British Columbia captured the gold medal at the 2025 18U National Championships with a 2-1 victory over Ontario in a tense, pitching-dominated final.
Both teams traded zeros early as BC starter Dylan Bird (Surrey, BC) and Ontario’s Simon Santos (Mississauga, ON) kept opposing lineups in check. Ontario struck first in the sixth inning on an RBI triple from S. Bradley, giving them a 1-0 lead.
BC pulled even in the seventh despite being down to their last out, when pinch-hitter Jase Ferguson (Surrey, BC) lined a single to left field to score the tying run. The decisive moment came in the ninth, as Lukas Dance (Surrey, BC) drew a bases-loaded walk to force home the go-ahead run.
Ontario threatened in the bottom half, but BC’s bullpen closed the door to secure the national title.
Alberta captures the Bronze on home soil
Fort McMurray came out strong in front of their home crowd, striking first in the opening inning to set the tone. Manitoba answered back in the third, capitalizing on a pair of miscues and timely hits to plate three runs and grab a 3–2 lead.
The hosts quickly responded, with Matthew Szpak (Calgary, AB) delivering a run-scoring double before coming around again in the seventh with a triple that added much-needed insurance late in the ballgame. From there, Alberta’s pitching and defence shut the door, holding off Manitoba’s push to secure a 5–3 victory and the bronze medal.
Manitoba slides into the fourth place after a hard-fought tournament, just shy of the podium.
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