep level with the Delta Tigers and the B.C. Premier Baseball League’s North Delta Blue Jays. Both graduated from Vancouver College.
