Turlock High graduate Blake Cederlind signed his letter of intent last month to attend the University of California, Davis on an athletic scholarship to play baseball.
Cederlind says he couldn’t be any happier about taking the first step toward his goal of playing professional baseball.
After coming out of Turlock High without any major offers at the conclusion of his senior season in 2014, Cederlind decided to attend Merced College, which provided him with the outlet to progress in all facets on the baseball field.
“I went to the nearest community college with the best coaching staff and Merced developed my mechanics,” he said.
It didn’t take long for the Aggies to fully commit to Cederlind as a mutual agreement after a solid freshman year at Merced.
“I had velocity coming out of high school but I didn’t have many other tools. Merced helped me achieve other pitches,” Cederlind said. “I also had a lot of motivation from Coach [Mark] de la Motte and Coach Tom Mendonca; they both told me I had a bright future and stick to pitching.”
The Turlock right-hander was 3-1 in 15 games for the Blue Devils this past year, striking out 17 in 21 2/3 innings and drew the attention of UC Davis and their coaching staff.
“I was excited to be committed early to a great school and just have to worry about my upcoming season,” Cederlind said. “What kept me motivated is I have wanted to become a professional baseball player since I was a child.”
During his senior campaign at Turlock, Cederlind was one of the most consistent pitchers for Coach de la Motte and without question one of the best in the Central California Conference. His senior year at Turlock, Cederlind was 8-1 with an ERA of 1.50 in 51 1/3 innings pitched, while striking out 52.
Cederlind will be assisting a UC Davis team that has gone 16-32 over a two-year span in the Big West Conference.
“It was UC Davis all the way. They showed the most interest than any other school and the coaches have history in the game,” Cederlind added. “I plan on achieving a Conference title and more. I’m ready to battle with the guys and see what we can do. I am glad for this chance.”
