“No one could blame Shaun Atamanchuk for bristling at being told that the tear in his ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) was the worst his doctor had ever seen.

Yet, instead of lamenting the long recovery journey ahead, the Beaumont, Alta., native decided to document it.

Taking to Instagram on August 12, 2019, Atamanchuk began posting under @shaunthrows, telling his own story of the ups and downs of recovering from Tommy John surgery.

That long and winding road brought him to the University of Antelope Valley, where the sophomore made his triumphant return to the field more than three years after his last pitch.”

Joe McFarland, from Alberta Dugout Stories, shares the story of Atamanchuk’s long and determined trek back the mound.

“Making the transition from high school to college can be tough on any teenager. Deciding to transfer to another college just a few months into that transition can be even tougher. Yet, Alejandro Cazorla-Granados isn’t phased at packing his bags and finding a new home away from home as he has collected more Frequent Flyer Miles in his 19 years on this planet than most people three times his age have done. After spending the fall at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., the Dawgs Academy grad made the decision to transfer to Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City, La., where he had originally committed to in 2019. It’s all in the name of chasing his baseball dreams.”