Canadian Collegiate - Players of the Week
March 15, 2021
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PBR Canada Collegiate Performers of the Week
Every week, we'll highlight one hitter and one pitcher to be our PBR Canada Collegiate Players of the Week which is powered by Mizuno. This is the fifth week and two high profile draft prospects headline with their weekend performances
Again, there was all kinds of numbers and performances from players across the country, but Tyler Black was on fire and Eric Cerantola had his best performance of the season so far and matched that with pure stuff you just don't see very often with his FB/CB mix.
THE OFFENSIVE SIDE
Hitter of the Week
Tyler Black, Wright State University
Background: Black was always an athletic and intriguing prospect in high school who always found a way to make an impact and was an absolute force for Wright State as soon as he stepped on campus. In his freshman year he slashed .353./.469/.600 with an OPS over 1.000 and helped lead the team to a first place finish in the Horizon League. Black has blossomed into one of the top players in the conference and is one top Canadian college bats heading into the 2021 draft. The former Toronto Mets infielder has been on a tear since conference play began last weekend and he began his year with a double off Vanderbilt ace Kumar Rocker, the only hit he allowed that day.
Performance: Black had the long ball working this weekend as he blasted four home runs in as many games against Youngstown State. Black ultimately went 9-for-16 and hit a pair of homeruns in both the opener and the finale as Wright State moved to 8-0 in the Horizon League. He also added a double, six runs, eight RBI, a walk and stolen base as he pushed his batting average up to a cool .422 thanks to his trio of multi-hit games over the weekend
STAT LINE: 9-for-16, 2B, 4 HR, 6 R, 8 RBI, BB, SB
ON THE MOUND
Pitcher of the Week
Eric Cerantola, Mississippi State University
Background: The decision to head to Starkville as opposed to pro ball is now paying off for Eric Cerantola, a hard throwing right-hander from the Great Lakes Canadians. Cerantola is the 48th-ranked prospect on PBR’s 2021 Draft Board. He can run his fastball up 99 mph but will sit 93-96 during his starts. At 6-foot-5, 230-pounds, it’s Cerantola’s size and stuff that’s so intriguing to scouts. The only knock on Cerantola is whether he can throw enough strikes and he showed this weekend that when he’s on, he can be one of the most intimidating and overpowering arms in college baseball.
Performance: The former Junior National Team right-hander impressed in his longest outing of the season as he tossed five strong innings against Eastern Michigan on Saturday. Cerantola picked up five strikeouts while allowing just one run, one hit and one walk while receiving lots of praise for the overall look of his stuff on the mound. It may not have been the best statistical performance of Canadians in college, but from a pure stuff consideration, there is nobody really like Cerantola when you’re talking the entire NCAA, little lone Canadian players. It’s hard to deny 98 mph fastballs and low 80’s hammers that fall off the table. By many, he has a chance to be a first round pick and one of the most talked about arms when it comes to the 2021 MLB draft
STAT LINE: 5.0 IP, 1 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 5 K
