It might be one of the most potent infields that Todd Hubka has assembled at Prairie Baseball Academy in quite some time.
The coach is looking to ride the group of four sophomores – Tetsu Nishida, Will Turner, Nate Garth and Aiden Mackenzie – as part of a core group of hitters he believes will put up a plethora of runs in the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) this spring.
For Nishida, the Calgary-born shortstop will be leading off and hopefully setting the stage for the heart of the order to do some damage.
He hit .352 with 22 runs scored, 15 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases in 31 games last season, before posting a .286 average with two RBI and a stolen base in two playoff games as the Dawgs fell in the semi-finals to the eventual champion Okanagan College.
Nishida, who spent part of last summer with the Lethbridge Bulls, says they are hungry to get back at it and prove that they belong in the championship this coming May.
We sat down with the 5-foot-8, 170-pound Calgary Cubs alum and Columbia International University commit in our annual CCBC Season Preview Extravaganza, which helped us form the basis for our first 7th Inning Stretch of the 2026 season.
1. We are on the cusp of CCBC Opening Weekend. How excited are you to get things rolling?
I’m super-excited to go back outside, play some games again, and be in that competitive environment where it’s always fun to be.
2. What’s the vibe in the clubhouse as you guys get ready to head to UBC?
It’s so exciting and it’s always fresh in there. We’re all looking forward to it, we’re all pushing each other, trying to hopefully win it all. We’re all there for each other. We have a good group of people so I’m excited.
3. Give us the inside scoop with your scouting report. What are you seeing out of the team in the early going?
I think, especially during pre-season, it’s like we’re still trying new things. I think our team can really hit – we have a bunch of hitters one through nine. I’m confident even in our bench that we have a bunch of guys who can hit. I’m really confident that as long as our defense and pitching can minimize the runs against, we can win many ball games this season.
4. After a year where you came agonizingly close to getting into the CCBC championship game, how do you get over that hump this time around?
I think it’s hard not to feel the rawness of that loss in the semifinals, but I feel like it’s also good to not forget it at all because it’s motivation to try to get better and reach greater heights this season. It’s going to be up to the returning players to work hard, build from their skills of last year, contribute all they can to the team, and hopefully win it all.
5. As one of the veterans on the team, what are you telling the guys to get them ready for the year?
I feel like it’s about not worrying about your numbers so much and just keep going day by day, game by game, and just taking care of yourself. It’s not all about working as hard as you can every day, but actually taking time to recover and rest so that you can play in these games at your best.
6. On a personal level, do you have any goals or expectations of yourself heading into the season?
Not too much. Last year, I got a little distracted by numbers and stuff, then it caught up with me and ended up in slumps and that kind of thing. This time, I’m just trying to stay away from numbers, just worry about one at-bat at a time, and take care of what I can.
7. What would it mean to you to bring a CCBC championship back to Prairie Baseball Academy?
It’d be so good. We haven’t won the championship in a while, so it’d be really cool if I could be a part of the team that brings the championship back to this academy. It would be an honour to be a part of it.
