McFarland: Kilshaw set to rep Saskatchewan on Junior National Team
Team Saskatchewan catcher Aiden Kilshaw (Swift Current, Sask.) was selected to the Junior National Team for their Dominican Fall Instructional League camp what begins on Sunday. Photo: Baseball Sask
*This article was originally published on Saskatchewan Dugout Stories on October 14, 2025. You can read it here.
October 18, 2025
By Joe McFarland
Saskatchewan Dugout Stories
The baseball season just keeps getting longer for Aiden Kilshaw – not that he minds at all.
Originally from Swift Current and now living in Saskatoon, he has seen opportunity after opportunity come his way over the last few months.
The young prospect has been determined to make the most of every one of them.
Little did he know, Kilshaw was setting himself up for one of the biggest announcements of the season: the Baseball Canada Junior National Team Fall Instructional League roster.
He will be the only Saskatchewan native to head to the Dominican Republic Oct. 19-29, where the best young Canadian players will suit up against prospects from several teams including the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Getting to wear the maple leaf is something Kilshaw isn’t taking for granted.
Aiden Kilshaw (Swift Current, Sask.) has honed his skills with the Saskatoon Cubs. Photo: Saskatoon Cubs
“It’s what I’ve worked all year for, so it feels pretty cool reaching that goal,” he told Saskatchewan Dugout Stories. “It will be an honour to play down there and remember where it all started back here at home.”
It’s been a busy year for the catching prospect, who has turned a lot of heads in a short amount of time.
BEAMING WITH PRIDE
After an outstanding young athletic career in his hometown, Kilshaw really burst onto the provincial scene for the first time in 2022.
As a 14-year-old, he was one of the younger players on Baseball Sask’s roster for the 2022 15U Ray Carter Cup in Saskatoon, where the team captured the bronze medal.
The speedy backstop has been a mainstay on the provincial team ever since, as he returned to the Ray Carter Cup a year later in Laval, Quebec, before joining them for the Baseball Canada Cup in 2024, where Saskatchewan finished fourth.
“It’s always an honour to be selected for Team Sask and play for Coach (Greg) Brons,” Kilshaw said.
With an eye on taking his game to the next level, Kilshaw joined Berries Academy when his family moved to Saskatoon in 2024.
MEDAL MAYHEM
The 2025 baseball season turned into what can only be described as a whirlwind for Kilshaw.
He first joined the Saskatoon Cubs of the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League, helping guide the team to the provincial title as their leadoff hitter.
Instead of joining the Cubs as Saskatchewan’s representative at the 18U Nationals in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Kilshaw was named to the Baseball Sask roster for the Canada Summer Games in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Again serving as the leadoff hitter, he opened the tournament going 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs and two RBIs in a dominating 8-1 win over Alberta.
He continued to be a consistent force at the top of the batting order throughout the tournament while providing a steady hand behind the plate for the Saskatchewan pitching staff.
It all came to a head in the bronze medal game, where Kilshaw once again delivered by going 2-for-4 with two stolen bases in a 4-2 win over P.E.I.
“I take a lot of pride playing for my province and wanting to go get that medal every year knowing that we’re the underdogs,” said the 17-year-old. “Canada Summer Games was an unforgettable experience with a great group of guys and getting to bring home a bronze medal was the cherry on top.”
Kilshaw says it was also a memorable tournament in that, unlike others, he and his teammates were also able to watch other sports during their off-time and live in an “athlete’s village” of sorts to meet new people.
NEW BLUE SHOES
Just after the Canada Games event, Kilshaw was told his baseball season wasn’t over quite yet.
Along with teammate Mitchell Rauckman and fellow Saskatchewan native Matthew Tran, he was named to the roster for the Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase.
Suiting up for Team New Blue, the 6-foot-2, 190-pound backstop took part in everything the showcase had to offer, catching the eyes of scouts and onlookers.
“Kilshaw keeps impressing at the Rogers Centre,” wrote Prep Baseball in one of their many social media posts. “Athleticism and impact tools in the box point to a profile that can make noise at the next level.”
The Saskatchewan product admits he was a little nervous with his first round of batting practice, but settled in nicely once the games started happening.
“It was an excellent experience getting to face the top arms and players in Canada,” he said. “Just playing at a major league stadium was honestly the coolest part and getting a couple hits to go along with it felt pretty cool as well.”
RUNNING BUCS WILD
And now it’s off to the Dominican Republic, where Kilshaw says he’s hoping to make even more noise.
He knows this is the starting point for more potential opportunities to play for the Junior National Team in the new year, so he wants to make a good first impression.
Aiden Kilshaw (Swift Current, Sask.) has also honed his skills at the Saskatoon Berries Academy. Photo: Saskatoon Berries Academy
Kilshaw is also getting himself ready for high school graduation next spring, which opens the door to the next step of his baseball journey: college.
After getting a taste of it in a handful of games for the record-setting Saskatoon Berries this past summer (one hit and two stolen bases in three games), he’s heading to Blinn Community College in Brenham, Texas.
The Buccaneers are a perennial favourite in the junior college ranks, having most-recently captured the 2024 JUCO World Series.
“It was a top choice for me for a long time and having the opportunity to sign there was a real pleasure,” Kilshaw said. “I have always wanted to play baseball in Texas so it’s an opportunity I couldn’t miss.”
It promised to be an eventful end to 2025 and start to 2026 for the proud Saskatchewan product, who wouldn’t have it any other way.