“I had a really good summer season this year.”
It seems like a bit of an understatement from Rhett Cawood as he took to social media to reflect on the summer that he had.
He has put his name on the baseball map in a big way, standing out in competition against players a year or two older for most of the season.
The 16-year-old thrived in his debut season in the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League’s ‘AAA’ season, winning a couple of major awards, and then performed well at the Baseball Canada Cup, starting it off by winning the tournament’s Home Run Derby.
Cawood credits “staying out of his own head” as he felt like he was really hard on himself in previous years.
“I did a good job this year of just letting myself play and trusting all the work I put in during the offseason,” he told Saskatchewan Dugout Stories. “I kept my approach at the plate simple and just trusted my swing to do its thing.”
And now he enters a new offseason with new goals, aspirations and even some new experiences in store.
RISING THROUGH THE RANKS
Growing up in North Battleford, Cawood remembers his dad introducing him to baseball with a plastic bat and ball set at a very young age.
His love of the game kept growing as he made his way through the hometown Beavers’ program, which took him to the Sask Five Giants program during his second year of U13 baseball.
That’s when Cawood earned his first spot on a Baseball Sask squad, playing in the 2023 Baseball Canada 13U National Championship in Woodstock, Ontario.
He repped the green, yellow and white again at the Western Canada Prospects Series in 2024, then went to the 15U Ray Carter Cup in Summerside, P.E.I. in 2025.
The rising star went 4-for-11 with three singles, a double, a run batted in and three runs scored in that tournament, showing he can perform with the best in the country while realizing a dream.
“I remember being a young boy watching Team Sask at Nationals when it was hosted in Saskatoon,” Cawood recalled. “I had then made it my goal to represent my province one day and it’s a privilege getting to do it.”
WHAT A SUMMER
A big part of Cawood’s journey in baseball has been Going Yard Academy in Saskatoon.
He started with their fall ball program in 2019, making his way through their various teams before being named to their 18U team at the end of 2025.
The centrefielder/pitcher dedicated himself to getting stronger while experiencing all that Going Yard has to offer.
It paid off in a big way, as Cawood suited up with the Zone 7 Sun Devils, hitting an out-of-this-world .525 with 13 doubles, six triples, nine home runs and 39 RBI en route to being named the SPBL’s Rookie of the Year and Hitter of the Year.
He then joined Team Sask for a return trip to Summerside for the Baseball Canada Cup, where his hot streak continued right away.
Taking part in his first-ever home run derby on the opening night of the tournament, Cawood fought through some nerves and the physical demand to win it all.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound slugger opened up the final round by hitting nine out of the park then admits he had to pace around watching his opponent take his round.
“Once the timer went off and I officially won it, it was amazing,” Cawood smiled. “It was such a surreal feeling – all my teammates on the field celebrating with me – I couldn’t believe I was the derby champ.”
During tournament play, he went 4-for-20 with three singles, a double, an RBI, five runs scored, four walks and a stolen base as Team Sask finished fifth.
BIGGER AND BETTER
Cawood put the wraps on his season by heading south to the Perfect Game WWBA Underclass World Championship in Fort Myers, Florida at the start of October.
Representing CBR Nation, he picked up three hits, two walks and two stolen bases while being lauded for having several quality at bats.
With the big year under his belt, Cawood enters the offseason with a renewed confidence that he can play with some of the best in Canada and across North America.
The 2028 grad says he will be hitting the weight room hard at Going Yard, where he likes how they design drills and exercises to improve his exit velocity, sprint speed and much more.
“I am really working hard to improve my arm from the outfield this offseason,” says Cawood. “I want to get bigger and stronger for next season so I can get better in all areas of my game.”
While 2026 might have been a year to remember, Cawood is hoping it was just a taste of what’s to come in the future.
