TECUMSEH, ON – The Windsor Selects are national champions once again.
The Selects, representing Ontario 2, shut out the Carillon Sultans (Manitoba) 5–0 in Sunday’s gold-medal game at Bert Lacasse Park to capture the 2026 22U National Championship.
The victory capped a remarkable tournament for Windsor, which navigated one of the tightest preliminary rounds imaginable on its way back to the national championship game. All five of the Selects' round-robin contests were decided by a single run, including a 7–6 loss to Carillon in the teams' first meeting on Friday.
Windsor opened the tournament with a 3–2 victory over the Halifax Mets (Nova Scotia 2) before edging the Sarnia Brigade (Ontario 1) 10–9 later that day.
A one-run loss to the Sultans followed before the Selects bounced back with a 3–2 win over the host Tecumseh Thunder. The narrow margins continued Saturday when the Dartmouth Renegades (Nova Scotia 1) handed Windsor its second loss of the tournament in a 12–11 battle.
Despite the two defeats, Windsor's 3–2 record was enough to secure a spot in the gold-medal game and another opportunity against Carillon.
This time, with the national title on the line, the Selects turned the tables.
Windsor kept the Sultans off the scoreboard in a 5–0 victory to successfully defend its national championship and secure a second consecutive 22U title.
The Selects also captured gold at the 2025 championship in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, shutting out the host Dartmouth Renegades 2–0 in the final behind a complete-game, two-hit performance from Brady Knelsen.
Carillon Sultans Earn Silver After Strong Preliminary Round
The Carillon Sultans entered the championship game as the tournament's top seed after posting a 4–1 record through preliminary play.
Carillon opened with consecutive victories, defeating the Sarnia Brigade 6–3 and Tecumseh Thunder 5–4. The Sultans' only preliminary-round loss came Friday morning in a 7–4 decision against the Dartmouth Renegades before they responded later that afternoon with a 7–6 victory over Windsor.
The Sultans punched their ticket to the gold-medal game with a 13–8 victory over the Halifax Mets on Saturday.
Carillon broke that game open with seven runs in the second inning, highlighted by RBI singles from Cody Wielgosh, Brady Papineau, Ryan Powers and Dayton Christensen. Wielgosh finished with three hits, while Papineau and Christensen drove in three runs apiece.
Cedric Lagasse worked five and two-thirds innings on the mound, striking out eight to help send the Sultans to the national championship game.
The silver medal adds to a strong run for Carillon, which entered the event after capturing a third consecutive Manitoba Junior Baseball League championship. The Sultans also reached the podium at the 2025 22U National Championship, earning bronze with a 7–6 walk-off victory over Ontario.
Halifax Mets Edge Sarnia Brigade for Bronze
The Halifax Mets finished their tournament on the podium with a 6–5 victory over the Sarnia Brigade in Sunday's bronze-medal game.
The matchup marked the second meeting of the tournament between the two clubs. Halifax also earned a 6–3 victory over Sarnia during preliminary play on Friday.
The Mets finished the preliminary round with a 2–3 record before falling 13–8 to Carillon on Saturday. They responded with a one-run victory when the bronze medal was on the line to close the championship on a winning note.
Sarnia also completed preliminary play with a 2–3 record. The Brigade recorded victories over Dartmouth and Tecumseh, including a convincing 13–3 win over the host Thunder to close its round-robin schedule.
Halifax's victory secured bronze, while Sarnia completed the championship in fourth place.
Dartmouth Renegades Finish Fifth
The Dartmouth Renegades closed the championship with a strong performance in the fifth-place matchup, shutting out the host Tecumseh Thunder 6–0 on Sunday morning.
The result avenged a narrow 3–2 loss to Tecumseh during the opening day of competition.
Dartmouth also produced two of the more notable results of the preliminary round. The Renegades handed eventual silver medallist Carillon its first loss of the tournament with a 7–4 victory on Friday before edging eventual champion Windsor 12–11 on Saturday.
The victory secured fifth place for Dartmouth, while the host Thunder completed the championship in sixth.
Final Standings
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