Outlook on the 2025 Season
Updated Nov 18: Provincial Seeding, Spring Training/Seattle Tournament Details & High Performance Dates
What is the UBC Bantam Thunder?
The UBC Bantam Thunder is a program made up of selected Grade 8s and 9s (15U) who will train and compete together from January-early August in the BC Bantam Premier Baseball League (Bantam PBL). The Bantam PBL division is the top-tier wood bat league in the province and involves teams from the Lower Mainland, Fraser Valley, Vancouver Island and Interior. Our players consist of those who reside in Vancouver. Read more about our program HERE. The coaching staff for the 2025 season will include Luke Yam as head coach alongside specialized and assistant coaches: Greg Miles, Henry Ahn, Adam Inouye, Zach Chaba and roving coaches: Christian Raytek, James Bradwell (for more information on each member of the coaching staff click on 'Roster' on the left side panel).
Will this team be allowed imports (out of boundary players)?
Yes, however all first year players new to the PBL in Bantam (15U), Junior (16U) and Senior (18U) are required to play for their catchment area team. An import player is defined as a player transferring from another PBL organization/ boundary. Players that reside in open areas or other provinces or countries are not classified as import players if they have not appeared on a PBL team roster. Players that reside in a shared catchment area are not considered import players if they transfer to another team that shares the same catchment area. Players seeking movement to another team (transfers can only take place between August 15th and May 1st) must send an email to their manager/coach and the Executive Director requesting a meeting to discuss this transfer. Please take a look at the PBL rulebook for further clarification (see Links on left side panel) or email our General Manager Vinny Martin (vinny.martin@ubc.ca) if there are any questions.
When are tryouts and how many players will be selected for this team?
Tryouts are set for early December. Full details can be found HERE. The plan is to select 16-17 players for the 2025 season.
Where does the UBC Bantam team practice/play?
The UBC Bantam Thunder practice and play out of UBC's Tourmaline West Baseball Stadium and the Rose Indoor Training Centre. Click HERE for more information about our field and facility.
Due to facility/field space throughout the year, we may look to practice at Nanaimo Park and/or Chaldecott Park on occasion.
What teams are expected to be in Bantam PBL league for 2025?
(1) Abbotsford Cardinals (2) Coquitlam Reds (3) Delta Blue Jays (4) Langley Blaze (5) Mid-Island Pirates (6) North Shore Twins (7) North Island Royals (8) UBC Thunder (9) Victoria Eagles (10) Victoria Mariners (11) Whalley Chiefs (12) White Rock Tritons
Expect the season to be 44 games (play each team 4 times)
What tournaments will the 2025 team plan on competing in throughout the year?
- Mar 8-9: Blaze Bantam PBL Icebreaker (Langley, BC)
- Mar 20-23 West Coast Premier Spring Training (Phoenix, Arizona)
- May 1-4: Best of the West 15U Premier Showcase (Kamloops, BC)
- May 29-June 1: Top Tier Cardinal Classic (Seattle, Washington)
- June 26-June 30: 15U Canada Day Classic (Okotoks, AB)
- July 24-July 27: Bantam PBL Provincial Championship - QUALIFICATION REQUIRED (Host: White Rock Tritons)
- August 1-3: Bantam AAA Western & National Qualifier - QUALIFICATION REQUIRED (Host/Location: Lower Mainland)
What is the difference between the Bantam PBL Provincial Championship and Bantam AAA Western & National Qualifiers?
The Bantam PBL Provincial Championship are only open to Bantam PBL teams in the BCPBL (usually top 8 out of 13). The Bantam AAA Western & National Qualifiers are open to all Bantam AAA teams in BC (Bantam PBL and BC Minor). The number of berths in the Bantam AAA Western & National Qualifiers handed out between Bantam PBL and BC Minor varies from year to year and is dependent on the number of teams entered, at this point it is unknown (past years have been top 4 in BC Minor and top 4 in Bantam PBL - league standings & a single knockout elimination bracket that involved all BC Minor Bantam AAA & Bantam PBL teams).
We expect Baseball BC to return to the 2023 model for qualification process: where league standings will determine the berths for both PBL and BC Minor teams.
What we do know: The winner of the Bantam AAA Western & National Qualifiers earns the right to represent the province at Nationals (Summerside, PEI) while the runner-up represents the province at Westerns (Alberta/Saskatchewan).
There is a "reward" for the winner/runner-up of the Bantam AAA Western & National Qualifiers...so what happens to the winner of the Bantam PBL Provincial Championship?
The reward for the winner of the Bantam PBL Provincial Championship is a banner and prestigious honour of being the top performing Bantam PBL team in the playoffs (ie. Provincial Champions)
Where will the Bantam PBL Provincial Championships/Playoffs and the Baseball BC Qualifier for Westerns and Nationals be hosted?
White Rock Tritons (held at South Surrey Athletic Park) are hosting the 2025 Bantam PBL Provincial Championship from July 24-27.
TBA (Lower Mainland) will be the host of the 2025 Baseball BC Qualifier for Westerns and Nationals from August 1-3.
(NOTE: Langley Blaze are hosting the PBL Championships July 23-27 while the Whalley Chiefs are hosting the JPBL Championships Aug 6-10) - both and PBL and JPBL playoffs are double knockout formats
With White Rock Tritons hosting the Bantam PBL Provincial Championships, what does qualification look like?
In 2025, the host team does not get an auto berth in the provincials. Thus, teams placing 1-8 at the conclusion of the 44 game season will make the Provincial Championships (irrespective of where White Rock places).
Are there any updates in re: to the 2025 Schedule?
- We will be doing a spring training trip Mar 17-24 (competing in the WCP Arizona Spring Training - 6 game guarantee from Mar 20-23). We are currently putting together an itinerary and looking into accomodations.
- Pre-Season S&C/Lift Sessions will be added to the schedule from Jan 14 - Mar 10 (every Sunday): Group 1 goes first hour & Group 2 goes second hour (Jan: 9-11am // Feb: 11-1pm // Mar: 7-9am)
- In-Season S&C/Lift Sessions will be added to the schedule from Apr 2 - July 31 (every Tuesday/Wednesday): Group 1 goes Tuesdays from 7:30-8:30pm & Group 2 goes Wednesdays from 7:30-8:30pm
- With our top 2 finish in last year's BoW tournament, we have qualified for the 2025 Best of the West 15U Tournament (Kamloops, BC) which will take place May 1-4. A block of hotel rooms have been reserved already.
- The Top Tier Cardinal Classic (Seattle, Washington) is scheduled for May 29-June 1 but in the past, tournament organizers have scheduled out of town teams to play their first game on May 30th (Friday). We can likely expect the same here, likely a double header with an afternoon start for the 1st game on May 30th. We have not looked into accomodations yet at this time.
- The Canada Day Classic (Okotoks, AB) is scheduled for June 26-June 30. We will be planning on making a block booking at the Best Western Plus in Okotoks.
- The 14U & 15U Baseball BC Summer Games will be held in Chilliwack from June 20-22.
- The White Rock Tritons are hosting the 2025 Bantam PBL Provincial Championships from July 25-28.
- There has yet to be a host named for the 2025 Baseball BC Qualifier for Westerns and Nationals from August 1-3.
What high performance programs/opportunites will Baseball BC be offering in 2025?
BC Minor Coaches Conference
There is a high performance player clinics offered by BC (Minor) Baseball in February during the weekend of the annual coaches conference held at the Langley Events Centre.
There will be credible instructors at these sessions (including but not limited to): Reggie Smith, Aaron Myette, Roberto Alomar, Pete Caliendo, Jeff Krushell).
Details are below:
Dates/Times: February 14-15
Location: Langley Events Centre
- Friday = $30
- Saturday = $60 (lunch is included)
- Friday and Saturday package = $75 (lunch is included on Saturday)
Registration Link: Coming soon...
Baseball BC High Performance - For 14U & 15U athletes
For up to date information, please see: https://www.baseball.bc.ca/highperformance
14U & 15U athletes will only attend an ID camp for their respective age group. Camp capacity will be limited to 30 athletes.
The Zone ID camp dates listed below.
----OPEN TRYOUTS: KEEP POSTED AS REGISTRATION LINK WILL BE POSTED HERE AT THE BEGINNING OF APRIL: https://www.baseball.bc.ca/highperformance----
Attend only one of the below Zone ID tryouts:
Thursday May 8, 2025: Time and Location TBA
Tuesday May 13, 2025: Time and Location TBA
Thursday May 22, 2025: Time and Location TBA
Tuesday May 13, 2025: Time and Location TBA
Thursday May 22, 2025: Time and Location TBA
BASEBALL BC SUMMER GAMES 14U & 15U TEAMS WILL BE SELECTED ON OR PRIOR TO MAY 31
-----NOTE: In order to be selected to your zone's BC Summer Games roster, you must have attended one of the above Zone ID tryouts-----
A team of 16 players for 14U Vancouver-Coastal and a team of 16 players for 15U Vancouver-Coastal will be selected for the Baseball BC Summer Games.
Friday June 20, 2025 Baseball BC Summer Games (Chilliwack, BC)
Saturday June 21, 2025 Baseball BC Summer Games (Chilliwack, BC)
Sunday June 22, 2025 Baseball BC Summer Games (Chilliwack, BC)
LIST OF PROSPECT CAMP INVITES WILL BE SENT OUT FOLLOWING THE BASEBALL BC SUMMER GAMES
----NOTE: Invites for players to participate in the below Prospects Camp will be sent to a select athletes who attended one of the Zone ID tryouts----
Friday August 8, 2025 Prospects Camp
Saturday August 9, 2025 Prospects Camp
Sunday August 10, 2025 Prospects Camp
Friday August 8, 2025 Prospects Camp
Saturday August 9, 2025 Prospects Camp
Sunday August 10, 2025 Prospects Camp
14U AND 15U PROSPECT TEAMS WILL BE SELECTED FOLLOWING THE PROSPECTS CAMP
For the athletes who were invited to participate in the above Prospects Camp, coaches will select a 14U and 15U team.
14U team will compete in the Westerns Prospects Series in Alberta (Labour Day Weekend). 15U team will compete in the Desert Classic in Las Vegas in late October.
Pickups - Players will also be able to have a chance to get picked up by teams who will earned the right to represent BC at Westerns and Nationals (Baseball BC Qualifiers).
------------------- FAQs -------------------
Is Bantam PBL a wood bat only league?
Yes, Bantam PBL is strictly wood or wood composite bats only.
In-person options: Sports Exchange, Abbies Sport Shop, Prostock Athletic Supplies, MVP Athletics, Sports Replay
Online options: Manufacturer sites, Baseball Express, Baseball Savings, Baseball Monkey, Baseball Town
With regards to the weight/height restrictions; it does not have to be a -3 (can as light as a -5, all about player preference)
Roughly, how many games will be played throughout the 2025 season?
It's difficult to pinpoint exactly how many games but the below should outline the general amount:
- Pre-Season/In-Season Exhibition: ~15 games
- League Games: 44 games
- Tournament Games: ~14 games
- Provincials/Qualifiers: ~7 games
TOTAL: around 75 games
In 2023, UBC Bantam Thunder played 85 games (pre-season, 48 season games, tournament and post-season games included)
In 2024, UBC Bantam Thunder played 81 games (pre-season, 44 season games, tournament and post-season games included)
What is the cost for the season (January-August)?
When the budget is finalized, please see: https://pointstreaksites.com/view/ubcthunder/organization/ubc-thunder-program/cost-breakdown
Last year, the cost was $4,750 per Bantam player.
How many berths will be available for PBL teams at Baseball BC's Bantam AAA Western and National Qualifiers?
For the 2025 season, we are unsure how many berths will be allocated for BC Minor and PBL teams. For Bantam AAA in 2023, BC Minor teams were awarded 4 berths and PBL teams were awarded 4 berths. The 4 berths for each league were earned through the four teams that earned a semi-final berth in their Provincials (BC Minor) and top 4 in the standings after regular season (PBL). In 2024, Baseball BC moved to an in-season single elimination bracket style tournament. We expect Baseball BC to follow a similar format as 2023 for the 2025 season.
What is the format of the Bantam PBL Provincial Championship?
In 2024, the format of the PBL Championships for Bantam was 2 pools of 4. Top 8/13 teams made the Championships/Playoffs and 1,4,5,8 was in Pool A while 2,3,6,7 were in Pool B. The 2024 Provincials was hosted by the Victoria Mariners at Layritz Park.
Teams that qualified: 1-Delta 2-Victoria Eagles 3-UBC 4-Victoria Mariners 5-Mid-Island 6-Whalley 7-Coquitlam 8-Abbotsford
2024 BCPBL Bantam Provincial Champion: Victoria Eagles
We expect 2025 to follow the same format as 2024.
What is the format of the Bantam AAA Western and National Qualifiers?
In 2023, the format of the Bantam AAA Western and National Qualifiers was a double elimination bracket. The top seeded PBL team (PBL1) played the bottom seed BC Minor team (BCM4)...PBL2 vs. BCM3...PBL3 vs. BCM2...PBL4 vs. BCM1.
Teams that qualified: BCM1-Cloverdale BCM2-North Shore Minor BCM3-Ridge Meadows BCM4-Cowichan Valley PBL1-Delta PBL2-Victoria Eagles PBL3-Langley PBL4-UBC
2023 team that represented BC at Nationals: Delta Blue Jays
2023 team that represented BC at Westerns: Langley Blaze
In 2024, the single elimination bracket had Ridge Meadows Royals, Delta Blue Jays, Victoria Eagles and Abbotsford Cardinals as the last standing 4 teams.
2024 team that represented BC at Nationals: Delta Blue Jays
2024 team that represented BC at Westerns: Abbotsford Cardinals
We expect the 2025 format to following something similar to 2023.
Is there a plan for UBC Thunder to host a tournament or any Championships in Bantam?
We will not be hosting a tournament or any Championships in Bantam in 2025.
Are there any new/revised rules incoming for the 2025 PBL season?
There were a number of the same rules discussed and voted on at the 2024 PBL AGM, here are some rules we expect to be back in place for the 2025 PBL season:
- Re-entry allowed for starters [NOT applicable in the PBL Championships]
- DH (Designated Hitter) is allowed at all levels [NOT applicable in the Bantam AAA Westerns/Nationals Qualifier]
- EH (Extra Hitter) can interchange with those on defense freely (not just a hitter) [NOT applicable in the PBL Championships]
- Runner for the catcher (Courtesy Runner) allowed with 2 outs [NOT applicable in the PBL Championships]
- Tiebreaker rules in effect for extra innings (8th inning and beyond), a single runner begins at 2nd base with none out [NOT applicable in the PBL Championships]
- The Shohei Ohtani rule (P/DH) is allowed [NOT applicable in the Bantam AAA Westerns/Nationals Qualifier]
Will Bantam players have the opportunity to get called up to Jr PBL throughout the year?
Yes, they will. Usually in the event of injury or absences, UBC Jr Thunder may want to call a player up from Bantam to their roster for a game.
NEW IN 2025: The 10 game call up rule was removed for Bantam and Junior players. Bantam and Junior players are not subject to any game limits, and grade 12 students or gap year players are prohibited from participating at a lower level.
What will be the format of the tryouts?
During the OPEN weekend (Dec 7-8, 2024):
- Physical Assessment
- Hitting Assessment
- Defensive Evaluation
- Throwing Evaluation
- Bullpens - (for players that would like to pitch) *players will not be required to throw if they don’t feel their arm is ready
We expect to callback 20-25 players and during the CALLBACK weekend (Dec 14-15, 2024):
- An extension of the above (if needed)
- High Tempo Competitions
- Player Interviews
- Personality Test
- Baseball IQ Test
The team will be selected on or before December 18, 2024.
Will there be Guest Coaches/Speakers throughout the year?
Yes, here is a quick list of some workshops throughout the year: Mental Skills, Academic Advisor, Nutritionist, Concussion Talk, Physiotherapist, Strength Training
What will the Classroom Sessions (Jan-Mar, every Monday) include?
---------------------------------------------------------------
2025 Schedule/Calendar (Schedule Overview in text form is below the calendars)
NOTE: All dates and times below are TENTATIVE and subject to change
If you have any questions, please let Luke know at UBCBantamThunder@gmail.com