Brault, Chung, Siguenza propel Team Royal to Futures Showcase championship, Lightfoot named event MVP

Team Royal players explode out of the dugout to celebrate a 4-3 championship victory with pitcher Ramsey Chung (Mississauga, Ont.), who saved the game. With the bases loaded, Chung got Team Grey's Aiden Vivaldi (Oakville, Ont.) to pop out to secure the win at the 11th Canadian Futures Showcase at Rogers Centre. Photo: Tomas Morgan/Toronto Observer (X: TomasMorgan49)

September 19, 2025

By Michael Vavaroutsos

Centennial Sports Journalism

TORONTO – Ramsey Chung (Mississauga, Ont.) played the hero as Team Royal took home the Canadian Futures Showcase championship game 4-3 in a down-to-the-wire victory over Team Grey on Friday, at the Rogers Centre.

The Mississauga Tigers player, who appeared mostly at shortstop throughout the tournament, came in to close out the game in the top of the seventh leading by a run.

Chung got himself into a jam early in the frame, loading the bases with only one out. Despite the nail-biting situation, he managed to retire the last two batters on a strike out and pop up, picking up the save.

“I had to stay trusting myself,” he said, following the game. “I’ve practiced for moments like this, I trusted my catcher calling pitches, and I just have to execute and have the ability to finish the game.”

The teams in this tournament, played before pro and college scouts, only come together a day before it gets underway. Even so, Chung felt something different about the group of guys he was lucky enough to play with.

“Obviously there’s guys all around Canada that I’m playing with, some I know and some I don’t, but it feels like I've been playing with them for the whole year,” Chung said. “From the first day we saw the roster, we knew this was the team to win.”

Xavier-Raphaël Brault (Blainville, Que.) played a big role for Team Royal in this one, cashing in the game-winning run on a single to centre field, scoring Kason Siguenza (Abbotsford, B.C.) on the play.

“I saw two guys on the bases, so I knew I gotta bring them in,” said Brault, following the game. “I wanted to be aggressive on the fastball, and when I saw the fastball, I just hit it.”

Brault was the only player from Quebec on the team. He finished the tournament batting .375. He had two hits, a run, and an RBI in the championship game.

Team Grey got things started early, after Home Run Derby winner Daril Rodriguez (Red Deer, Alta.) doubled to right field, bringing in Joey Khananisho (Kleinburg, Ont.).

This lead didn’t last long – Siguenza responded with a double of his own in the bottom of the inning, scoring William Henderson (Mississauga, Ont.).

Just a few innings later, Grey’s Khananisho drove in a run with a double. Dayne Liske (Drayton Valley, Alta.) went on to score the infielder on a single up the middle, bringing the lead to 3-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, third baseman Drazic Charbonneau (Montreal) made a costly error attempting to throw out Zach Barker (Bolton, Ont.) at first base, after the latter dribbled a soft ground ball with runners on first and second. Both scored on the play to tie things up at three a piece, just one inning before Brault’s clutch hit.

Team Grey starting pitcher Jack Perry (Mississauga, Ont.) had five strikeouts through two innings, allowing one run. Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) pitched a scoreless bottom of the third, while San Jose State commit A.J. Rogers (Cole Harbour, N.S.) gave up two unearned runs, getting the blown save.

Caleb Dupuis (Georgetown, Ont.) picked up the loss in this one, giving up three hits and a run in his lone inning. Shortstop Ryland Peters (Lantzville, B.C.) pitched the final inning for Team Grey, allowing two walks.

Damarcus Rideout-Carter (Brampton, Ont.) started the game for Team Royal, allowing one earned run on two hits in the bottom of the first.

Zach MacDonald (Lacombe, Alta.), Alex Jackson (Cambridge, Ont.), Adrian Krupka (Toronto, Ont.), Desmond Tregaskis (Tsawwassen, B.C.), Connor Comeau (Austin, Texas), and Chung went on to pitch one inning each.

Team Royal’s Quinn Lightfoot (Caledon, Ont.) earned MVP of the tournament, after batting .667 with one home run and five stolen bases.