HASTINGS - It was at a young age when baseball became a top priority for Ethan Henry.

“My first baby picture was with a ball,” Henry reflected. “My parents started me in a T-Ball League when I was two and I’ve always been connected to it.”

The love for the game has only grown since those younger days.

“When I was 14 I went to a summer camp at Michigan and pitched really well,” the South Christian High School sophomore noted. “That’s when I began to take it seriously. Before that it was just a game. That’s when it took off.”

Soon after, Henry was gaining notoriety.

“I went to my first PBR showcase and my name was number one in the state,” related Henry, the top-ranked 2023 left-handed pitcher in Michigan. “I remember sitting in school at a break and it kind of clicked. It’s full go.”

Improvement aided the recruiting process during 2020.

“Covid was almost a blessing to me,” explained Henry. “It allowed me months - when I would have been playing my first year of high school ball - to be in my backyard and working on my command. I was always a wild guy, but now I’m able to command pitches for strikes. I’d not be in the position I am if not for that. I’d just be another lefty throwing mid-80s that can’t throw strikes.”

Although strides on the mound were being made, the virus did hinder recruitment.

“Covid put a stall in my recruiting,” Henry pointed out. “I wasn’t able to play in big tournaments I was going to in the summer. Since scouts weren’t coming, our team cancelled. It cut Michigan and Kentucky off. They’re not going to pull the trigger on a 2023 and say he’s our guy without seeing him. But it all worked out fine.”

That’s because a number of schools began showing interest after the Top Prospect Games West in July.

“That first showcase with PBR got me out there,” Henry said. “After that I was supposed to play at the Future Games but I couldn’t make it. But it got me attention from Oakland.”

Another event added to the interest.

“The Scout Day showcase in November went well,” Henry noted about the Top Tier PBR event. “I was talking with multiple schools after that.”

Xavier, Indiana State, Pittsburgh and Indiana were now on the radar for the 6-0 173-pound southpaw.

“Going into December I was thinking about going on campus tours but then the state shut down,” Henry said. “In January I finally got to go to Oakland and I enjoyed that. Then In February I got a hold of the head coach and after five or six months he offered.”

But just before making a commitment, another college entered the picture.

“I got an offer from West Point the night after I visited Oakland,” reflected Henry, who also received additional interest from Eastern Michigan, St. John’s and Georgetown. “I considered it, and was super honored to be considered by a school like that, but by then I was set on committing to Oakland.”

After all, Oakland fit one important aspect in Henry’s college objective.

“I planned on staying in my home state,” Henry said. “I’m a ‘Michigan versus the World guy’ and when a school here in Michigan was looking at me, it was an easy pick.”

Located three hours from his home in Hastings, Oakland saw a lot of promise in the 15th-ranked 2023 in the state.

“They really liked how I’ve become a pure pitcher, my ability to have poise and an arsenal to pitch … the IQ side of it,” Henry said. “That’s one of the things I’ve always held in high regard.”

Henry pointed to his father, Mike, as his biggest influence.

“The amount of work he’s done to make me what I am is incredible,” Henry said. “The dollars, the time, the lessons, playing catch when I was younger … it all added up to be powerful in helping me get where I am.

“Coach David Wuis with Top Tier also helped with recruiting and making it as easy for me as it can be to make a decision.”

Now Henry, a 3.61 student who plans to earn a degree in education/teaching, anxiously looks forward to being part of the Horizon League program.

“It was super surreal when it finally happened,” Henry said of the commitment to Oakland. “I’ve been on the phone with coaches for six or seven months and then it finally happened. But there’s not a lot to celebrate, I’ve still got to keep pushing. There’s no time to celebrate. It only sets up a new challenge.”