Baseball Canada: Fink, Reason, Rivard, Zielinski shine for JNT in loss to Pirates
From left to right: Gabe Fink (Edmonton, Alta.), Roger Rivard (Bonnyville, Alta.), Will Zielinski (Victoria, B.C.) were standouts for the Junior National Team in their game against the Pirates on Thursday. Photo: Baseball Canada
April 16, 2026
By Nicklaus Korim
Baseball Canada
On Thursday, the Junior National Team was edged 4-3 by a team of Pittsburgh Pirates prospects at LECOM Park in the second game of their extended spring training camp.
Both teams agreed to an extended game for developmental purposes.
OF Rogan Rivard (Bonnyville, Alta.) was an offensive sparkplug for Canada, going 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the 10th inning and a line-drive single to right in the fifth.
INF Kadyn Armitage (Surrey, B.C.) went 1-for-2, driving in the first run for Canada in the top of the fifth.
INF Jalen Jacob (Richmond Hill, Ont.) doubled to collect the only extra-base hit for the Canadians. He later came around to score, finishing 1-for-3 with one walk.
OF Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.) also went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run, while OF Sam Ellis (La Pêche, Que.) also had a hit and a walk. C Rhys Whiteford (Duncan, B.C.) reached on an error in the eighth, allowing Blain to score.
On the mound, left-hander Josh Mills (Leduc, Alta.) got the start, and recorded five strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings. The bullpen featured Junior National Team debuts by RHP Gabe Fink (Edmonton, Alta.) and LHP Ethan Reason (Stouffville, Ont.), alongside RHP Will Zielinski (Victoria, B.C.). The trio combined for six scoreless innings in relief.
Fink struck out four in two clean innings. Reason then followed with a similar performance, striking out one in two scoreless frames. Zielinski kept the Pirates off the scoreboard for the final two innings, registering two strikeouts.
On Friday, the JNT will head to the Carpenter Complex to face the Philadelphia Phillies.