Pikeville, KY – A pipeline trend seems to be developing between UPIKE Baseball and the WCBL's Edmonton Prospects as the second signee, Ethan Cernohous, has committed to the club for the upcoming summer campaign. The Bulverde, TX native joins centerfielder Tyler Freas, who signed with the Prospects earlier this fall.

The Prospects, led by Head Coach Jordan Blundell, compete in one of the most storied collegiate summer ball circuits in North America. Edmonton is located in Alberta and is routinely one of the most competitive squads in the Western Canadian Baseball League. The league fields 12 teams consisting of collegiate talent and professional prospects, and has sent more than a handful of alumni to baseball's biggest stage.

Making Edmonton his summer home, the Texan right-hander looks to build on what's already been a successful career in the collegiate ranks. Cernohous graduated from Smithson Valley HS in 2018 as an infielder/utility weapon and ample experience in the travel ball circuit, competing in several Perfect Game sanctioned events. After graduation, Cernohous signed with Dakota Valley Technical College where he spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons, appearing in 32 games.

Cernohous transferred to UPIKE for the 2021 season and spent the majority of his time on the field as a closer. He made 18 appearances for the Bears, offering 30 innings of action and finished with a 3-3 record. Cernohous sat down 25 on strikes and recorded his first save against Campbellsville in April. Against the Tigers, Cernohous powered through four innings allowing four hits and striking out three. One of his best performances of the season came in the Bears 9-3 defeat of WVU-Tech where the junior threw a pair of innings, striking out four of six batters faced.

First year Head Coach Cody Andrychuk is using his relationship with Blundell and the WCBL to get his guys more reps in the summer. Andrychuk is a Canada native and Blundell served as his first collegiate coach. When Blundell called looking for some players to suit up for the prospects, it was a no-brainer. "Ethan Cernohous came right to mind as a guy that would work for him out of the bullpen and be efficient in all of his outings," said Andrychuk.

Providing the Prospects with another piece for the 2022 campaign, Andrychuk is excited to watch his players grow their game. "We are excited to send another one of our student-athletes up to Edmonton for the Summer. It will be an outstanding opportunity for Cernhous to grow and face competition from all over North America.

UPIKE has set the schedule for the spring and looks ahead to an early start with a season opener in Waleska, GA against Reinhardt on January 28^th. The Prospects begin their summer run on May 27^th against the Ft. McMurray Giants.