Jets kick off Morneau Cup qualifiers

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Vauxhall Advance

By Cole Parkinson
Vauxhall Advance

Looking to qualify for the Morneau Cup in its inaugural season, the Vauxhall Jets were in action to begin the tournament last week. Playing in the Prairie qualifier, the Jets started the tournament at home with a handful of games.

“It’s the first time ever that Baseball Canada has run a national qualifier, and we were fortunate to be part of it,” stated Les McTavish, head coach of the Jets.

First up was a matchup against Okotoks Dawgs White on Thursday. The Jets were all business in the first game as they cruised to a 12-0 win. The Jets notched 11 hits in the win, including two home runs from Hudson Nikkel and a home run from Will Zielinski. Matt Getz and Tanner Morris each had two singles, Jaxon George and Noah McIntosh each hit a double, and Kaleb Bozek and Gerrit Vanderwal had a hit in the win. Graham Thiessen took the ball to start and dominated over his six innings of work. He struck out two batters and only allowed two hits and a pair of walks.

Later that day, the Jets were back on the field as they looked to add another win. Taking on HR Sports Academy, the two teams would trade runs back and forth over the first handful of innings before VAB would secure a 9-6 win. Nikkel hit another home run, Zielinski had two hits, and Getz and Kaz Harris each had a single. Aiden Sloan started on the mound and struggled in his 1.2 innings. Five runs would score (four earned) on four hits and four walks. The starter would strike out two batters in his appearance.

Charlie McMillan would come out of the bullpen in a bulk role and give Vauxhall four solid innings, where he struck out five. He allowed one earned run on three hits and three walks. Bozek came in to slam the door with an inning and a third, where he struck out a batter.

With impending bad weather, Friday’s schedule saw some changes. While the team was originally supposed to head to Lethbridge to play the Calgary Bucks at 2:30 p.m., first pitch was shifted to 10:30 a.m. at Jets Stadium. Vauxhall would score eight runs in the fourth en route to a 14-3 victory over the Bucks. The Jets’ bats were on fire as they hit five home runs, as Zielinski had two and Easton Kitura, Nikkel, and Bozek all had one. Getz had three hits, including a double; George had two hits, including a double, and Morris and Vanderwal each contributed with a hit. Carter Bevans started on the hill and went 4.1 innings with six strikeouts. Three earned runs would score on eight hits and two walks. Jacob Flach finished the game, collecting the final two outs. The reliever had a strikeout and a walk in his appearance.

Saturday saw the Jets take on the Sylvan Lake Gulls. In a tight contest, neither team could amount much offence over seven innings. A two-run second inning was enough for the Gulls as they pulled out a 2-1 win over VAB. Vauxhall had three hits as Kitura, Bozek, and Getz each had a single. Noah Simpson pitched all six innings and was solid with seven punch-outs. Only one of the runs was earned, and the pitcher walked one and allowed five hits.

In the quarter-final, Vauxhall took on the Webber Wildcats. Thanks to a big seven-run fifth inning, Vauxhall won 11-1. Nikkel and McIntosh each had a pair of hits, including a double, while Kitura, Zielinski, Getz, and Thiessen all had a hit in the win. Calum Andersen took the ball and was masterful over five innings with 1- strikeouts. The right-hander allowed one earned run on a hit and three walks.

The semi-final saw the Jets take on Team Saskatchewan. The Jets would storm out of the gates with seven runs and were able to leave the field with a 9-5 victory. Kitura had two hits, including a double; Nikkel had two singles, Thiessen hit a double, and Bozek and Zielinski all contributed with a hit. Ben Connolly started for VAB and went three innings with three strikeouts. Four runs scored (three earned) on five hits and no walks. Josh Daloise was called from the bullpen and pitched an inning where he only allowed one hit. Zielinski finished the game, pitching three innings with a strikeout. One earned run would score on a hit and a walk.

Due to the weather, the finals were unable to be played, but Vauxhall did punch their ticket to Okotoks in July. In total, 16 teams will reconvene on July 14 to crown the national champion.

“Pretty proud of our group because we had a lot of ups and downs this year, and weather-related problems. We had players away, not playing good baseball, so super proud of our group because they responded in a big, big way this weekend, and we played the best baseball we have all season,” added McTavish.

Baseball Canada is set to announce information on how the two remaining Prairie qualifying spots will be filled. Okotoks is hosting and has already claimed its spot, while British Columbia will send four teams, Ontario will send seven teams, and there is one wild-card spot up for grabs. The Jets will head to Okotoks on July 13.

Usually, the spring season finishes by the beginning of June, and players get ready to head back home for their summer seasons. Come mid-July, they will reconvene and play in another huge tournament, which is a major shift for the entire organization.

“It’s going to be one of those things where we’re in an unknown territory right now. It’s going to be a show and go, and essentially, what’s happening is the boys will go home and play with their club teams. We’ll show up on July 13 in Okotoks, have a practice, and get ready to go to war. There are some unknowns with that, but at the same time, it is what it is and just happy we have that opportunity,” stated McTavish.

One of the biggest things the coaches will be focusing on is playing to their strengths. With plenty of teams they have never played before, there is an enhanced focus on getting everyone on their ‘A’ game quickly.

“You come up with somewhat of a game plan, but at the end of the day, the old analogy in baseball, you worry about playing to your strengths. You worry about your own house as opposed to worrying about the opponent. And not necessarily what they do, and just be worried about what we do well and try to do it as well as we can,” added McTavish.

To keep up to date on the Morneau Cup, visit theroadtookotoks.ca/