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Biro back to help with batting

T-bird coach and former Parksville Royals star were in town to help with coaching clinic
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UBC Thunderbirds’ Kevin Biro (right) and head coach Terry McKaig

UBC Thunderbird third baseman and Parksville Royals’ alumni Kevin Biro was back in town this week to lend a hand in a mini coaching clinic with T-bird head coach Terry McKaig.

Biro, hailing from Deep Bay, is part of a T-bird squad that is sporting a 23–9 record so far this season. It’s something that’s been quite a turnaround according to Biro which he attributes to the team coming together.

“We’ve really grown together as a team, it’s been pretty good to see. Last year we didn’t really have the camaraderie we’ve got this year,” Biro said.

“There were a few more individuals looking to get theirs last year and this year it’s totally different. We’re a team that’s really learned to rely on each other and it’s showing with our record here.”

Biro himself has been on a tear early on to start the year, even earning Player of the Week honors in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) recently.

Since then he’s seen his play decline a little but was able to get in some one-on-one time with his head coach while visiting Kwalikum Secondary School for a mini coaching seminar.

“I missed a practice on Tuesday, so coach thought it would be a good chance to get into the cage in Parksville and work some of the kinks out,” Biro said. “I’ve been struggling at the plate a little bit as of late, so to be able to have the one on one time was really beneficial for me. It really allowed me to fine tune some of the issues I’ve been having.”

Biro is batting at a clip of .365 to go along with 46 hits, good enough to lead the T-birds and 21 RBI’s, good enough for second on the team. It’s a turn around for Biro from last season and he said he feels like he’s found his groove after getting another season under his belt.

“I think that it’s been a combination of the summer last year in Melville and just having another season under my belt with the T-birds. I’m a year older and I was able to really work through some stuff last summer as a player,” Biro said.

“When I came back after winning in Melville, the coaches really saw that I was able to play in a role that I hadn’t had here the season before. They saw that and basically let me have at it out there.”

The Thunderbirds recently cracked the top 25 in the NAIA rankings, peaking at the 23rd spot. Teams that finish the season ranked in the top 25 get an automatic bye to the second round of the playoffs, so it’s something that Biro and the T-birds will be looking to have at seasons end.

“We’re coming to a point now where other teams are starting to take notice of what we’ve been doing and how we’ve been playing,” Biro said. “We showed that we really were a team to be taken seriously with the twelve game win streak we had. We know what we’re capable of and if we stick to it and keep healthy, we should finish in the top 25 at the end of the year.”