Shushkewich: Andersen, Blain, Nantais-Vlahovich JNT standouts in Pan Am tourney
Right-hander Max Nantais-Vlahovich (Port Credit, Ont.) had a dominant eight-inning start for the Junior National Team against Puerto Rico at the 2026 WBSC Americas U-18 Pan American Championship. Photo: Baseball Canada
November 13, 2026
By Tyson Shushkewich
Canadian Baseball Network
The Junior National Team wrapped up its October schedule on the sunny shores of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, competing in the 2026 WBSC Americas U-18 Pan American Championship.
The 20-man squad finished the tournament with a 3-3 record, placing seventh overall after opening the competition in Group C alongside Panama and Puerto Rico.
Canada dropped its first two games of the Opening Round, suffering losses to Panama and Puerto Rico before closing out the round with a dramatic 3-2 walk-off victory over Puerto Rico. However, another loss to Panama brought an end to the Canadians' championship aspirations.
The Junior National Team still had work to do, with the Placement Rounds remaining. The Canucks opened that portion of the tournament with a dominant 10-0 mercy-rule victory over Brazil before closing out their tournament with an 8-2 win over Cuba to secure a seventh-place finish.
While the Junior National Team fell short of its ultimate goal, several players delivered impressive performances throughout the tournament. Here are three players who stood out among the group:
Max Nantais-Vlahovich – RHP
The Port Credit, Ont., product is no stranger to pitching for the Junior National Team. This time around, however, Nantais-Vlahovich was called upon by Greg Hamilton to deliver a strong outing against Puerto Rico to close out the Opening Round, and the Kansas State commit did not disappoint.
Nantais-Vlahovich tossed eight innings of dominant baseball, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and one walk while striking out nine in a complete-game effort. He did not surrender an extra-base hit in his lone tournament appearance, held Puerto Rican hitters to a .115 batting average and generated nine ground ball outs. He finished the tournament with a 0.500 WHIP.
The right-hander has steadily climbed the velocity radar and is now sitting in the low 90s with his fastball. Nantais-Vlahovich capped off his Junior National Team eligibility on a high note with an impressive performance in the Dominican Republic. He will join fellow Junior National Team teammate Joseph Pereira (Etobicoke, Ont.) at Kansas State.
Calum Andersen – RHP
Another international tournament provided Andersen (Calgary, Alta.) with another opportunity to showcase his abilities before an all-important 2027 season.
The Canadian right-hander was leaned on heavily throughout the tournament, tossing 7 2/3 combined innings in starts against Panama and Cuba. Despite issuing nine walks, he allowed just one earned run and four hits while recording nine strikeouts, tying for the team lead alongside Nantais-Vlahovich and Pereira.
The Oklahoma Sooners commit was sitting in the mid-90s with his fastball, setting the tone for the club early in the tournament while working through some command issues.
Andersen has had a busy year, competing in various showcases and tournaments while also taking the mound for the Vauxhall Jets when he is not representing Canada. Look for Andersen to anchor the Junior National Team rotation heading into next spring as he continues to build his draft stock.
Maxime Blain – OF
Blain (Repentigny, Que.) was looking to close out his Junior National Team tenure on a high note, and the outfielder delivered throughout the tournament.
Suiting up in all six games, Blain led the squad in hits (six), batting average (.400), on-base percentage (.571) and OPS (.971). He also tied Ramsey Chung (Mississauga, Ont.) for the team lead in slugging percentage at .400 across 15 at-bats.
Blain added four walks and four runs scored, collecting at least one hit in five of Canada's six contests. The Quebec product also came through with a crucial sacrifice bunt in the eighth inning against Puerto Rico, moving the runners into scoring position and helping set up the Canucks' eventual walk-off victory. Defensively, he was perfect in the outfield, recording all four of his putouts without an error.
Blain served as a table-setter near the top of the lineup, consistently finding ways to get on base while limiting his strikeouts to just three. The ABC product will continue his baseball career at Wabash Valley College this spring.
Honourable Mention: The Bullpen
Credit where credit is due: Canada's bullpen was outstanding throughout the tournament, with six relievers finishing their respective outings without allowing an earned run. Even more impressive, the group surrendered no unearned runs across their 11 2/3 combined innings.
Chung, Caleb Dupuis (Georgetown, Ont.), Gabe Fink (Edmonton, Alta.), Cohen Miller (Calgary, Alta.), Johann Sternberg (Toronto, Ont.) and Desmond Tregaskis (Delta, B.C.) all finished the tournament with a perfect 0.00 ERA, with five of the six pitchers allowing three hits or fewer.
Chung and Dupuis were particularly effective in limiting opposing hitters, issuing zero walks in their respective outings, while Miller led the group with three strikeouts.
Although Canada finished seventh overall, the bullpen's contributions were a bright spot throughout the tournament and provided a strong foundation for the Junior National Team moving forward.