Head coach Jens Hawlitzky of the Baseball-Bundesliga club DORTMUND WANDERERS traveled to the United States at the end of December for a few tryouts. Now the club announced the first signing following the trip. Kyle Cherney of the Illinois State University, a Division I college, joins the club for the upcoming season.
The 23-year-old moved from second to third base last season with the Red Birds, but will primarily used as a catcher with DORTMUND. Cherney is a right-handed thrower and bats left-handed. He went to Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake, Illinois. In 2005 he started his college career with the Northern Illinois University, transferred to Triton College in 2006, before joining Illinois State for the spring semester in 2007. He also played in the Jayhawk Baseball League in the summer of 2007. In 2008 Cherney batted .303 (OBP .447/SLG .480) with five homeruns, 33 runs scored and 31 RBI in 52 games.
Cherney was recruited during the Chicago tryout of Hawlitzky at the end of December and will arrive in Germany in mid-March. The WANDERERS will announce further signings in the next couple of weeks.
Photo: © Dortmund Wanderers
