Former Falcon Honoured By UBC

Canada’s most-decorated athletics program, the UBC Thunderbirds, celebrated its best and brightest stars, both past and present at the 93rd annual UBC Big Block Awards and Hall of Fame Banquet on Tuesday.

Former Falcons’ infielder Andrew Firth was honoured.by winning the Bobby Gaul Memorial Trophy as UBC’s graduating male athlete of the year.

A four-year starter for the Thunderbirds, Firth, who’s from London, Ont., finished off an impressive university career in 2013. He was a career .344 hitter, averaging 57 hits and 33 runs batted in per season. His season highs included a .382 batting average, 38 runs scored, 12 doubles, and 50 RBI. An infielder who played where ever he was asked was a conference Gold Glove winner in 2011 and a two-time NAIA West All-Star while helping the Thunderbirds to league titles in 2010 and 2011. Off the field, he was just as outstanding in the classroom, winning a place on the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Baseball Team in 2013. He also earned Academic All-Canadian status at UBC in each of his four seasons. Firth also represented Canada at the 2011 World University Games.

Firth played 89 games for the Falcons during the 2011 and 2012 seasons and showed one of the most amazing improvements from one year to the next.

In 2011, he hit .195 in 47 games collecting 30 hits, six doubles and 15 RBIs.

One season later in 2012, Firth improved to an average of .331 in 42 games, with 47 hits, nine doubles, two homers and 21 RBIs.