By Sarah Tone, Communications Coordinator
Team Manitoba baseball players Cody Gunderson and Ethan Giesbrecht are on the verge of wrapping up their 2022 season at the Canada Summer Games. As the two eligible overaged players on Team Manitoba’s roster, the rest of the team is 17 years old or younger, they are also closing a chapter of their playing days at the U18 level.
But as one chapter closes, another opens. Both Cody and Ethan will be heading to Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, a Division 1 junior college. They are required to report to Hutchinson on August 16th, one day later than expected, so they can wrap up their time with Team Manitoba at the 2022 Games.
Hutchinson is 13 hours away by car, but being that far from home isn’t a big concern. Rooming together will certainly help with the transition. Ethan says “the biggest adjustment may be getting used to living with Cody as he’s a bit of a neat freak while Cody, let’s just say doesn’t always pick up after himself.” Cody denies this saying, with a chuckle “it’s just my room that gets away on me.”
Both players are looking forward to taking their individual skills to the next level as the quality of play will certainly be a notch or two up from what they are exposed to in Manitoba. Hutchinson has a winning tradition, having won their conference in 3 of the last 6 years and coming into the fall are ranked 14th in the nation.
Ethan who pitches and plays 1st or 3rd for the Altona Bison in the Manitoba Junior Baseball League, says he will primarily pitch, while Cody is looking forward to continuing advancing his game as a catcher with some spot duty at 1st base.
Both players feel their individual skills, and overall team-first attitudes will be a great fit at Hutchinson. After the two years at Hutchinson, that chapter will close and a new one will begin. Needless to say, their story will continue!
