08/28/2026
We see Raiders 👇
⚾ Congratulations to the St. John’s Dirt Dawgs Capitals on an impressive run at the 2026 Baseball Canada Men’s National Championship in Miramichi, New Brunswick!
The Caps opened round-robin play Thursday against eventual silver medalist Québec, falling 11–0, before taking on the host Chatham Ironmen on Friday. The Caps battled the eventual national champions to a 4–4 tie heading into the 7th inning before Chatham broke it open late for a 9–4 victory.
With rain in the forecast for Sunday, the Caps faced a daunting task on Saturday: a new schedule, a new field, and the possibility of needing to win three games in one day to keep their national championship hopes alive.
Saturday morning started with a convincing 13–3 win over Manitoba. Graham Noseworthy delivered an outstanding 80-pitch complete-game performance, allowing 7H and 0ER over 5IP without issuing a walk. The offence provided plenty of support, including two-hit performances from first-time Senior Nationals attendees Alex McGrath and Evan Reid.
Game 2 of the doubleheader against Nova Scotia was essentially a playoff game before the playoffs — win and advance to the national quarterfinals. What followed was one of the most exciting games of the entire tournament.
Graham King battled through five innings against a talented and determined NS lineup, while the Caps’ hitters faced a familiar opponent on the mound in former SJABA player and NL’er Chase Tucker.
After the teams exchanged blows throughout the game, the Caps entered the top of the 7th trailing 6–4.
Then came the comeback.
Newfoundland tied the game 6–6 and, with two runners aboard, 17-year-old Alex McGrath — the youngest player at the tournament — launched a towering three-run home run to give the Caps a 9–6 lead and send the dugout into an absolute frenzy!
They weren’t finished.
The Caps added two more before the inning was over, turning a two-run deficit into an 11–6 lead heading to the bottom of the 7th.
NS wasn’t going quietly. They battled back against eventual winning pitcher Tyler Walchuck to make it 11–8 and eventually brought the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded. With the pressure at its highest, the Caps turned to Jaxon Gulliver for the save. Gulliver induced a 6–4–3 double play — a diving play by MacKenzie, a flip to McIsaac, and over to Reid at first — to end the game and send Newfoundland and Labrador into the national quarterfinals!
NL 11, NS 9.
Less than six hours after their day began, the Caps were back on the field for game 3 of the day — this time against Ontario with a trip to the national semifinal on the line.
Young left-hander Kody Thistle gave the Caps another strong start, working 4IP and allowing just 2ER. Newfoundland threatened early and put five runners on base through the opening innings, but couldn’t cash in against a strong Ontario club. Ontario eventually pulled away for a 7–0 quarterfinal victory, bringing an incredible Saturday — and the Caps’ national championship run — to an end.
The final result doesn’t tell the whole story.
After starting the tournament 0–2 against the teams that would ultimately meet for the national championship, the Caps responded with back-to-back must-win games on Saturday, finished pool play 2–2, earned their way into the final six teams, and competed in a national quarterfinal against some of the best senior baseball players in Canada. Thank you to the hosts for a fantastic tournament!
With a roster featuring players from across our SJABA Senior and Junior Leagues, it was great to see the team come together and represent our province on the national stage. An outstanding showing and a weekend this entire group — and our baseball community — can be extremely proud of.
On behalf of SJABA, congratulations to all of the St. John’s Capitals players, along with coaches Sean Gulliver, Neil MacKenzie, player coaches Aaron Flood and Greg Barry, and Chef de Mission Dave Penney, on an outstanding national championship and for representing SJABA, Baseball NL, and Newfoundland and Labrador with pride! 👏⚾
Baseball Newfoundland & Labrador
Baseball Canada
2026 Baseball Canada Men's National Championship
CABC Baseball
Chatham Miramichi Honda Ironmen
M7 Baseball Academy
