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The Junior National Team’s Dominican Professional Academy Tour is underway as the program continues to prepare for its debut in the 2025 MLB Draft League. 

Junior National Team 7-7 Cincinnati Reds DSL

The Junior National Team rallied late but settled for a 7-7 tie against the Cincinnati Reds DSL squad after a gritty, back-and-forth nine-inning contest.

Mathis Mckenna (Rigaud, QC) battled through some trouble in the early in the game, tossing two innings of one-run ball with a strikeout before handing it over to the bullpen. Walker Kokotailo (Surrey, BC) bounced back from a four-run third and provided the Juniors with six important outs that kept the game close through the middle innings.

Philip Cheong (Richmond Hill, ON) sparked the offense in the fourth, reaching base after being hit by a pitch and later scoring on a sacrifice fly from Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, ON), putting Canada on the board. The Juniors chipped away with another run in the fifth courtesy of a Jordan Jacob (Maple, ON) RBI single to make it 5-2 at the time.

Easton Kitura (Spruce Grove, AB) and Félix Gosselin (Drummondville, QC) added more offence with RBI singles in the seventh and eighth innings, putting the Juniors within striking distance heading into the last inning of the game.

Jerôme Lucas (Montreal, QC) held the Reds to no hits, permitting only a pair of walks and striking out three over his two innings of work late in the ballgame.

After the Reds added an insurance run in their half of the eighth, the Canadians answered back with three runs in the ninth capped by a bases loaded walk to Finn Hoeschen (North Vancouver, BC) putting the Juniors six outs away from victory with a 7-6 lead.

Austin Blair (Victoria, BC) showed composure in the late innings stranding the winning run at third base and secured the first tie of the Dominican Professional Academy Tour.

Canada’s bats combined for eight hits, including multi-hit games from Kitura who finished his day 2-for-2 with a run scored and a run driven in and Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, BC) who collected three hits in four at bats and scored a pair of runs.

With the tie the Junior National Team finished the Dominican Professional Academy Tour with a 5-3-1 record. The Juniors will head back to Canadian soil and reconvene for the MLB Draft League which is set to take place from June 9-15.

Junior National Team 3-0 New York Mets DSL

The Junior National Team combined timely hitting with dominant pitching to earn a 3-0 win over the New York Mets DSL squad.

The Canadians were hot out of the gates scoring two runs in the first via a Robert Omidi (Mississauga, ON) two-RBI double to take control in the ballgame.

Shane Brinham (North Vancouver, BC) started the game on the mound for the Juniors, limiting the Mets to only two hits and striking out five batters over his three innings of work.

Philip Cheong (Richmond Hill, ON) showed impressive power from the leadoff spot homering to extend the lead in the third to reach the final 3-0 score.

Will Hynes (Mississauga, ON) took care of the middle innings punching out four over three scoreless frames. Nick Halcovitch (Waterdown, ON) took over the rest of the way, permitting only a hit and a walk while striking out four in the last three frames of the ballgame.

The Juniors played great defence behind a dominant pitching outing with key plays early on from outfielder Easton Kitura (Spruce Grove, AB) and infielders Justin Rompré (Sainte-Anne-De-La-Perade, QC) and Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, ON).

With the win, the Junior National Team improves their record to 5-3 with one game left in the camp.

Junior National Team 5-4 Philadelphia Phillies DSL

Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, ON) delivered a big game at the plate as the Junior National Team completed the doubleheader sweep in a back-and-forth 5-4 contest against the Phillies DSL squad.

Lascelles finished with three hits, including an RBI double in the eighth inning that gave the Juniors a late cushion.

On the mound, William Labonte (Okotoks, AB) navigated early traffic and punched out four across three innings of work. Cole Dorland (Langley, BC) bounced back with a strong outing out of the bullpen, striking out two over three perfect frames in the middle innings.

Justin Rompré (Sainte-Anne-De-La-Perade, QC) continued to swing a hot bat in the camp, adding another hit and RBI over his 1-for-3 performance at the dish.

Noah Powell (North York, ON) showed composure in the late innings of this one, punching out four over his three innings of work that saw him strand the tying run at second base to shut the door on the Phillies.

With the win the Junior National Team improves their Dominican Professional Academy Tour record to 4-3. Action continues tomorrow with a single game against the New York Mets DSL squad.

Junior National Team 8-2 Philadelphia Phillies DSL

The Junior National Team strung together ten hits behind some strong pitching outings en route to an 8-2 win over the Philadelphia Phillies DSL squad.

Starter Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) was sharp over three innings, striking out five and allowing just two hits to set the tone early.

Finn Hoeschen (North Vancouver, BC) delivered the big blow of the ballgame when he launched a two-run homer in the top of the fourth. The Canadian outfielder also added a sac fly to finish with three RBIs and a run scored over his three at bats.

Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, ON) sparked the Canadian offence with a three-hit day including an RBI and run scored.  Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Rivières, QC) added to the Canadian lead late in the game with a solo home run, finishing his day 1-for-3 at the plate. Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, BC) also had a good day at the dish collecting a pair of hits over three at bats and scoring a run for the Juniors.

Julian Sabourin (Ancaster, ON) shut the door with three scoreless frames to end the ballgame, permitting only two hits and securing the first game of the doubleheader.

Junior National Team 4-14 Tampa Bay Rays DSL

The Junior National Team could not keep up with Tampa Bay Rays DSL offensive output in a 14-4 loss at the Dominican Academy Pro Tour.

The Canadians came out swinging early, putting pressure on the Rays DSL side from the top of the first. Justin Rompré (Sainte-Anne-De-La-Perade, QC) drove in the first run of the game with an RBI single after Philip Cheong (Richmond Hill, ON) sparked things off with a walk and a stolen base.

Mathis Mckenna (Rigaud, QC) started on the mound for the Juniors and battled through the first two frames of the ballgame, picking up a pair of clutch strikeouts to keep the game close early in the game.

The Juniors would regain the lead in the top of the fourth after a couple of two-out walks set the stage for a Finn Hoeschen (North Vancouver, BC) bases clearing double that gave the Canadians a 4-2 lead.

RHP Nick Halcovitch (Waterdown, ON) and LHP Jerôme Lucas (Montreal, QC) both made their Junior National Team debut, each tossing two innings and striking out one over two innings of work.

Offensively, the Juniors continued to create chances but failed to push runs across despite strong performances from Jordan Jacob (Maple, ON) and Félix Gosselin (Drummondville, QC) at the dish, as they finish their day 2-for-2 and 2-for-4 respectively, each with a run scored.

Walker Kokotailo (Surrey, BC) put the final touches on this long 12-inning game with a pair of scoreless frames where he only permitted a hit and a walk.

The Canadians will take a short break and workout at the Milwaukee Brewers DR Complex tomorrow, before facing the Philadelphia Phillies in double-header action on Monday.

Junior National Team 7-3 Detroit Tigers DSL

A four-run second inning powered the Junior National Team to a 7-2 win over the Detroit Tigers DSL squad.

Félix Gosselin (Drummondville, QC) sparked the big second inning with a two-run single, while Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Rivières, QC) and Gino De Santis (Chatham, ON) chipped in with RBI hits of their own to cap the four-run frame.

The Juniors benefited from a dominant start by Will Hynes (Mississauga, ON) on the mound, striking out seven over five shutout innings.

Justin Rompré (Sainte-Anne-De-La-Perade, QC) continued to swing a hot bat in the Dominican, driving in another run for the Canadians via an RBI double that gave the Juniors a 5-0 lead at the time.

The Canadians manufactured runs in the fourth and fifth, with a pair of sacrifice flies by Quinn Carson (Oakville, ON) and Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, ON) to extend the lead in the middle innings.

Noah Powell (North York, ON) took it the rest of the way with four innings of relief, striking out five and locking in the victory for the Junior National Team.

The camp continues tomorrow with an all Canadian match-up as the Junior National Team takes on the Toronto Blue Jays DSL squad in doubleheader action.

Junior National Team 4-14 Milwaukee Brewers DSL

The Junior National Team pieced together a strong offensive showing but came up short in a 14–4 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers’ Dominican Summer League squad.

Robert Omidi (Mississauga, ON) and Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, BC) led the charge offensively for the Canadians as they both doubled and singled over their 2-for-4 performances at the dish. Easton Kitura (Spruce Grove, AB) collected the only other extra base hit for the Junior National Team with an RBI triple to get the Canadians on the board in the top of the second. 

On the mound, Shane Brinham (North Vancouver, BC) and Julian Sabourin (Ancaster, ON) combined for seven strikeouts in the ballgame despite not being able to contain the Brewers’ bats.

The Dominican Pro Tour will continue tomorrow with single game action against the Detroit Tigers DSL squad as the Juniors will try to even out their record to 2-2 in the camp.

Junior National Team 3-0 Houston Astros DSL

The Junior National Team opened their first doubleheader of camp with a statement, jumping out to an early lead and getting strong pitching to secure a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros DSL squad.

Justin Rompré (Sainte-Anne-De-La-Perade, QC) provided the big swing in the top of the first, launching a three-run homer to left after a double from Phillip Cheong (Richmond Hill, ON) and a hit-by-pitch to Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, ON). That would be all the scoring the Juniors needed, as the pitching staff combined for a dominant outing.

Starter Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) was in control through four innings, striking out nine and allowing just one hit. He was followed by Max Poirier (Nanaimo, BC), who made quick work of the Astros’ bats picking up two strikeouts over three frames. 

The Juniors scattered a few more hits through the late innings, including a double by Tim Piasentin (Coquitlam, BC) and a late single by Jordan Jacob (Maple, ON), but the early burst held strong behind a confident pitching performance to close out the first win of camp. 

Junior National Team 2-6 San Diego Padres DSL

The Junior National Team opened their Dominican Pro Tour schedule with a competitive 6–2 loss against the Padres Dominican Summer League squad.

William Labonte (Okotoks, AB) impressed in his start, striking out eight batters over three and two-third innings, keeping the Padres DSL off scoreboard early. Cole Dorland (Langley, BC) made his Junior National Team debut bouncing back from a shaky first inning that kept the Juniors at striking distance through the middle innings.

The offence came alive late in the eighth frame when four straight players reached base. Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, ON) and Nolan Weinmeyer (Sidney, BC) came through with back-to-back RBI singles to put the Canadians on the board.

Adyn Schell (Toronto, ON) added a pair of strikeouts in a short one inning appearance from the bullpen late in the ballgame.

The Junior National Team will take on the Houston Astros and Milwaukee Brewers DSL squads tomorrow as they play their first double-header of the tour.