Fitzpatrick: Burton propels Team White to win in 2028 CPBL Prospect Game
Fieldhouse Pirates standout Austin Burton (Waterloo, Ont.) had three hits - including a three-run home run - to help Team White to a 17-5 victory over Team Black in the CPBL’s 2028 Prospect Game at Royal Field in Dorchester, Ont. on Saturday. Photo: Perfect Game International.
August 1, 2026
By Trevor Fitzpatrick
Canadian Baseball Network
Day two of the 2026 CPBL Showcase began on Saturday with the class of 2028 battling on Dorchester, Ontario’s beautiful Royal Field.
The clear skies would be the only nicety Team Black would receive though, as they found themselves on the wrong end of a 17-5 beatdown at the hands of Team White’s prospects.
Headlining the offensive outburst was the game’s MVP, Fieldhouse Pirate Austin Burton (Waterloo, Ont.). The uncommitted catcher had a 3-for-4 day at the dish with a three-run home run, two singles and four RBIs.
He also added a stolen base and threw out a runner for good measure.
“It was pretty cool,” Burton said, “I’ve been here the last couple of years, and always just tried to put out my best. Today everything turned out to be on my side.”
His home run was a laser beam that soared over the left field wall, which sits about 328 feet from home plate.
“The first pitch I took, I knew I had to get a feel for the pitcher. The second pitch, I knew I had it. From there, I was looking middle-in, got it, and drove it.”
The football game worth of scoring started right in the first inning for Team White as they scored four.
Toronto Met Noah Stanley (Lakefield, Ont.) scored the first run with an RBI ground out, ONC rep Ben Laughlin (Ottawa, Ont.) drove another run in with a single, and then Ontario Blue Jay Cole Zwarich (Unionville, Ont.) cleared the bases with a two-run double.
The scoring onslaught continued from there.
ABC prospect Raphael Besancon (Boucherville, Que.) cashed in with an RBI triple in the bottom of the third, and Burton mashed his home run in the fourth.
Then in the fifth, Toronto Mets outfielder Dreydan Sunohara-Thompson (Scarborough, Ont.) drilled an RBI double into the gap. Windsor Selects hitter Taesean Tate (Windsor, Ont.) brought yet another home with a 5-3 RBI ground out.
Other Team White RBIs in the contest include Fieldhouse Pirate Hunter Bartha (Beamsville, Ont.), Besancon with a second one, and Burton’s single in the eighth.
Team Black did make some noise late in the game, but not nearly enough to mount a comeback in front of the packed crowd.
Their first run came in the top of the seventh inning as Toronto Met Harry Philips (Toronto, Ont.) took a walk, then scored all the way from first on an errand pickoff throw.
Later in the frame, Great Lake Canadian A.J. Rusticus (Dorchester, Ont.) knocked in two runs on a single.
They were only able to notch two more runs in the top of the ninth as Beau Marshall (Peterborough, Ont.), of the Toronto Mets, hit a sacrifice fly for one, and Rusticus then hit another RBI single.
Of the pitchers present, Team White starter Johann Sternberg (Toronto, Ont.) had the best outing. He hurled two scoreless frames with two strikeouts while representing OBJ.
The CPBL Showcase continues to grow annually, with nearly the entire seating section behind home plate full of college and MLB scouts this year.
Also in attendance was Blue Jays rep Geoff Seto, who’s in charge of the Canadian Futures Showcase.
That showcase is set for September in Vancouver, with rosters still being finalized, making it possible some players may have earned their tickets during this game.