September 12, 2026

The Williams Cup round robin delivered everything from dominant pitching performances to a pair of tightly contested games, and by the time Pool A play wrapped up Saturday afternoon, the four-team playoff field had fallen neatly into place.

The Calgary Pirates emerged as the tournament's lone unbeaten team, running the table at 3-0 and outscoring opponents 28-4. The Calgary Jays secured second place at 2-1, while the Calgary Raiders finished third at 1-2. The Calgary Bandits rounded out the field at 0-3.

Raiders and Pirates Open Tournament With Victories

The Williams Cup got underway Friday evening with the Raiders making an immediate statement in an 11-0 victory over the Bandits.

Calgary erupted for six runs in the opening inning. Jamie Scholten, Tony Chiarot, Joey Brunel and Dixon Tarr all contributed to the early offensive surge, while Jordan Asselin controlled the game from the circle. Asselin allowed just one hit over three and two-thirds scoreless innings while striking out 10 without issuing a walk.

On the other diamond, the Pirates and Jays provided the first thriller of the tournament. The two clubs went back and forth before the Pirates held on for a narrow 5-4 victory, giving Calgary its first indication that the Pirates would be a difficult team to knock off.

Pirates Take Control Saturday Morning

The Pirates carried that momentum into Saturday morning and quickly took command of Pool A with a 10-0 victory over the Bandits.

Roberto Valdez opened the scoring with a solo home run before Calgary broke the game open with a seven-run third inning. Don Peters launched a two-run homer, while Garrett Russell and Cooper Finch also went deep. Nathan McGregor added a two-run single as the Pirates' lineup overwhelmed Bandits pitching.

Jeremy Hickey handled the other side of the equation, keeping the Bandits off the scoreboard while striking out six.

The Pirates were suddenly 2-0 and in firm control of the race for the No. 1 seed.

Jays Outlast Raiders in Round-Robin Battle

The second morning game proved much closer.

The Jays built a sizeable advantage before the Raiders mounted a late charge, but Calgary held on for a 9-7 victory.

Jonah Jerry opened the scoring for the Jays before James Dunphy added another run in the third. The Raiders began clawing their way back when Jamie Scholten homered in the fourth.

A five-run Raiders sixth inning made things particularly interesting, highlighted by a three-run home run from Aaron Sebastien, but Braeden Criddle and the Jays survived the comeback to secure an important second victory.

The result moved the Jays to 1-1 while dropping the Raiders to 1-1, setting up an important final round of games.

Jays Offense Erupts Against Bandits

The Bandits gave the Jays all they could handle through five innings in the next game.

After Neil Ruddock helped Calgary take an early lead, the Jays responded with solo home runs from Colin Newton and Nevin Wilson to move ahead.

Then the floodgates opened.

The Jays exploded for eight runs in the sixth inning on their way to an 11-4 victory. Jerry and Brandon Doering delivered RBI singles, Wilson brought home another run with a walk, and Matthew Dawson delivered the biggest blow with a three-run triple. Dunphy and Paul Hickey added additional RBIs during the rally.

Dwayne Singer went six innings in the circle, striking out seven as the Jays finished round-robin play 2-1.

Pirates Complete Perfect Round Robin

With first place still to be officially secured, the Pirates left little doubt in their final preliminary game.

Calgary defeated the Raiders 13-0, completing a perfect 3-0 run through Pool A.

Cooper Finch drove in four runs on two hits, including a pair of two-run singles. The Pirates scored twice in the opening inning, added more in the second and then broke the game wide open with a seven-run third.

Daryl Vandenbos tripled during the rally, while Kris Gira, Colin McMurdo and Nathan McGregor also helped fuel another relentless Pirates attack.

With the victory, Calgary completed round-robin play having surrendered just four total runs in three games.

Playoff Matchups Set

The round-robin standings set up two playoff matchups featuring opponents who had already seen each other once during preliminary play.

No. 1 Calgary Pirates vs. No. 4 Calgary Bandits
The Pirates enter the matchup unbeaten after defeating the Bandits 10-0 earlier Saturday. Calgary's combination of power throughout the lineup and strong pitching made it the tournament's most dominant team through three games, but the Bandits now get another opportunity with elimination stakes attached.

No. 2 Calgary Jays vs. No. 3 Calgary Raiders
The second playoff matchup shapes up as the more unpredictable of the two. The Jays escaped their round-robin meeting with a 9-7 victory, but the Raiders' late rally showed how quickly the matchup can turn. With the Jays' offense coming off an eight-run inning against the Bandits and Asselin having already shown dominant form for the Raiders, the rematch sets up an intriguing battle for a place deeper in the Williams Cup bracket.

After six round-robin games established the seeding, the preliminary portion of the Williams Cup was complete.

From this point forward, every game carries championship consequences.