By Daniel Ramos
@raptorsvision

TORONTO – Keenan Parker hit a two RBI single for New Blue to secure a 3-1 victory over Team Grey and kickstart the Canadian Futures Showcase at the Rogers Centre, on Wednesday morning.

With the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth, Parker (St. Albert, Alta.) hit a single to right-centre off Owen Fernandes (Vauxhall, Alta.), allowing Remi Lemay (Ste-Martine, Que.) and Josiah Romeo (Caledon, Ont.) to score on the play.

“My swing is probably where I’m strongest,” said Parker, afterwards. “I’ve always been a powerful hitter, just got to locate things and drive balls. It’s all I can do.”

Anthony Unga (Oakville, Ont.) had an impressive performance in relief for New Blue. The 6-foot-4 hurler threw a total of 41 pitches and five strikeouts in two innings.

“I felt great, I was locating pretty well and my slider was working,” said Unga, who was named player of the game. “It’s my ability to fight, you know, whenever I get down runners on base. I'm good at working my way back.”

Starting pitcher for New Blue was right hander Wesley Johnston (Toronto). He threw 55 pitches and three strikeouts in three innings, before Unga took over.

Contributing for Team Grey was Brodey Bitove (Toronto). The outfielder hit a triple in the top of the fifth inning and then scored on a double to left field by Landon Kauffman (Vancouver).

Another standout performance from that side was right-handed pitcher Makaio Cisneros (Whitby, Ont.). He threw 49 pitches and three strikeouts in three innings.

“It felt great going on to the mound,” Cisneros said. “Just working with my stuff, pounding the strike zone, and getting quick outs really helped my confidence.”

Games between prospects will continue at Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays, until Sept. 23.

By Andrew Stuetz
@StuetzA

TORONTO -- Starter Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, Que.) tossed two scoreless innings with four strikeouts, while centre-fielder Simon Baker (Cochrane, Alta.) had two hits, three runs, and two stolen bases, as Team Royal Blue beat Team Black 6-3 at the Rogers Centre on Wednesday afternoon.

It was the first game for both teams at the 2023 Blue Jays’ Canadian Futures Showcase.

Team Black starter Sam MacLaughlin (Toronto) laboured through three innings, giving up five earned runs and three walks while dishing out six strikeouts. Teammate Noah Cantwell had two hits, one RBI and scored a run.

The Cambridge, Ont., native said the team just had to keep things simple after the loss.

“We just have to take things one step a time and try not to do too much,” Cantwell said postgame, outside Team Black’s dugout. “We just have to [continue to] stay calm and play our game, that’s it. Just play our game.”

Royal Blue had started well when Baker got on base after a throwing error by shortstop Tim Piasentin (Couquitlam, B.C.), followed by back-to-back walks from shortstop Brendan Lawson (Toronto) and outfielder/relief pitcher Benito Bonilla (Halifax) to load the bases.

Third baseman Oliver Clements (Vancouver) hit a two-run double past an outstretched Cantwell at third base for a 2-0 lead.

Despite being down early, Team Black’s MacLaughlin settled in to record back-to-back strikeouts to end the half-inning on 33 pitches.

Royal Blue’s starter Wallace made short work of his first half-inning starting off with back-to-back strikeouts of his own.

Royal Blue kept the pressure on early in the second when Kwak led things off with a double and Keegan Drinkle (Maple Ridge, B.C.) roped an RBI double into the same location to give Royal Blue a 3-0 lead – making the most of his opportunity on a big stage.

“I was pretty nervous coming into the game,” Drinkle said postgame, on the field. “I’ve always dreamt about it [playing in the Major Leagues], so it was good to get that first at-bat out of the way and settled in.

“This is a really, really cool experience.”

Baker drew a walk on MacLaughlin’s 46^th pitch before Lawson hit an RBI double to right centre-field, extended the Royal Blue lead to 4-0 and advancing Baker to third base.

Bonilla grounded out to second baseman Alexandre Laurence (Terrebonne, Que.) to score Baker, giving Royal Blue a 5-0 lead before Lawson was tagged out at third base to end the inning.

Wallace recorded multiple strikeouts in the second inning to once again make quick work of his time on the mound.

Ricketts led off the third inning with a pop up to first base before MacLaughlin recorded back-to-back strikeouts to end the half-inning and his day on the mound. He finished with 65 pitches, giving up five earned runs on five hits while recording six strikeouts.

Shane Brinham (North Vancouver) entered the game for Team Royal in the bottom of the third in relief of Wallace who tossed just two innings, recorded four strikeouts and allowed just one hit. Brinham was immediately greeted by the big bat of Cantwell who roped a double down the third base line, a popular spot for doubles in the game.

With two outs, Piasentin singled to score Cantwell and get Team Black on the board in the bottom of the third at 5-1.

Ethan Morris (Hanmer, Alta.) came into the game in the top of the fifth inning to replace Brinham after the latter tossed two innings giving up one hit and one earned run with three strikeouts.

Enter Lucas Alberti, who stole home, making it a 5-2 game.

Aidan George (Woodstock, Ont.) singled to score Baker to increase the Royal Blue lead to 6-2.

By Yannis Economopoulos
@yannisecono

TORONTO – Leo Cote (Sainte-Catherine-De Hatley, Que.) hit an RBI double to lift Team Red past Team Navy 3-2 in the third game of the 2023 Canadian Futures Showcase on Wednesday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.

The Okotoks Dawgs Academy shortstop drove in Tristan DesRochers (Barrie, Ont.) and Dante Smith (Ajax, Ont.), to go ahead for good in the top of the sixth.

Although Cote, who was 2-for-3 with two RBI, had the big hit, he believes his strongest contribution came elsewhere.

“Leading the team and being a strong leader,” said the left-handed hitter. “It’s my second year here, so I know how to go about my business, how to show myself on the field, and keep everything positive.

“It’s good for the younger guys to have a leader to help them.”

David Krahn (Aldergrove, B.C.), third baseman for Team Red, grounded into a double play in the fifth, but it was enough to bring right-fielder Briggham Kokotailo (Langley, B.C.) home to cut the 2-0 deficit in half.

Ben Goodacre (Ancaster, Ont.), who started for Team Red, was impressive in his two hitless frames. He tallied five consecutive strikeouts before Sawyer Jensen (Wheatland County, Alta.) took over in the third and fourth innings.

Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, B.C.), who was named player of the game, was the other half of the pitcher’s duel. In his three hitless innings of work, he struck out six and walked one on 44 pitches.

“I’m excited and fired up,” the Langley Blaze southpaw said after the game. “I want to just go back out there and do the same thing.”

Navy third baseman Jordan Jacob (Aurora, Ont.) stole home after advancing to third on back-to-back balks to give his team a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Quinn Carson (Oakville, Ont.) scored shortly after, on a Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) single to centre field.

Despite stealing four bases in this game, Team Navy was unable to regain the lead.

By Jake Schulz
@jake_schulz6

TORONTO - Philip Cheong scored two runs and stole three bases as Team New Blue and Team Royal Blue settled on a 2-2 tie at the Rogers Centre on Wednesday night.

This was the second game for both teams at the Canadian Futures Showcase tournament.

After leading off the first inning with a walk, Cheong (Richmond Hill, Ont.) stole second, then advanced to third off a wild pitch from Team Royal Blue pitcher Tate Carey. A sacrifice fly to right field by Eric Machej (Okotoks, Alta.) allowed Cheong to score, giving Team New Blue (1-0-1) a 1-0 lead.

Building off his momentum, Cheong swiped his second and third bases in the third inning before Jorge Valdes Jr. (Milton, Ont.) singled to score the second baseman and put Team New Blue up 2-0.

Cheong said the chance to steal was his opportunity to shine.

“Speed is my game … If you can’t do anything, make sure you do something to stand out,” said Cheong. “If you walk three times, steal.”

Despite being down 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Team Royal Blue (1-0-1) continued to push. Oliver Clements (Vancouver) doubled to deep left field before Aidan George (Woodstock, Ont.) singled, and Simon Baker (Cochrane, Altl.) walked to load the bases with no outs.

After a Quincy Jenkins (St. Albert, Altl.) grounder scored Clements, Team Royal Blue took advantage of a throwing error by catcher Matt MacDonald to tie the game at 2-2.

Clements thinks each game provides a “limited opportunity” to impress, but his efforts helped fuel Team Royal Blue’s comeback.

“You’ve got to take advantage of them. And you always want to win a game, especially in the Rogers Centre,” said Clements. “You’ve got to have that compete in you and stay locked in.”

Both teams got strong performances from their pitchers.

Starting pitcher Matthew Brown (Carlisle, Ont.) threw 55 pitches and allowed just one hit for Team New Blue, while striking out four in three innings of action.

Relief pitcher Reid Clague (Victoria, B.C.) impressed for Team Royal Blue, striking out five in his two innings of work.

Ryan Galati
@RyanGalati1

TORONTO – Tim Piasentin’s (Coquitlam, B.C.) second and third RBIs of the tournament powered Team Black’s 4-2 win over Team Red on Wednesday night at Rogers Centre.

After a scoreless first inning, Team Black’s starting pitcher Zac Foden (Edmonton) struggled in the second.

The right-hander walked two batters before throwing a wild pitch that saw runners advance to second and third. The ensuing at-bat saw Red’s right fielder Jackson Long (Guelph, Ont.) ground out, scoring Tristan DesRochers (Barrie, Ont.) for the first run of the game.

In the top of the third, Sam Byers (Ottawa) scored on a sacrifice fly to centre-field, giving Team Red a 2-0 lead.

Team Red’s advantage was helped by a solid outing from 6-foot-7 Reuben Malamed (Toronto), who went three innings, striking out two and allowing one hit.

However, the two-run advantage stood until the bottom of the fifth inning.

Trailing 2-1 and with the bases loaded, Piasentin stepped up to the plate.

The designated hitter connected with an inside cutter off Team Red pitcher Jacob Sigouin (St-Jean-sur-richelieu, Que.), singling to right field and scoring both Dylan Chopp (Calgary) and Aaron Hicks (Fredericton) for a 3-2 Team Black lead.

Team Black extended its lead to 4-2 in the bottom of the seventh as Lucas Alberti (Toronto) singled to left field to bring home Noah Cantwell (Cambridge, Ont.).

Right-handed pitcher Hank Vandermeer (Milton, Ont.) closed the game for Team Black, throwing two hitless innings.

“I just attacked, threw strikes, and worked my breaking ball,” Vandermeer said post-game. “I felt that worked today.”

Vandermeer’s pitching combined well with the consistent hitting of Piasentin.

“I’m just trying to hit the ball hard, drive in some runs, and help the team win,” said Piasentin.

The B.C., native was quick to credit the change in time zone as a reason for his success.

“I have a little bit of an advantage,” Piasentin said. “It doesn’t feel that late for me...especially with the roof closed.”

Piasentin and Vandermeer helped Team Black improve to 1-1 in this tournament as they hope to make it two in a row when they take on Team Grey tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET.

By Zeno Fu
@zeno_fu99

John Hughes went two for three at the plate as Team Grey dominated Team Navy 7-1 on Day 3 of the Canadian Futures Showcase at the Rogers Centre on Thursday morning.

The centre-fielder from Mississauga, Ont. had a triple in the first inning and a walk in the fourth, scoring on both of those at-bats.

“It feels great just to be here, to do damage … hit a triple right away,” said the player of the game for this matchup on his first appearance at the showcase.

He added that for the remainder of this week, he just has to continue to “play hard, keep attacking and stay confident.”

Left-fielder Antonino Spencer-Thompson (Bradford, Ont.) also scored two runs, while both catcher Brock Grainger (Lindsay, Ont.) and Liam Kirsh (Toronto), who was the extra hitter today, added two RBIs each.

Team Grey’s starting pitcher Luke Foulds (Thunder Bay, Ont.) gave up two hits and threw one strike through three innings, but kept Team Navy from scoring.

The bullpen followed his lead, with Owen Slater (Brooklin, Ont.) striking out two hitters and walking only one across two innings, and Kai Rempel (Calgary) closing out the last two innings with three strikeouts of his own.

“I just took it one pitch at a time, thought of it as a tie game, coming in and throwing strikes,” said Rempel, who gave up a run but otherwise did a fine job putting the finishing touches on a great showing for Team Grey. “Just executing my pitches, not thinking about the big lead we had at hand and go after them.”

Will Hynes (Mississauga, Ont.) had a tough start as he gave up five hits in the first inning, leading to a 4-0 hole for Team Navy, but recovered to finish his outing with two strikes and a walk through three innings.

“I think it’s really important to be able to make adjustments,” said the right-handed pitcher about his first start of the showcase. “I made a big adjustment after the first inning that really helped me for the next two.”

Reliever Max Poirier (Nanaimo, B.C.) gave up three more runs before Xavier-Raphael Brault (Blainville, Que.) closed out the game with three strikeouts and no runs scored across the last two innings.

The Showcase continues to Saturday.

By Ryan Galati
(@RyanGalati1)

TORONTO – Mark Rogers’ (Cambridge, Ont.) pitching and a strong defensive output helped Team New Blue to a 6-5 comeback win over Team Red, Thursday afternoon at Rogers Centre.

Jorge Valdes Jr. (Milton, Ont.) singled home what would be the winning run in the top of the seventh inning, erasing an early 4-0 lead for Team Red.

Left-handed pitcher Ryan Press (Toronto) got the start for Team New Blue at the Canadian Futures Showcase, where he battled through three innings, allowing four hits and giving up four earned runs, three of them in his final frame.

Press was helped in the second by Valdes Jr., who caught Jamie Mercer at home plate with a powerful throw from left field.

Down by four, New Blue began its comeback in the top of the fourth.

Valdes Jr. scored on a wild pitch, and Anthony Clavet (Quebec City) followed soon after off a ground out, cutting the deficit in half.

Despite a phenomenal catch by Team Red centre-fielder Dante Smith (Ajax, Ont.), New Blue continued its comeback in the fifth. With the bases loaded, Valdes Jr. hit a sacrifice-fly to right field, scoring Keenan Parker (St. Albert, Alta.) to make it 4-3.

New Blue finally tied it in the sixth as Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) came home from second on a steal and throwing error by Team Red catcher Mason Ault (Ancaster, Ont.).

Off to the seventh they went. Eric Hartman (St. Albert, Alta.) hit a sacrifice fly off Team Red reliever Jackson Long (Guelph, Ont.), scoring Eric Machej (Okotoks, Alta.) and giving his side its first lead of the afternoon.

Valdes Jr. provided the needed cushion, making it 6-4 off a single to second base. Parker scored on the play.

Mark Rogers closed out the win after four strong innings, giving up a run on a single by Camden Sanders (London, Ont.) and then shutting the door by striking out Tyler Hummel (Victoria, B.C.).

Pitching four hadn’t happened for any pitcher at this tournament to this point, and Rogers said he didn’t know he was going to be the first to do it.

“I was scheduled for two [innings],” he said, afterwards. “But being here is a huge opportunity for me, so when I was told I have to be flexible, I was ready to go, and it worked out.”

Valdes. Jr. had a strong defensive showing for Team New Blue, calling it his type of game.

“Covering range and getting good throws from the outfield is something I take pride in,” he said.

By Shaelyn Winters
@shaelynwinters

TORONTO – Shortstop Matthew Kolodziej’s two-run single in the fourth inning pushed Team Navy to a 7-3 victory against Team Royal in Thursday action at the Blue Jays’ Canadian Futures Showcase.

Third baseman Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.) and catcher Brandon Hoo (Mississauga, Ont.) scored on the play to seal the deal on Team Navy’s first win of the tournament.

Kolodziej (Oakville, Ont.) acknowledged the importance of patience during his at bat.

“I got down two strikes and I was just thinking to compete, you know, grind, stay in it, and look for a good pitch and I got one,” Kolodziej said. “I drove it the other way and it was good.”

Starting pitcher Mathew Zylstra (St Thomas, Ont.) threw 25 pitches in two innings, giving up one hit and one earned run with three strikeouts.

He was replaced by Logan Forgie (Ottawa) who got the win, completing two scoreless frames with two walks and four strikeouts on 32 pitches.

On walking the first batter he faced before steadying his game, Forgie acknowledged nerves as a contributing factor to his start.

“I think just a bit of adrenaline, nerves still, didn’t like fully settle in yet,” Forgie said. “Just took a deep breath and relaxed – it’s a game, just gotta play it.”

Outfielder Preston Schwarz (Ottawa) contributed with three stolen bases while third baseman Jordan Jacob (Aurora, Ont.) added an RBI triple. Jacob would later leaved the game with an ankle injury.

As for Team Royal, right fielder Benito Bonilla (Halifax) had two RBIs.

Starting pitcher Michael Yusypchuk (Edmonton) threw 52 pitches in three innings, giving up two hits and one earned run with four strikeouts.

Second baseman Cooper Clark (Thorndale, Ont.), who received Player of the Game honours, scored a run and added a double in the seven inning.

Team Royal and Team Navy will square off once again Friday at 1 p.m. ET.

By Zulfi Sheikh
@zulfi_sheikh

TORONTO – A four-run first inning propelled Team Grey to a 7-3 win over Team Black at the Rogers Centre on Thursday night.

Liam Kirsh (Toronto) started the scoring outburst when he singled a line drive to left field off Team Black’s starting pitcher R.J. James (Toronto) to score Will Moore (Paris, Ont.) and Brodey Bitove (Toronto).

He finished the game with one hit, two RBIs, and a run scored as Team Grey improved to 2-1 at the Canadian Futures Showcase.

“It was really important for us,” said Kirsh, reflecting on his hit that drove in the first runs of the ball game. “Any time you can get a lead early and get the boys excited, it gets me happy.

“Got the boys on the board and I’m just happy I got to contribute.”

Kirsh not only made an impression with his bat, he also did it with his arm. In the top of the sixth, the catcher made a heads-up play and caught Team Black’s Sam Andersen (Toronto) creeping towards home plate as he tried to collect his fourth stolen base of the game.

Instead, Andersen was tagged by third baseman Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Rivières, Que.) thanks to Kirsh’s timely throw.

“Having a catcher play good defence is very important,” said the 16 year old. “They’re the leader on the field…and a catcher who can hold it together is really important for a team.”

Other runs from Team Grey came courtesy of John Hughes (Mississauga, Ont.), Brock Grainger (Lindsay, Ont.), Stevyn Andrachick (Vauxhall, Atla.), and Moore, who scored a second time.

After rallying from a 2-0 deficit Wednesday to pick up a 4-2 win against Team Red, it was looking like Team Black was poised to do it again Thursday.

Despite being down 4-0, it chipped the lead down to a single run in the second inning. Those scores came from Dylan Chopp (Calgary), Owen Ralph (Toronto), and Andersen. Meanwhile Lucas Alberti (Toronto) showed off his speed and timing with a game-high four stolen bases.

That was as close as the squad was able to get however, as relief pitcher Luke Glenn (Queensville, Ont.) who entered the contest in the fifth, struggled mightily.

He allowed three runs, walked three and hit three batters, as his team picked up its second loss of the tournament.

By Michael Jose Collins
@mikejosecollins

TORONTO, Ont. - Outfielder William Polanco (Laval, Que.) blasted the first home run of the Canadian Futures Showcase in a 9-2 victory for Team New Blue over Team Black, Friday morning at Rogers Centre.

Polanco finished the game with one hit, one run, two RBIs in a strong outing for the Quebecer.

The wooden-bat bomb traveled 368 ft to the right-field bullpen in the big league ballpark for an impressive two run shot.

“In the BP (batting practice) I couldn’t hit my home run, I hit the top of the wall, I was really mad about it,” said Polanco, on the field after the game. “I wanted to hit a bomb, my first bomb in a big-league park and finally today I did it.”

Former Blue Jay José Bautista, who recently joined the team’s Level of Excellence, was in attendance at the game to witness the slugger’s hit.

“I talked to him about that at the start of the game,” said Polanco. “Then I was able to realize what we were talking about, so I’m really proud.”

The New Blue star and player of the game shares the same birth country as Bautista, the Dominican Republic.

There was an impressive outing from New Blue starting pitcher Jack Baxter (Saint John, N.B.), a lifelong Blue Jays fan, who finally got the opportunity to play in the Rogers Centre.

“It’s always been a dream watching the Jays growing up for several years and having the opportunity,” said Baxter happily at the end of the game. “It’s just so awesome to be here and play where the Jays play.”

The lefty ended his outing with four strikeouts, one walk, and zero runs allowed on 46 pitches.

Baxter set a personal record for his velocity of 88.5, something he was eager to improve before the tournament.

“My arm felt good, it held up …,” said Baxter. “It was really great to play against the best players in Canada, the opportunity to be here is just awesome.”

The first home run of the tournament came in an impressive sixth inning for the winning side who scored five runs during the frame.

Shortstop Philip Cheong (Richmond Hill, Ont.) started the sixth by being struck by a pitch, stealing second and third base, and then scoring on a Carter Cathers (Nanaimo, B.C.) ground out to increase the lead 5-1.

Polanco’s home run to right field amped up the lead 6-1.

Starting pitcher for Black Jason Roach (Aurora, Ont.) ended his outing (three innings) with three strikeouts, and one walk on 48 total pitches.

The standout player for the losing side was catcher Gianluca Montanaro who finished with one run on two hits.

Montanaro was not upset about his team’s losing effort in the exhibition tournament, and was more focused on the positives from the game.

“I got to show off some of my wheels as a catcher and then behind the plate,” said Montanaro. “You know, I could have had a better day, but the boys played well.”

The backstop concluded his tournament thinking about all the ways he impressed during the showcase.

“I just think my bat to ball is pretty good,” said Montanaro. “The first swing I took, I hit that, I hit that double off the wall there, and I think that was a good showing of my power.”

Jake Schulz
@jake_schulz6

TORONTO – Simon Baker’s three RBI afternoon propelled Team Royal over Team Navy 6-4 in Blue Jays Canadian Futures Showcase action at the Rogers Centre on Friday afternoon.

With two runners on base, Simon Baker (Cochrane, Altl.) hit a line drive to centre field which allowed both Keegan Drinkle (Maple Ridge, B.C.) and Cooper Clark (Thorndale, Ont.) to score and bring Team Royal up 4-3.

This was the fourth and final lead change of the afternoon.

The back-and-forth contest was a rematch of Thursday’s matchup, where Team Navy beat Team Royal 7-3.

Baker did not want a repeat of that outing.

“We knew we didn’t play that good last game, we knew we were better than that,” said Baker, after the game. “We had to come out with a bang, get the offense going a bit more.”

Team Royal was down early in the first after Team Navy leadoff hitter Aiden de Leon (Milton, Ont.) was walked by Team Royal pitcher Macin MacDonald (Lander, B.C.) at the top of the first, and stole second before a ground out sent de Leon to third.

Quinn Carson (Oakville, Ont.) singled on a fly ball to centre field to allow de Leon to score the first run of the game and put Team Navy up 1-0.

Despite the early aggression, Team Royal continued to play their game in the bottom half as Riley Kwak (Abbotsford, B.C.) advanced to first off of a fielding error by third baseman Matthew Kolodziej (Oakville, Ont.), who then proceeded to steal both second and third base.

Brendan Lawson (Toronto), singled to left field to allow Kwak to tie the game at 1-1.

After Aiden George (Woodstock, Ont.) singled in the bottom of the second, Baker hit a triple to deep left field to bring George home and take a 2-1 lead for Team Royal.

Baker believed aggression was the key to pick up Friday’s victory.

“The scouts aren’t coming to watch you walk. You got to stay aggressive on those pitches you can hit. Just go out and swing the bat.”

Ryan Stalony (Mississauga, Ont.) provided a massive cushion for Team Royal in the bottom of fith, as he smashed a 350 ft. wood-bat homer to left field with Quincy Jenkins on second (St. Albert, Alta.) to push their lead to 6-3.

Stalony’s bomb was just the second home run of the tournament.

Team Royal finished up the tournament with a record of two wins, one draw and a loss.

Team Navy’s Quinn Carson (Oakville, Ont.) had a hit and two RBIs on the afternoon, one of which was off a single that brought Giancarlo Sortino (Aurora, Ont.) home to give them a 3-2 lead at the top of the third.

Luke Laird (Langley, B.C.) also registered an RBI, as he brought home Ethan Mota-Dias (Georgetown, Ont.) in the top of the sixth with a double.

Starting pitcher William LaBonte (Okotoks, Alta.) struggled for Team Navy, allowing two runs, three hits, three walks and two strikeouts through 61 pitches in his three innings of action.

Team Navy completed their tournament with a record of one win and three losses.

By Zeno Fu
@zeno_fu99

TORONTO – Landon Kauffman’s three-run belt into the left field bullpen, and an outstanding pitching display by three hurlers, led Team Grey to an 8-0 victory over Team Red at the Canadian Futures Showcase on Friday afternoon at the Rogers Centre.

The Vancouver native’s 363-foot ride scored Andrew Bishop (Kitchener, Ont.) and Nolan Weinmeyer (Victoria B.C.), producing one of the game’s highlights.

Team Grey’s pitchers provided the other.

Codi Scott (Thamesford, Ont.) handled the first three innings, giving up one hit on two walks and a stikeout. Liam Cruickshank (Mississauga, Ont.) followed that up with three strikeouts and a walk, giving up only one hit, before Evan Schweizer wrapped it up.

The right-handed reliever from Oakville, Ont. finished with three strikeouts and one walk as he closed the last two innings for his team.

“Obviously a little nervous on this big stage, but I just do what I always do, compete and just give my (team) the best chance to win,” said Schweizer, who came into the game in the sixth on the back of five scoreless innings by his fellow pitchers. “It felt really good out there, adrenaline was pumping.”

The offence was slow out of the gate for both teams until Will Moore (Paris, Ont.) opened up the floodgates for Team Grey with a double in the fourth inning, driving in Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Rivières, Que.) for the first run of the game.

“I just wanted to get something going, wanted to score that run,” said Moore, who had a 3-1 count at that point and could have easily taken the walk off a cutter that was inside. “When I saw it cut up into the hands, I was just happy it got through.”

From there, it was all Team Grey, as Dessureault and Brodey Bitove (Toronto) both hit one-run doubles to bring the score to 4-0 in the fifth inning.

Starting pitcher Brett Getz (Medicine Hat, Alta.) was the lone bright light for Team Red. He threw three innings of no-hit baseball, with two strikeouts and only one walk.

“The best part was that I was able to locate all my pitches and I felt confident with going first-pitch change-up,” said the left-handed pitcher. “I was trusting my (defence) behind me and they made all the plays.”

By Andrew Stuetz
@StuetzA

TORONTO – Nathan Flewelling (Innisfail, Alta.) hit eleven home runs – six in his final round – to win the 2023 Canadian Futures Showcase Home Run Derby at the Rogers Centre on Saturday morning.

This year’s derby saw 43 total home runs from the eight players chosen to represent their respective squads. Teams New Blue, Royal, Black, Grey, and Navy were all represented with four players from Team Royal making an appearance.

New Blue’s Flewelling set the tone early as he kicked off the derby with five opening round home runs, good enough to advance him to round two – not before watching the remaining seven players swing the bat in anticipation that he’d advance to the final four.

Royal’s Aidan George (Woodstock, Ont.) made the most of his opportunity hitting six home runs to advance to round two, as teammates Benito Bonilla (Halifax), Lee Jones (Toronto), and Brendan Lawson (Toronto) each contributed a home run.

Team Grey’s Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Rivières, Que.) was the offensive juggernaut of round one crushing eight homers, advancing to the final round with ease. He tied George’s six home runs before taking his 30-second time-out with less than a minute remaining in his round

He would then take the lead with a towering home run into the right field bullpen.

Gianluca Montanaro (Aurora, Ont.) of Team Black sent a pair of home runs over the left field wall during his opening round, good enough to send him into the final round on only two home runs.

Round one wrapped up with 25 total home runs hit and roughly 15 enthusiastic ball retrievers running around the outfield.

Final four

Teams Grey, Royal, New Blue, and Black were all represented in the final round, with Team Black’s Montanaro more than doubling his first-round total to get round two started. He finished with five long balls into the left field bullpen.

New Blue’s Flewelling ripped four home runs before taking his 30 second time-out with 47 seconds remaining in his final round. He unleashed his final two home runs on his final two pitches to take the lead – one that he would not relinquish – with six home runs.

Despite hitting 11 home runs in the derby, the 16-year-old catcher was quick to recognize the level of talent he’s been surrounded by since the Showcase opened on Monday.

“It’s just an incredible honour,” Flewelling said after the derby, whilst donning his new Home Run Derby championship belt. “It means everything to me to be part of these 175 players in Canada, and to be considered one [at] the top, it just doesn’t feel real right now.

“It’s one of those times that [help] you realize why you love the game and why you keep playing every day.”

Team Royal’s George felt some pressure after entering round two in second place. He took his 30-second time-out with just over a minute remaining in the round, but only finished with two home runs.

Team Grey’s Dessureault finished the final round with five home runs, good for a second-place finish. He wrapped the derby with 13 total home runs - the highest home run total of all participants.

Final Four results:

Winner: Team New Blue – Nathan Flewelling – 6

Second place: Team Black – Gianluca Montanaro – 5

Third place: Team Grey – Esteban Dessureault – 5

Fourth place: Team Royal – Aidan George – 2