Jacob goes deep for JNT as they push Spikes to final out
Jalen Jacob (Maple, Ont.) homered for the Junior National Team in their 11-8 loss to the State College Spikes in MLB Draft League International Series action on Thursday. Photo: Baseball Canada
June 18, 2026
Baseball Canada
The Junior National Team showed plenty of fight but fell 11–8 to the State College Spikes in the final game of their MLB Draft League International series at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.
Canada came out firing again in the opening inning. Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.) worked a leadoff walk, stole second and advanced to third on an error before Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.) brought him home with an RBI single. Jalen Jacob (Maple, Ont.) capped the inning with a three-run home run to centre field, scoring Robert Omidi (Mississauga, Ont.) and Blain to give the Juniors an early 4–0 lead.
After State College battled back to take a 7–4 advantage, Canada answered in the sixth. Blain drew a walk before Jacob and Austin Blair (Victoria, B.C.) singled to load the bases. Rhys Whiteford (Duncan, B.C.) drove in a run with a single before Sam Ellis (La Pêche, Que.) delivered a two-run, game-tying single to level the score at 7–7.
The Spikes responded with four runs in the bottom half, but the Juniors continued to battle until the final out. In the ninth, Kadyn Armitage (Surrey, B.C.) reached on an error, Omidi was hit by a pitch and Blain singled to left to bring Armitage home and cut the deficit to three.
Jacob finished with a home run, a single and three RBIs, while Blain collected two hits and two RBIs. Ellis added a pair of hits, two RBIs and a stolen base to lead an offence that outhit the Spikes 11–8.
On the mound, Max Nantais-Vlahovich (Mississauga, Ont.) struck out five over three innings in his start. The Juniors also received late scoreless work from Ethan Reason (Stouffville, Ont.), who helped keep the Spikes off the board over the final two innings.
The Juniors will now hit the road as the MLB Draft League International Series shifts to Mahoning Valley for the final three-game set of the 2026 tour.