The amazing story of Varsity baseball at UBC is tied to 1997 Kinetics graduate Terry McKaig. It was the hiring of McKaig that same year as UBC’s head baseball coach that proved to be the key in launching to unexpected heights this resurrected program.
Terry as a player had made the Canadian national baseball team in 1995 but prior to his UBC appointment in 1997 had never before coached. Once he, along with his supporters the “Friends of Thunderbird Baseball”, established the program as part of the NAIA, the team experienced remarkable success. As of spring 2014 McKaig has guided the Thunderbirds to seven NAIA West championships and an appearance in the NAIA World Series. It was this World Series year the ‘Birds established themselves as the fourth best team in the entire US based NAIA.
The only program of its kind in Canada, Terry can be given much credit for building this concept and for sending 15 of his players on to professional baseball including elite draft choice and major leaguer Jeff Francis. Terry claims it was Jeff who really “put us on the map.” Meanwhile McKaig the innovator, with an impressive list of contacts, is looking to the future as far as the program is concerned and intends to keep building it with some exciting plans in mind.
At the completion of the 2014 season McKaig surpassed a significant milestone by guiding the Thunderbirds to more than 500 victories while at the same time has provided his student/ballplayers a chance to realize their dreams.
Written by Fred Hume, UBC Historian
