When many young women her age are migrating to the sport of softball, Humboldt’s Camden Suchan has carved her niche in baseball in a big way. The thirteen year old pitcher and all-purpose player has capped off a stellar summer of ball with an appearance at the 14U Girls Western Canadian Baseball Championships in Winnipeg as a key member of Team Saskatchewan. 

Camden comes by her baseball interest through her family heritage. Father Brett Suchan is a long time player and coach who remains active in the sport. Brett returned from eastern Canada this summer having helped to secure a national championship in 33+ play with the Alberta based Capital Tiger Padres. Her grandfather, Michael Suchan has been a baseball mainstay in Humboldt and helps Camden pursue the sport. 

Camden’s recollections of her involvement go back to her childhood.

“I started playing baseball at the age of five playing T-ball like everyone else, and I just moved up to machine pitching to the point where you’re pitching.”

Once she graduated to the full-blown game, she began taking her turn at pitching and found an aptitude for it. It was at that point she began working on developing those skill sets, along with batting and fielding. 

“I started to learn to pitch at nine, and I went to this place, Inside Pitch, where I worked on mechanics. I really liked pitching once I picked it up and started getting the hang of it. I loved it off the bat.” Inside Pitch Baseball Academy in Regina provides individual and group instruction for baseball skills development to players of most age groups. 

At a young age, Camden began to master manipulating the ball into change ups and curves, and working hard, she continued to add to her pitching repertoire. She credits her dad and countless hours of backyard woodshedding for her knowledge of techniques and proficiency with off-speed pitches. She continued that developmental work at the Gordie Howe Training Facility in Saskatoon. 

Camden has played in the Humboldt Dodgers program throughout her formative years. While many of her female contemporaries headed to softball, Camden stayed the course with this year’s 13U Humboldt Dodgers as the only female player. On the mound, in the field and at the plate, she contributed to the team’s silver medal finish at provincials, falling in a tight matchup against Maidstone. Meanwhile, Camden had her hopes high for another baseball benchmark.

“I tried out for Team Sask 14U girls, and I ended up making the team. Two weeks before Westerns, we had prep work. One week, we had a bunch of practices, and the next weekend, we had games and more practice so that we could play together before the big tournament. 

Camden says the team gelled quickly and enjoyed each other's company through the process. 

“It was a great experience playing with all girls.”

The Team Sask squad proved its resilience during the opening game of the tournament against home club Manitoba. Suchan and her teammates dug out from a 5 run deficit to take the opener 18-8, where Camden punched a triple to help spark the rally. The powerhouse Alberta squad played tough in the second game as Team Sask fell 10-4. Suchan once again hung in tough at second base and stepped in relief on the mound while tallying a couple hits.

Team Sask bounced back in a must-win against BC where Camden once again patrolled second base and managed a hit in a back and forth 11-8 win. In the final against Alberta, Camden got the nod as starting pitcher. She battled back after giving up an initial home run to put in a seven strikeout effort in her four innings. In spite of hitting a double to contribute to her team’s offense, Alberta pulled away with a 16-6 victory, leaving Team Sask with a well-deserved silver. 

Camden hopes to return to the Team Sask fold next year given that she and eight other girls remain eligible in the age group for next year.

At the end of her season, Camden gives a tip of the hat to  her Humboldt Dodgers teammates for being supportive and for all the fun as she looks to return next year. Of course, she gives the final nod to her dad and grandpa for their boundless support and expertise in helping with a season that won’t soon be forgotten.