Q&A with Kentucky commit Ethan Hindle
November 1, 2021
One of the state’s most consistent and impressive performers throughout this calendar year, INF Ethan Hindle (Arrowhead) shot up to the second overall spot in the most recent update to our state’s 2023 board, cracking the nationally ranked list as well. Hindle’s play earned him an invite to the PBR Future Games, where he represented Team Wisconsin as one of the squad’s top performers and took home game MVP honors against Team Illinois. Shortly after the Future Games and as the summer circuit came to an end, Hindle narrowed his highly coveted recruitment list down to one - the University of Kentucky.
We recently had the opportunity to discuss the recruiting process with Hindle, what he was looking for out of his college experience, and his favorite memories in baseball to this point.
LATEST SCOUTING REPORT
OUR Q&A
PBR: What were your expectations about the recruiting process? What were you looking for out of a college program to continue your baseball career at?
Hindle: I was looking for a school that would overall fit my wants. I thought about four things: finding a good business school, a school I would be happy at if something happened where I would not be able to play baseball again, a team with coaches I like and connected with, and a place that felt like a second home.
P: When did the recruiting process really start to heat up for you? Where did the school you committed to first see you play?
H: My recruitment process started to pick up after the MPL in Indiana. They learned about me during that tournament. The whole recruitment process lit up again during and after this year’s PBR Future Games.
P: What do you like most about the program and what were the key factors in making your decision?
H: First, I loved the school itself. I also connected with the coaches very well and loved them. The campus and field were also my favorite parts, along with the school being in the SEC. It was a dream come true and checked off all of the boxes in a school I was looking for.
P: What other schools were on your short list before you made your final decision?
H: At the end, along with the University of Kentucky, I narrowed it down to the University of Louisville, University of Oregon, Oregon State University, the University of West Virginia, and Duke University.
P: Who is the best player you have faced in your state? What about them makes them the toughest opponent?
H: The best player I have faced is RHP Dylan Questad (Waterford Union, 2023; Arkansas). His ability to work north-to-south with a 90-plus mph fastball, and tunnel a tough slider really made him a tough opponent, along with his changeup, which really falls arm side well.
P: At what point in your career did you realize you were a college-caliber player and became serious about taking your game to the next level?
H: I realized this when I received my first college interest and call. Although, from a young age, I knew what I was capable of. It was about putting good time and good work into my craft.
P: What advice would you give to young baseball players striving to get where you are?
H: My advice would be to not try and beat out the next best player in the state. It would be to beat yourself from the day before. It does no good to try and reach another person’s skill level. If you can be and get better everyday, you will become better than everyone around you. That involves being better physically, mentally, and as an overall person. I also would advise to lift and get faster in a way where you can use your body most efficiently on the field.
P: What is the most memorable moment in your baseball career to this point?
H: My most memorable moment has been committing to the University of Kentucky. It was a dream come true and one of the best days of my life. However, to me, it was a step in a long path to the destination I want to get too.
P: Preview Arrowhead’s season for us. How do you feel your team will be?
H: I feel our team will be very good. We will have excellent talent at each position on the field. We also will have a team chemistry that will be dangerous. It’s shaping up to be a memorable high school season.
Scouting Report
“Hindle's huge summer culminated in an invitation to the PBR Future Games, where he represented Team Wisconsin especially well, eventually earning himself a commitment to Kentucky in the weeks that followed that event. His whippy right-handed swing generates impact that produced gap-to-gap power potential regularly – he homered in his first game on Team Wisconsin. Additionally, Hindle is a highly athletic prospect and a 6.68 runner, and that athleticism translates effectively to the left side of the infield, and he's continued to improve his arm action and arm strength at an impressive rate. Regardless of his future on the infield defensively, his gains from the batter's box have Hindle's prospect stock pointed way up, now the No. 2-ranked player in Wisconsin.”