Fuladi: New Blue caps off perfect tournament with dominant championship victory

Team New Blue hoists the Canadian Futures Showcase Championship trophy after defeating Team Royal 6-1 on Sunday.They finished the tournament with a perfect 5-0 record. Photo: Tatiana Rowe, BCIT

September 20, 2026

By Darius Fuladi

BCIT

Team New Blue were crowned champions of the 2026 Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase on Sunday afternoon.

New Blue came into the championship as the last undefeated team in the tournament and continued their winning ways by cruising to a 6-1 victory over Team Royal.

Baserunning was the difference in this matchup. Speedster Will Henderson (Mississauga, Ont.) set the tone in the bottom of the first, drawing a leadoff walk, stealing second and advancing to third on a ground out by Hudson Harding (Calgary, Alta.). He then scored on a wild pitch to put New Blue up by one.

New Blue kept the pressure on in the bottom of the second. After being walked, Galen Hudel (Waterloo, Ont.) swiped two more bags and scored when Gino De Santis (Chatham, Ont.) singled up the middle to make it 2-0.

Hudel says the teamwork New Blue displayed throughout the tournament came fast and by design.

“I think it was surprising, especially in a showcase like this where, you know, everyone's supposed to be doing it for the individual, but everyone wanted to do it for the guy beside them . . . that was kind of our motto throughout the whole week is do it for the guy beside you.”

Royal threatened in the top of the third. Oscar Leah (Maple Ridge, B.C.) reached on a walk, before Raphael Besançon (Boucherville, Que.) sent a fly ball that dropped in left field to advance Leah to third. With runners on the corners, a would-be sac fly by Dayne Liske (Drayton Valley, Alta.) made its way to centre field. It appeared Leah had tagged and scored, but it was ruled that he left the base too early and he was called out.

Before the game, Liske was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament. He finished with five hits, including two home runs.

The big blows for Royal came in the third and fourth innings. New Blue tacked on a pair of runs in each inning through stolen bases by Juan Cruz (Mississauga, Ont.) and Zach MacDonald (Lacombe, Alta.) followed by clutch base hits from Hudson Nikkel (Stanley, Man.) and Cohen Miller (Calgary, Alta.). New Blue finished the game with six stolen bases.

“After we put that first game together . . . I was like, yeah, there's no doubt in my mind that we're getting to the final game or going to raise the trophy,” said MacDonald about the team’s chemistry.

The tournament’s Home Run Derby champion Jalen Jacob (Maple, Ont.) would score the only run for Royal in the top of the seventh. On the next play, MacDonald snagged a ground ball and stepped on first base for the final out to close out this year’s showcase.

New Blue starting pitcher Gabe Fink (Edmonton, Alta.), who allowed no hits, a walk and struck out one in his one inning of work, says having his name on the championship trophy is special.

“That means a lot. They’ve got all the names of everyone that's ever won on there, so it's going to be cool to have my name on there.”

New Blue finished the Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase with a 5-0 record.