Oswal-Monteiro and Quattrocchi: Liske named Futures Showcase MVP

Sylvan Lake Gulls Prep infielder Dayne Liske (Drayton Valley, Alta.) collected five hits - including two home runs - for Team Royal during this year’s Canadian Futures Showcase. For his efforts, he was named the 2026 Canadian Futures Showcase Tournament MVP. Photo: Michael Wang, UBC

September 20, 2026

By Aanya Oswal-Monteiro and Sam Quattrocchi

UBC

Focused and composed, Dayne Liske (Drayton Valley, Alta.) stepped up to the plate in a big way throughout the Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase.

In an event featuring the best high school players from across the country, eyes remained glued on the young left-handed hitting infielder.   

Across the four-day tournament, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound Albertan put on a stunning display of talent, passion and skill for fans and players alike. 

But when his name boomed over the loudspeakers at Rogers Field at Nat Bailey Stadium in sunny Vancouver on Sunday, signalling that he had been named Tournament MVP, he was the one who was stunned.

“It sounds pretty cool. Didn’t think I’d be here,” Liske said.

In a perfect example of “show, don’t tell,” the player let his game speak for itself.

Tournament Action 

Through the highs and lows of the tournament, the team’s camaraderie and love for the game was undeniable.

“We all had a good time, we all just got along and tried to have fun,” Liske said, when asked what stood out about his team.

Team Royal’s No. 20 remained a consistent force. It all started on the first night of the showcase, when he hammered a 2-2 pitch into the right field grass for a triple against Team Navy. He would then score on a passed ball. 

He went hitless in Royal’s first game on Friday, but he bounced back in the day’s second game, picking up two singles, a run and an RBI in a 7-2 loss to New Blue. 

Liske returned the next morning determined and ready to deliver. Stepping up to the plate as a pinch-hitter in the sixth inning against Navy, he walloped the ball over the right field fence with a crack that reverberated through the stadium. Tie game.

He did it again an inning later. The slugger smashed the ball into a definitive arc over the wall, aiding his team to the 10-5 victory. It came as no surprise when he was named the Player of the Game. 

Even after being named MVP, Liske was making a difference. In the championship game Sunday afternoon, he let his glove do the talking. As an example, he caught a routine foul ball pop-up in the sixth inning and zipped a quick throw to first, doubling up a runner who had wandered too far from the base.

Despite his team losing in the final to New Blue, Liske’s spirits remained high.

“We got second, that’s always good,” he said “I’m happy with how I played.” 

The Gulls Prep star has been described as “a warrior,” “a gamer,” and an “in for the big moment” kind of guy – and his eyes are now set firmly on the horizon. After graduating in 2026, he’s ready to take the next step in his baseball journey: Southwest Tennessee Community College.

“It gives me a lot of confidence,” Liske says about this experience and his MVP win. “(It) means a lot, not a lot of kids get to do it, so looking back on it one day you’ll think it was special.”