Liske belts two homers to lead Royal to win over Navy

Sylvan Lake Gulls Prep infielder Dayne Liske (Drayton Valley, Alta.) belted two home runs for Team Royal to lead them to a 10-5 win over Team Navy at the Canadian Futures Showcase on Saturday morning. Photo: Michael Wang

September 19, 2026

By Sarah Westwood and Avery Grainger

UBC

The long ball was on the Saturday morning breakfast order at the Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase.

A total of four home runs, including two by Dayne Liske (Drayton Valley, Alta.), put power on display in Team Royal’s 10-5 win over Team Navy.

Both teams came into the contest at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium hoping to make amends for Friday night losses.

The scoring started in the second inning when Hunter Bartha (Beamsville, Ont.) scored from third on a balk to give Navy the 1-0 lead.

Team Royal came back in a big way in the bottom of the third when Oscar Leah (Maple Ridge, B.C.) tripled to score Toby Wilding (Vancouver, B.C.) Leah later scored on a sacrifice fly from Gabriel Lehouillier (Levis, Que.)

Navy responded in the top of the fourth when Ethan Renaud (Okotoks, Alta.) doubled and Jake Madill (Nanaimo, B.C.) hit a two-run homer. Brooks Froese (Red Deer, Alta.) then singled and Bartha launched another two-run shot, making it 5–2.

Royal began its comeback when Mikey Batiste doubled and scored on a single by Raphael Besancon (Boucherville, Que.). They then loaded the bases, and Oscar Leah drew a walk to force home another run, cutting Navy's lead to 5-4.

The momentum stalled in the fifth inning as neither side managed to score.

The sixth inning became the turning point of the game. Liske homered to right to tie the game 5–5. Ludovic Therriault (Sherbrooke, Q.C.) and Grady Jones (Chesterville, Ont.) then singled, and a ground out by Toby Wilding (Vancouver, BC.) scored Therriault to put Royal ahead.

Oscar Leah (Maple Ridge, B.C.), walked before Lehouillier ripped a two-run double to centre, scoring Jones and Leah to give Royal an 8–5 lead.

Royal delivered the final blow in the seventh. Mikey Batiste (Mississauga, Ont.) walked and stole second before Liske launched his second homer of the game, to extend Royal’s lead to 10–5.

Liske, who is committed to Southwest Tennessee Community College, was named the Player of the Game. He says he draws inspiration from Canada’s team – the Toronto Blue Jays – and his favourite player, Ernie Clement.

He says his game philosophy is straightforward: “I like to stick to my approach and just try and play the best game I can.”

Team Navy has one more game left at the showcase, a 3 p.m. P.T. matchup with Team Grey, while Team Royal will await the rest of the day’s results to see if they have earned a spot in Sunday’s championship.