Coaches and ex-Professional Players

Connor Janes—Outfield – Hitting Coach UBC Thunderbirds

Connor Janes joined the UBC coaching staff in 2007 at the conclusion of his playing career.  Coach Janes works with the outfielders, is the hitting coach and is responsible for team conditioning drills.  This summer, Coach Janes managed the Burnaby Collegiate Bulldogs that represented British Columbia in the Junior Canadian Championships in Trois Rivers, PQ.  Attention to detail and commitment to excellence has helped Janes improve the quality level of the athletes with whom he has worked.

Vancouver Little Leaguer’s can aspire to be like Coach Janes, as his playing career began playing for Hastings Little League and culminated with two years of professional baseball in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.  Janes’ college career  included two seasons at Capilano College, followed by three stellar seasons at UBC.  Coach Janes still owns the UBC single season records for Slugging, Percentage, OPS and RBI’s. Janes was a member of UBC’s team in 2006 that made the NAIA World Series semi-final.

In 2006 Coach Janes was drafted in the 27th round of the Major League Baseball first year player draft by Arizona. During his two year stint with the D-Backs, his travels took him to Missoula of the Pioneer League, and then to Yakima of the Northwest League.

Cavanagh Whitely – Assistant Coach UBC Thunderbirds

Cavanagh Whitely, a native of Prince George, BC, is entering his eighth season as the assistant coach of the UBC baseball program.  As part of Coach Whitely’s duties instructs the infielders, develops offensive systems, and is the architect of the Thunderbirds mental skills training program.  Whitely is also the head of recruiter for the Thunderbird Baseball Program.

Whitely is also highly involved in community baseball programs. The Coaching Association of Canada has awarded him an internship position with the provincial sport organization, and he is currently a coach with the Team BC Selects that competes nationally during the summer. He has also coached with Team Canada from 2003- 2006 at the Grand Forks International Baseball Tournament and at the 2008 World University Games.  Cavanagh is an active Baseball BC NCCP level four clinician.

As a player, Whitely spent three successful years on the UBC squad from 1999-2002, playing every infield position while holding down a career batting average of over .300.   Before coming to UBC, Whitely played two years with the National Baseball Institute under John Haar and two years semipro baseball in the Pacific International League. Whitely was a member of the Canadian National University team competing at the Grand Fork International Baseball Tournament from 1999-2002. Whitely has also spent time in the Australian professional league, playing for the Padres organization in Queensland from 2002 to 2003 while concurrently serving as a Director of Coaching and Development Officer for Baseball Australia.

Fred Beitler—Catching Coach UBC Thunderbirds

Fred Beitler joined the UBC Thunderbird staff for the 2009 season and worked primarily with the catchers.  Before coming to BC, Coach Beitler spent 2008 in Saarlouis, Germany, at the helm of the Saarlouis Hornets of the German Bundesliga.  Prior to that, Beitler was an assistant coach at St. Clair College in Windsor, ON, where he worked with the infielders.

As a player, Beitler played three seasons of college summer league baseball in the Detroit, MI, area with two seasons in the Detroit Adray League and one in the Livonia Collegiate League.  Beitler also competed for the Windsor Titans who played in the Little Caesars Connie Mack League in Southeast Michigan, and spent a season with the Tecumseh Green Giants Baseball Club.

At University, Beitler played football for the Windsor Lancers.  On the gridiron, Beitler was a linebacker for the Blue and Gold, and his enthusiasm and intensity for sports has transcended into his baseball coaching style.

Brooks McNiven – Pitching Coach Douglas College

McNiven hails from Vernon, BC, and graduated from Kalamalka Secondary School. In 1999, he was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 46th round of the MLB Draft, however chose to attend the University of British Columbia. He played at UBC from 1999-2003 where he graduated with a degree in human kinetics. While at UBC, Brooks represented Team BC in the 2001 Canada Games in which he won a gold medal and was also the NAIA Region 1 player of the year in 2003 while playing with the T-Birds.

In 2003, Brooks was again selected in MLB Draft, this time by the San Francisco Giants in the 4th round. In 2005 he was on the California League Championship team with the San Jose Giants. In 2008, Brooks reached the AAA affiliate with the Giants organization in Fresno; however he concluded his career in AA with the Giants affiliate in Connecticut in 2009.

Internationally, Brooks has appeared for team Canada in numerous tournaments. Most recently in the 2009 World Cup in Europe where Canada captured the Bronze Medal and was also a member of the 2009 World Baseball Classic team.

Currently, Brooks is working as the pitching coach for Douglas College. Douglas College is the only Canadian school playing in the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) which features schools from Washington and Oregon.

Ryan Pilgrim – 2009 Graduate Assistant

Ryan Pilgrim joined the UBC coaching staff in 2009 after concluding two stellar seasons with the UBC Thunderbirds. Before playing for the Thunderbirds, Pilgrim spent two years at Central Arizona Junior College where in 2007 he received all conference and all region honors. Pilgrim also has a wealth of international playing experience as he was a member of Canada’s Junior National Team in 2005 and in 2008 participated for Canada in the World University Games in Brno, Czech Republic.

While with the UBC program, Pilgrim was one of the most ferocious hitters in the Thunderbird lineup. A lifetime .343 hitter Pilgrim also drove in 65 runs in 79 career games. As a captain of the Thunderbirds in his final season, his focus and intensity was infectious to his teammates.

Wayne Corness -Assistant Pitching Coach

Wayne Corness joined the UBC Thunderbird coaching staff for the 2009 season. The Surrey resident brings a wealth of experience to the Thunderbird staff and is the older brother of UBC pitching coach Shawn Corness. Wayne was an assistant with Team Canada’s World University games team in 2009, that competed in Prince George, BC, as a tuneup for the 2010 games in Japan.

Wayne is a graduate of Simon Fraser University, where he excelled on the basketball court as a member of the Clan’s varsity program.

Players

Geoff Burke – Pitcher UBC Thunderbirds

Geoff is a junior right handed pitcher from Toronto, Ontario. A product of the strong Toronto Mets system, Geoff was a highly recruited prospect coming out of high school. Used mainly as a reliever in his first two years, Geoff struggled to find his form but a stint in the Western Major Baseball League with the Medicine Hat Mavericks he blossomed last summer for the Medicine Hat Mavericks of the Western Major
Baseball League. With the Mavericks, Geoff appeared in 15 games and posted a 3-2 record with a 4.71 ERA in 28.2 innings pitched. Geoff has regained his velocity that once made him a dominating high
school pitcher.

Brandon Kaye – Pitcher UBC Thunderbirds

A Junior College transfer from Douglas College, Kaye joins the T-Bird pitching staff for his junior year. In the summer of 2009, Kaye was part of Team Canada’s World University Games team that participated at the 2009 World Baseball Challenge held in Prince George, BC. Kaye is expected to contend for a starting spot in the Thunderbird rotation. Brandon was a 45th round draft pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in the June 2009 MLB Draft. Kaye is the half brother of Toronto Blue Jays right handed pitcher Scott Richmond.

Alex White – Second Base UBC Thunderbirds

A Junior College transfer from Allan Hancock College in California, Alex White is entering his senior season as a UBC Thunderbird. A Richmond, BC, native, White was a Rawlings Gold Glove award winner in 2009.

In 2008, Alex represented Canada at the World University Games in Brno, Czech Republic, and again in 2009 at the World Baseball Challenge held in Prince George, BC. For the last two summers, Alex has played his summer baseball for the Burnaby Collegiate Bulldogs and competed in the 2009 Canadian Junior Championships held in Trois Rivers, PQ. At UBC, Alex is studying Commerce at the Sauder School of Business and is majoring in accounting. Alex’s parent, Maurice and Stacy, were former T-Bird athletes who played soccer and field hockey respectively.

Jordan Herbison – Pitcher UBC Thunderbirds

The Brockville, ON, native joins the Thunderbird pitching staff as a Junior College transfer from Monroe Community College in Rochester, New York. For the last three summers, Herbison has played summer ball in the Western Major Baseball League with the Yorkton Cardinals. A stalky right handed pitcher, it is expected for Herbison to contend for a starting spot in the T-Bird rotation.