Callegari and Popoff sign LOI's with UBC Thunderbirds

Richmond Red Sox Bantam AAA alumni Sean Callegari and Tyson Popoff have signed to play with the UBC Thunderbirds.  Congratulations to both former standout Richmond Bantam AAA players who will join the top ranked Canadian university baseball program this fall.

Callegari, a left-handed pitcher, was a big part of our program in 2006 and 2007.  Sean holds the team record for wins in a season (12) and was a go-to guy during his time here winning many big games.  After graduating to the PBL in 2008, Sean played for the Fraser Valley Chiefs, Vancouver Cannons and the North Shore Twins before heading to Douglas College for his first taste of college baseball.

"Sean will challenge for a starting spot right away in our rotation which has been decimated by the MLB draft the past two seasons," commented UBC Head Coach Terry McKaig.  "He brings experience and has proven he can be a workhorse like he was at Douglas College.  This level of play will likely bring the best out of Sean and we are looking forward to him being a big part of our pitching staff," continued McKaig.

Popoff, a shortstop, played a dominant role as a teammate of Callegari's on the 2007 Red Sox squad.  Tyson's stat line for 2007 was incredible, setting the club record with a .485 batting average (234 plate appearances) and 95 hits.  In the field he made spectacular plays routine and displayed a remarkable baseball sense in his overall game.

After moving on to the North Delta Blue Jays of the PBL (where he earned a BC Selects roster spot), Tyson signed with Salt Lake Community College, in the tough NJCAA Scenic West Athletic Conference.  After a solid rookie year in 2011, he hit .371 this season and earned First Team All-Region and Defensive Player-of-the-Year honours. 

"We are very excited to have a player of Tyson's caliber joining us," said Coach McKaig.  "He will bring instant experience after two years at Salt Lake, and should plug into our infield nicely.  I'm looking forward to him bringing his unique style of play to the Thunderbirds."

The UBC Thunderbirds baseball program is widely regarded as the nation's top post-secondary baseball program (and only top level University program) with five NAIA Regional titles and 14 players taken in the MLB draft.  Head Coach Terry McKaig has been at the helm for 15 years now, and is a three time NAIA Coach-of-the-Year recipient.