Noah Or & Lethbridge Bulls 1-0 in Playoffs
The Lethbridge Bulls finished their first playoff game with a Win over the Sylvan Lake Gulls this evening, snapping a 6-game losing streak to end the regular season. The Bulls won 4-2, putting them in position to eliminate the Gulls and move on to the finals with a win at home in Lethbridge tomorrow. Noah Or had a chance to talk to our team ahead of the game today. “We’re holding heads up high.” Or tells us as the team rested up at their hotel. “I’m looking forward to game. The last 40 games before don’t matter, only the remaining ones do. In a sense we’re starting fresh for rest of the week.”
We asked Noah if the end to the regular season, which saw the Bulls drop from being in contention for first in the Division to a 3rd place finish, was weighing on the team. “We have a revamp mindset.” Or says. “We were getting tired and complacent ending the season. We know we need to get back into it and we’re bringing a better mindset.”
Or plays Catcher for the Bulls. He is in his final year of eligibility, looking to wrap up his Kinesiology degree at UBC in the upcoming scholastic year. Or normally lives in Richmond, BC, but made the trip out to Lethbridge for the summer to pursue the opportunity to play with the Bulls. “I was just excited to play again.” Or says. “It’s been 18 months since I was last playing. I’ve liked playing for Chance and Lou; Kevin has built a great environment to play ball in.” Or is referring to the Bulls coaching staff and Kevin Kvame, the president of the WCBL also based in Lethbridge. “Near the start of the season, we [players] were all looking for places to play and roster spots were slim. I got a call from my UBC coach a week before exhibition games against Vauxhall were to start and a text from Chance saying the Bulls needed a catcher.” Or made the trip over from BC and has been a regular starter for the Bulls since then.
In a way, his recruitment to the Bulls this season is similar to how Or found the catcher’s position in the first place. “When we we kids we needed a catcher. Everyone plays it at a young age, but I really like it. As we grew up it’s a position we still needed. I enjoy being in every play and creating relationships with the pitcher. That’s why that positions good for me.” Or has taken his position as one of the most experienced members of the squad in stride this season, and become a mentor to several of the younger plays. When we interviewed Ty Wevers back in July, he noted that Or had a significant impact on his play this season. Or considers this when we share that with him. “Being one of the older guys it’s great to share experience. Because of COVID I’ve had a shortened career. Sharing the lessons I’ve learnt with the new guys is a pleasure. Ty asks a lot of great questions and I get to see him implkement that in his game.”
For himself, Or credits the support he’s received from his family for his own successes on and off the field through his collegiate career. “I’d like to give them a shoutout,” he says, “I really have them to thank for everything related to my baseball career.” When he isn’t playing baseball, you can find Noah kicking back around his home in Richmond hiking, playing spikeball and volleyball. He also likes going out to eat, and likes anything new. Imbued with culinary skills himself, he enjoys whipping up new dishes himself as much as finding new places and dishes to try.
As the team went into their playoff run, Noah had this message for the team: “I want our whole team to leave what we have on the field. It’s been a long season and we have one more week to leave it all out there.” Coming off the 4-2 win in game 1, we expect Or and the team will be happy with that result and ready bring the energy back home in game 2 tomorrow night.