Liske, Miller homer for JNT in loss to Giants at Selection Camp

From left to right: Dayne Liske (Drayton Valley, Alta.), Johann Sternberg (Toronto, Ont.) and Cohen Miller (Calgary, Alta.) were standouts for the Junior National Team in their 9-8 loss to a team of San Francisco Giants prospects at the WBSC Americas U-18 Pan American Championship Selection Camp on Saturday. Photo: Baseball Canada

October 17, 2026

Baseball Canada

The Junior National Team mounted a late rally but came up just short in a 9-8 loss to the San Francisco Giants FIL in WBSC Americas U-18 Pan American Championship Selection Camp action on Saturday.

Canada jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first. Elliot Lascelles (Toronto, Ont.) reached on an error before eventually coming around to score on a Ramsey Chung (Mississauga, Ont.) ground out. Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.) followed with an RBI single to left that brought Kadyn Armitage (Surrey, BC) home.

San Francisco answered with four runs in the bottom of the second and added another in the fourth to take a 5-2 advantage.

The Juniors responded in a big way in the fifth. Dayne Liske (Drayton Valley, Alta.) opened the scoring with a solo home run to right before Chung and Blain drew walks. A Giants throwing error brought Chung home, before Cohen Miller (Calgary, Alta.) capped the scoring with a two-run home run to left to put Canada back in front, 6-5.

Johann Sternberg (Toronto, Ont.) helped preserve the one-run advantage with two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, striking out three and keeping San Francisco off the board in the sixth and seventh.

The Giants broke through in the eighth, however, scoring four times to turn the one-run deficit into a 9-6 lead.

Canada refused to go quietly. Rhys Whiteford (Duncan, BC) opened the ninth with a double and later scored on a Lascelles’ ground out. Armitage followed with a walk before Liske drove him home with a double to centre, cutting the deficit to one, but the comeback ended there.

Liske was at the centre of the Canadian offence, collecting a single, solo home run and an RBI double while also drawing a walk. Miller added the go-ahead home run in the fifth, while Blain drove in a run as part of Canada’s two-run opening inning.

The Junior National Team will work out on Sunday at the Giants facility before returning to action on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles.