Jets regroup to compete in Morneau Cup

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Vauxhall Advance

By Cole Parkinson
Vauxhall Advance

In a first, the Vauxhall Jets were back on the diamond this past weekend competing in the first Morneau Cup. After a few weeks off, the Jets regrouped in Okotoks looking to become the first-ever team to host the Morneau Cup.

The Jets started on July 14 with their first round-robin game against the DT Selects from Ontario. Despite the long layoff, the Jets showed no rust as they cruised to an 11-1 win. 

Easton Kitura and Will Zielenski each had a double and two singles, Hudson Nikkel had a double and a single, Jaxon George had a pair of hits, and Noah McIntosh and Tanner Morris each had a hit. Calum Anderson took the ball and pitched 3.1 solid innings. He had seven strikeouts and allowed one earned run on two hits and two walks. Graham Thiessen finished the game with 2.2 innings, where he struck out five and allowed two walks and one hit.

The team’s second round-robin game went on July 15 as they took on the Victoria Eagles from B.C. The Jets would see their lead shrink in the final two innings, but they were able to hold on for a 5-4 victory. Kaleb Bozek had three hits, including a double; Zielinski had a double and single, Matt Getz had two singles, and Kitura, McIntosh, and Nikkel all contributed with a hit. Noah Simpson started and gave the Jets a quality start over five innings. He struck out six and allowed one earned run on a walk and two hits. Cason Burton pitched an inning where two runs scored (one earned) on a hit and a walk. The reliever struck out two batters in his appearance. Zielinski pitched the final inning, where one earned run scored on a hit and a walk.

Thursday saw a matchup against the Ontario Blue Jays. In a high-scoring game, the Jets were able to carve out a 9-6 win. Zielinski had a big day at the plate with two doubles, a single, and four RBI. Kitura hit a double and a single, and Bozek, Getz, and Gerrit Vanderwal all had one hit. Richard Marshall started for Vauxhall and pitched 2.2 innings with six runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks. The starter would collect two strikeouts. Charlie McMillan pitched two innings as the first reliever. He would strike out four hitters and allow a single baserunner on a base hit. Josh Daloise finished the game with a strong 2.1 innings with five strikeouts and one hit allowed.

The final round-robin game was on Friday as the Jets took on the Ontario Kobras. A six-run fifth inning and three errors would sink Vauxhall as they fell 9-5. Zielinski had a pair of hits, Bozek hit a three-run home run, Kitura and Vanderwal had a double each, and Getz, Carson, Kaz Harris, and Mark Vulcano all had a hit. Carter Bevans started and went four innings with six strikeouts. Three runs scored (one earned) on four hits and a walk. Jacob Flach collected two outs as the first reliever and allowed six unearned runs on four hits. Ben Connolly finished things off with an inning and one-third. He had one strikeout and allowed three hits and a walk.

In the quarter-finals, the Jets matched up against the Ontario Blue Jays for a rematch. It was a pitcher’s duel as both starters were giving very little. In the end, Vauxhall secured a 2-0 win thanks to Anderson’s complete-game shutout. Anderson had six strikeouts over seven innings and allowed only one hit and two walks. Kitura and Zielinski had a double each, and McIntosh notched one hit in the win.

Sunday saw the Jets in the semi-final as they took on the Sylvan Lake Gulls. With both teams looking to punch their tickets to the final, both teams were locked in. The Jets would fall back early, and while they were able to close the gap, the Gulls were able to move on with a 5-2 win. Kitura hit a double and a single, and McIntosh and Vanderwal each had a single. Simpson took the ball to start and pitched 3.1 innings with four strikeouts. Five runs would score (four earned) on four hits and a pair of walks. Thiessen was called out of the bullpen first and gave the Jets 2.2 innings, where he struck out four and allowed one walk and two hits. Aiden Sloan finished the game with a solid inning where he had a strikeout and allowed one walk.

In the final, Okotoks Dawgs Black would win the Morneau Cup with an 11-5 win over the Gulls.