EMU Baseball Philosophy Is Right For Hutter

Anthony Hutter OF / 2B / Elyria Catholic, OH / 2024

AVON - Once Anthony Hutter learned about the ideas of Eastern Michigan head coach Robbie Britt, making a college choice was not difficult.

“It was an easy decision for sure,” the Elyria Catholic senior reflected on his commitment to the Mid-American Conference university in Ypsilanti.

The 17th-rated 2024 outfielder in Ohio initially knew of Britt while he was coaching at another college.

“It started on Twitter,” Hutter explained. “I was calling coaches and one day coach Britt, while he was at Charleston, followed me so I figured he was interested. Then one day he posted that he’s the head coach at Eastern and I congratulated him. We stayed in contact after that. He watched me in the summer and invited me on campus.

“The campus was awesome and the coaches were awesome,” continued Hutter, who had previously visited “a couple D-II schools” while also having contact with Northern Kentucky, Akron and Dayton. “Britt’s philosophy is one of a coach I want to play for.”

It did not take long for that to happen.

“He gave me an offer and I accepted three hours after on the ride home,” the 17-year-old said. “I talked about it with my family and didn’t want to make him wait.”

It was a no-brainer in the eyes of Hutter.

“Definitely coach Britt and coach (Craig) Prince and the philosophy of the program,” Hutter pointed to as what stood out about EMU. “They will make me a better person while I’m able to play great baseball.”

The first-year Eastern coaches found Hutter to be right for the program.

“They liked how I was as a person while on the visit,” Hutter related. “I’d answer the questions, not my parents. As a baseball player they liked my consistency at the plate.”

Improvement in the game was vital in becoming a Division I commit.

“I’ve been throwing a ton, lifting a ton and going to Cleveland BioSport,” the 6-0 170-pounder noted. “Being on a nutrition plan with a weight trainer at BioSport has really been good for me.” 

Hutter was also aided in the recruiting process.

“Coach (Matt) Rosinski was a huge help,” Hutter said of his summer mentor with Release, the former head coach at St. Edward who is now an assistant at Baldwin-Wallace. “He was always reaching out to colleges for me to give me the best path.

“PBR also did a ton, posting me all the time. One of my posts had 1,300 views on one swing. That was such a huge help to post for me.”

There were others that Hutter credited, including at home.

“My dad was a really big factor, he helped me a ton,” Hutter said. “He played college baseball so he had an idea how to reach out. Alex Miklos, my hitting coach who was an assistant coach at Kent, was another huge mentor for me the last 11/2 years helping write emails.”

The assistance is much appreciated, according to Hutter, in reaching a long-time aspiration.

“It’s been a dream my whole life,” Hutter related. “It’s been a goal to make it to college baseball. A year ago, when I started lifting and working on my craft every day it became realistic. I quit football and basketball to focus on just baseball. I felt if I wanted to play college baseball at a higher level I needed to work on it full time. I went from 135 pounds to 170 in a year.”

The results of the strong work ethic has Hutter excited about what he can bring to the baseball program at EMU.

“On the field I will definitely play a consistently strong offense,” Hutter said. “I’ll bring positivity. I’m always a good teammate, never being down.”

Knowing where his college future lies brings relief to Hutter, who carries a 3.6 GPA at Elyria Catholic.

“Two huge weights are off my shoulders,” noted Hutter, who is thinking about a major in general business at Eastern. “It feels so relaxing to go into my senior year committed. But the work is not finished. I know college will be hard work. But it’s huge to have the weight lifted off my shoulders.”

There is a lot to look forward to when it comes to being a student-athlete at Eastern Michigan, which is located three hours from home.

“It will be great having my own counselor to help me out,” Hutter said. “I’m also looking forward to meeting new people. I got to a small Catholic school, so I think it will be a great place to meet new people.”