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WEST PALM BEACH, FL – The Junior National Team Spring Training Camp is underway in West Palm Beach, Florida where the Juniors will play four inter-squad games and six contests against prospect squads from the Astros and Nationals organizations in West Palm Beach along with trips to Bradenton and Sarasota to face teams from the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays organizations.

Junior National Team 2-3 Washington Nationals Extended

The Junior National Team had a strong showing in their last game of the Spring Training Camp despite coming out in the wrong side of a 3-2 battle against the Washington Nationals Extended squad. The Juniors scored two runs on six hits and played a perfect defensive game behind great outings from the pitching staff.

Starter Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, QC) had an impressive outing on the mound for the Junior National Team, permitting only one run on two hits while striking out a pair.

LHP Ryan Press (Toronto, ON) and RHP Anthony Deblois (Saint-Isidore, QC) both had scoreless appearances in relief. Press would finish with a pair of strikeouts while giving up no hits and no walks over his inning of work while. Deblois allowed a couple of hits and a walk and stroke out a batter over an inning and two thirds.

Marek Lalonde (Valleyfield, QC) delivered the big blow for the Juniors in the top of the fifth inning when he smashed a solo shot to dead CF to give the Juniors a 2-0 lead at the time. The second basemen would finish 1-for-3 with an RBI, a walk, and a run scored.

Cardel Dick (Abbotsford, BC) continued to swing a hot bat, adding yet another multi-hit with a run scored against a professional club. Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Riviéres, QC) also collected a couple of hits in the game, finishing with a perfect 2-for-2 on the day. BJ Peart (Markham, ON) was a spark in this game for the Juniors both defensively and offensively, finishing the day with a solid 1-for-2 with a walk.

The Junior National Team program will resume next month with the annual Dominican Summer League tour from May14 to May 24.

Junior National Team 2-16 Houston Astros Extended

The Junior National Team struggled to keep their opponents at bay, as the Houston Astros Extended cruised to a 16-2 victory over the Canadians. The Junior National Team scored a pair of runs while being limited to only three hits in the ballgame.

Junior National Team starter Owen Slater (Whitby, ON) kept his team in the game early despite battling late in the outing. The right hander worked two and a third innings of three runs on three hits while striking out four.

Myles Naylor (Mississauga, ON) and Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, ON) did their part offensively finishing the day 1-for-3 and 1-for-2 respectively. The big offensive moment of the game came in the top of the fifth inning for the Juniors as Benito Bonilla (Halifax, NS) smashed a 2-run home run to cut the lead in half at the time.

The Astros offence exploded in the middle innings scoring five runs in the fifth, two in the sixth, three in the seventh, and two more in the eight to pull away from the Canadians.

Elliot Cadieux Lanoue (St-Pie, QC) came in relief for the last two innings of the game hoping to contain the Astros bats. The left hander permitted one earned run on only two hits while striking out five.

Junior National Team 1-7 Houston Astros Extended

The Houston Astros Extended team defeated the Junior National Team 7-1 on Thursday afternoon. The Juniors scored only one run despite collecting eight hits against the Astros pitching staff.

Starter Nick Frers (North Vancouver, BC) got into trouble early in part by a defensive miscue that led to a three-run home run by the Astros. The right hander would settle down and battle through his next two innings of work finishing the day with a pair of strikeouts while giving up three hits and four walks.

Hudson White (St. Jon’s, NL) worked an inning and two thirds in relief giving up one earned run on two hits and striking out one. Makaio Cisneros (Whitby, ON) worked the last third of the ballgame, allowing a run on four hits while striking out one.

The Junior National Team scored their only run of the game thanks to back-to-back doubles by Matt Evans (Tillsonburg, ON) and Deiten Lachance (Sherbrooke, QC) in the top of the seventh inning.

The Junior’s offence failed to capitalize on their chances in this one, leaving five runners on base and scoring only one run despite eight of the nine Canadians in the lineup reaching base safely. Simon Baker (Cochrane, AB) and Cardel Dick (Abbotsford, BC) continued to put up great offensive numbers this spring, both finishing the day a perfect 2-for-2.

Junior National Team 11-16 New York Mets Extended

The Junior National Team fell behind early and couldn’t come back in a 16-11 loss to the New York Mets Extended squad. The Juniors scored eleven runs on nine hits and committed three errors in a 10-inning ballgame.

The Canadians had a huge six run ninth inning to close the gap to a sizeable early lead by their opponents.

The Junior National Team pitching staff could not stop the explosive Mets offence allowing a total of thirteen earned runs on nineteen hits and ten walks while striking out seven over the ten innings of play.

Jorge Valdes (Milton, ON) got the Juniors on the board in the third inning working a bases loaded walk in what looked like a very promising inning for the Canadians. However, they would be kept off the scoreboard until the seventh inning until Calvin Warrillow (Toronto, ON) lined an RBI single with the bases loaded. The Juniors would add a pair in that inning with some good baserunning, taking advantage of a couple of wild pitches by the Mets pitchers.

The offence hit full gear in the ninth inning sparked by a Cam Macleod (North Vancouver, BC) solo home run to lead off the inning. Jorge Valdes (Milton, ON) joined the party with an RBI single, all capped by a Myles Naylor (Mississauga, ON) two-run double. Simon Baker (Cochrane, AB) also had a notable performance at the plate for the Juniors finishing the day 2-for-2.

Junior National Team 0-2 Washington Nationals Extended

Lightning in the West Palm area took care of this one early as the game was cancelled after three innings of play. The Junior National Team was down 2-0 before weather took over. The Juniors collected a couple of hits in the first three innings of action but failed to score.

Tate Carey (Windsor, ON) got the start on the mound for the JNT working all three innings, surrendering two runs on four hits while striking out a batter. Cardel Dick (Abbotsford, BC) and Cam Macleod (North Vancouver, BC) collected the only two hits of the game for the Canadians.

The Junior National Team Spring Training Camp will return on Tuesday afternoon with intersquad action.

Junior National Team Red 3-3 Junior National Team Grey

The Junior National Team was back in action on Sunday, as Team Red and Team Grey went toe to toe finishing in a 3-3 tie in the second intersquad game of the camp. Team Red scored three runs on three hits while Team Grey notched three runs on seven hits.

Deiten Lachance (Sherbrooke, QC) had himself a day at the dish, collecting three hits in four at bats and scoring a run for Team Grey. Benito Bonilla (Halifax, NS) led the Team Red offensive effort finishing the day 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Myles Naylor (Mississauga, ON) collected the only other extra base hit of the game as he smashed a one out double in the bottom of the first inning.

All five pitchers in the game made their Junior National Team debut during this intersquad game on Sunday. Ryan Press (Toronto, ON) was the starter for Team Grey working three innings and allowing only one earned run and two hits while striking out three. Will Hynes (Mississauga, ON) was tagged with an earned run and a pair of hits while striking out two in his two and a third frames of work. Sean Duncan (Port Coquitlam, BC) was the last man out of the bullpen working and inning and a third of one earned run on four hits while fanning a pair.

 Anthony Deblois (Saint-Isidore, QC) had an outstanding for Team Red allowing only a hit and a walk and striking out three over his three scoreless innings of work. Jacob Wallace (Pincourt, QC) also had a great outing on the mound working four innings of no runs, giving up just one hit and striking out three.

Junior National Team 4-3 Tampa Bay Rays Extended

The Junior National Team program bested the Tampa Bay Rays Extended squad in their second professional game of the Spring Training Camp, 4-3. Pitching and defence was the name of the game as the Juniors took the early lead in the first and never looked back. The Canadian offence scored four runs on nine hits in support of the pitching staff.

Elliot Cadieux Lanoue (St-Pie, QC) set the tone for the Junior National Team pitching staff working four scoreless innings, allowing only a hit and a pair of walks while striking out five batters. Nick Frers (North Vancouver, BC) took care of the middle innings limiting the Rays to a pair of runs, only one of them earned, while striking out two over his three innings of work. Owen Fernandes (Maple Ridge, BC) struck out four on his way to lock in the two inning-save.

Overall, the JNT pitching staff allowed only one earned run on four hits while striking out eleven over the nine innings of play.

The Canadian offence got it started early when Myles Naylor (Mississauga, ON) and Marek Lalonde (Valleyfield, QC) hit back-to-back singles that led to a Brayden Ricketts (Brampton, ON) fielder’s choice that would score the first run of the game. Jorge Valdes (Milton, ON) had a good day at the plate, collecting a couple of hits in four at bats at the top of the lineup for the Juniors. The Canadians would add the much-needed insurance runs in their half of the seventh inning, capped by a 2-RBI single by Cardel Dick (Abbotsford, BC) that drove in Brendan Lawson (North York, ON) and BJ Peart (Markham, ON).

With the win the Juniors improve their record to 1-1 against the pro teams in the 2023 Spring Training Camp.

Junior National Team 3-8 Pittsburgh Pirates Extended

The Junior National Team came out on the wrong side of an 8-3 clash with the Pittsburgh Pirates Extended squad. A couple of defensive miscues allowed the Pirates to get an early 5-0 lead as the Juniors battled back in the middle innings, scoring runs in the fifth, sixth, and seventh inning

Junior National Team starter Jérémy Pilon (Valleyfield, QC) struggled early but was able to settle down and limit the damage over his two and a third frames of work. Makaio Cisneros (Whitby, ON) came on in relief in the fourth inning and cruised through the middle innings allowing a pair of hits and striking out one over his three innings of work. Marek Lalonde (Valleyfield, QC) and Brendan Lawson (North York, ON) turned a big double play behind Cisneros to end the fourth inning.

Benito Bonilla (Halifax, NS) was the last one out of the bullpen, the big right-hander limited the Pirates to a pair of hits and a walk while striking out a batter.

The Junior National Team got on the board in the fifth inning after a Deiten Lachance (Sherbrooke, QC) single would spark a rally. Simon Baker (Cochrane, AB) singled and made his way around the bases collecting a stolen base and scoring after a couple of wild pitches. Marek Lalonde (Valleyfield, QC) drove in the last run for the Juniors after Brayden Ricketts (Brampton, ON) had walked earlier in the top of the seventh inning.

Junior National Team Red 7-4 Junior National Team Grey

The Junior National Team Spring Training Camp got off to a hot start with a competitive 7-4 matchup in the first intersquad game of the trip. Team Red scored seven runs on eight hits and committed no errors. Team Grey notched four runs on five hits while committing four errors.

Brayden Ricketts (Brampton, ON) delivered the big blow in the game when he dispatched a 3-run home run to extend Team Red’s lead early in the second inning. Ricketts would finish the day with four RBI’s over his five at bats. Deiten Lachance (Sherbrooke, QC) also had a good day at the plate smashing a couple of doubles in five at bats. Owen Fernandes (Maple Ridge, BC) and Esteban Dessureault (Trois-Riviéres, QC) crushed a solo and a 2-run home run respectively for Team Grey in the late innings as they fall just short of a comeback.

Owen Slater (Whitby, ON) threw two scoreless frames, collecting four out of the eight punchouts for Team Red. Tate Carey (Windsor, ON) also worked a couple of frames of no earned runs, striking out a pair. Despite the four errors on the board, both squads played fairly clean baseball defensively, turning three double plays over the seven innings played.