OTC PLAYER SPOTLIGHT

CADE KUEHL

Quebec catcher making his mark on the Canadian fastpitch scene

SHAWVILLE, QUEBEC — At an age when many players are still trying to establish themselves at the national level, Cade Kuehl has already put together a fastpitch résumé that has taken him from his hometown of Shawville, Quebec, to national championships, the Canada Games, Team Canada and the ISC World Tournament.

And he's only getting started.

Kuehl, a catcher who can also play third base, has steadily emerged as one of Quebec's promising young players.

His breakthrough on the national stage came in 2024, when Kuehl helped Quebec capture the U17 Canadian Championship. In a dramatic 2–1 championship-game victory over Napanee, Kuehl crossed the plate with what proved to be the winning run.

It was just the beginning.

The following summer, Kuehl represented Quebec at the 2025 Canada Summer Games, helping his province reach the gold-medal game. Quebec eventually earned silver after falling 4–2 to Ontario, with Kuehl providing one of Quebec's biggest swings of the championship game by hitting a home run.

He also helped Quebec earn bronze at the 2025 U20 Canadian Championship, continuing an impressive run of national-level success.

REPRESENTING CANADA

Kuehl's performances earned him an opportunity to wear the maple leaf.

He was selected to Canada's U18 Men's National Team for the 2025 WBSC Americas U18 Men's Pan American Championship in Bahia Blanca, Argentina.

Canada came home with a bronze medal and, importantly, secured qualification for the 2027 WBSC U18 Men's Softball World Cup.

For a young catcher from Shawville, it represented another major step in a rapidly developing career.

MAKING THE JUMP

Kuehl continued turning heads in 2026.

At the U20 Canadian Championship in Carp, Ontario, he collected 10 hits, a home run, five RBI and seven runs scored for Quebec and was recognized as the tournament's All-Star catcher.

He also received his first taste of one of the biggest stages in men's fastpitch — the ISC World Tournament.

Suiting up with the Kingston Axemen, Kuehl made the most of his limited opportunities, recording three hits in four at-bats, including a double and a triple, while driving in two runs.

It's a small sample size, but for a player still in his teens, simply stepping onto the ISC stage alongside some of the best players in the world is another significant piece of the journey.

THE NEXT CHAPTER

Now that journey is taking Kuehl considerably farther from home.

The young Quebec catcher has been recruited by the Birkdale Falcons in New Zealand, giving him an opportunity to experience fastpitch in one of the world's great softball nations.

It's another chance to learn, develop and compete against a different style of player — and another indication of just how quickly Kuehl's softball world is expanding.

From Shawville to Quebec provincial teams.

From Canadian championships to Team Canada.

From the ISC World Tournament to New Zealand.

Cade Kuehl's story is still in its opening chapters — and if the first few are any indication, this is a name Canadian fastpitch fans are going to want to remember.

👀 KEEP AN EYE ON CADE KUEHL

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