JNT drops two games at U-18 Pan Am Championships
The Junior National Team lost two games at the 2026 WBSC Americas U-18 Pan American Championship on Friday. Photo: Baseball Canada
October 23, 2026
Baseball Canada
The Junior National Team dropped a pair of games on Friday at the 2026 WBSC Americas U-18 Pan American Championship, falling 4-1 to Panama before returning to the field to complete a 5-3 loss to Puerto Rico in its suspended tournament opener.
Canada opened the day against Panama and threatened immediately when Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.) singled to right-centre and advanced to third, but Panama escaped the inning without allowing a run.
Panama broke through in the bottom of the second, scoring all four of its runs in the frame. Edward Elian Delgado Jimenez delivered a two-run double before Daniel Alberto Long Guzman added a two-run single to give Panama a 4-0 advantage.
Canada’s pitching staff shut the door from there. Caleb Dupuis (Georgetown, Ont.) entered in the third and helped keep Panama off the board through the fifth, while Johann Sternberg (Toronto, Ont.) worked a clean sixth inning, striking out one. The Canadian bullpen combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings to keep the Juniors within striking distance.
The Juniors got on the board in the fifth. Cohen Miller (Calgary, Alta.) opened the inning with a single to left before Dayne Liske (Drayton Valley, Alta.) reached on an error. Rhys Whiteford (Duncan, BC) followed with a fielder’s choice before Sam Ellis (La Pêche, Que.) lifted a sacrifice fly to centre to score Miller and cut the deficit to 4-1.
Canada made one final push in the seventh. Liske singled to right-centre but was thrown out at second base before Whiteford and Ellis followed with singles to left. Panama worked out of the inning to secure the 4-1 victory.
The Juniors returned to the field later Friday to complete their suspended opener against Puerto Rico, which had been halted due to darkness Thursday with Puerto Rico leading 5-2 after the top of the fifth.
Puerto Rico had done all of its scoring in the second inning after Canada starter Joseph Pereira (Etobicoke, Ont.) opened the game by striking out the side. Three bases-loaded walks brought home the first three runs before a two-run single stretched the advantage to 5-0.
Canada answered in the third. Taye Thierman (Calgary, Alta.) singled up the middle and later scored when Ellis lined an RBI single to left. Ellis eventually came around to score on an error, cutting the Puerto Rican advantage to 5-2.
The Canadian bullpen kept the Juniors within striking distance from there. Desmond Tregaskis (Delta, BC) stabilized the game after entering in the second, while Gabe Fink (Edmonton, Alta.) worked a scoreless fourth. Miller took over when play resumed Friday and kept Puerto Rico off the board over the final two innings.
Canada mounted one final push in the seventh. Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.) doubled to left before Blain followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Lascelles later scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to two, but Puerto Rico retired the next three Canadian hitters to close out the 5-3 victory.
Canada now sits at 0-2 in Pool C and will enter the final day of Opening Round play needing a response as the Juniors face Puerto Rico and Panama in a crucial doubleheader with a spot in the Super Round still at stake.
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