Mequon, WI — In baseball, they say the best players in the world have five tools at their disposal. If you possess all five, then you have the makings of a potential big-leaguer.
Ethan Hindle has six.
The Kentucky infielder has such a “relentless work ethic,” according to Arrowhead hitting coach Chris Pier, that he ‘didn’t take off an at-bat’ in his whole high school career during which he set Arrowhead’s all-time home run record in just three years after losing his freshman year to the pandemic. His obsessive weightlifting and physical growth adds another dimension for Hindle that other players lack.
“He made the varsity team his freshman year, which is almost unheard of,” Pier said. “All five tools — including the power — really registered right away and [Ethan’s] mental maturity really impressed everyone.”
In his time with the Chinooks, the SS/3B has exhibited the same explosive offensive skill set in overtaking the team lead in home runs and slugging. He also boasts an incredible .893 OPS, second on the team behind All-Star Dominic Kibler.
Ethan Hindle hits bombs. Listed are his SLG (slugging %), OPS (on-base plus slugging %) and home run counts along with rankings on the team. Graphic by Olivia Mahone.
‘Hammers’ Hindle has earned four separate Current Electric Superhero of the Game awards in his time with the Chinooks. Ethan has 17 RBI, 13 R and four stolen bases in his 16 games for Lakeshore, typically producing from the 2 or 3-spot in the lineup.
“That guy’s got serious juice,” teammate and fellow masher Joey Nerat said. “You throw a pitch in his zone and he’s gonna bang it and make you pay.”
Hindle is now on the roster of the University of Kentucky, where he hopes to progress towards his ultimate goal of making the Major Leagues. As he traveled with the team during his freshman year, he picked up valuable experience on the field and in the weight room surrounded by soon-to-be draft picks. He only picked up 12 at-bats for the Wildcats, who qualified for the eight-team College World Series for the first time in their history, but Hindle’s village is very confident he grew significantly since the start of the season.
“Whether he’s playing or not, he’ll be logging notes about pitching tendencies, locations, whatever he needs to do to get better against the best competition in the country,” mother Jennifer said.
Next season with the Wildcats, Ethan hopes to get more playing time and keep growing with other elite prospective talent, including fellow Kentucky and Chinooks speedster Griffin Cameron. This summer with Lakeshore, the two have consistently been some of the best performers on a strong offensive team in the Northwoods League’s second half of the season.
“If I’m on the other side of you on the field, I’m going at your throat and I’m not ever holding back,” Hindle said.
The Arrowhead graduate has been on an extended heater for Lakeshore as his and Cameron’s additions to the team have sparked a high-scoring Chinooks offense. Since the Kentucky sophomores joined Lakeshore on June 24th, the ‘Nooks have averaged 7.13 runs per game, which would rank third in the Northwoods League if extrapolated across the season.
But though he hasn’t struggled hitting, the Delafield native often says he does have one flaw: he’s not the greatest jokester. Hindle says teammates with a lot of energy help him loosen up.
At Arrowhead, that player was often co-captain Thomas Curry, who also earned the right to play SEC baseball but with the Missouri Tigers as a catcher.
Curry explained how in high school, Hindle ‘couldn’t miss a barrel if he tried.’ But, Curry said, Hindle grew most as a Warhawk as a locker room leader. He instilled lifting traditions Arrowhead baseball still uses today. The high school turns young ball players with dreams into capable collegiate bombers using resistance training and plyometric routines, as recent graduate Hindle established.
The 200-pound prospect hardly ever takes days off of workouts or taking ground balls wherever he plays, and his dedication to physical improvement is an asset teammates and coaches from across the country identify as Hindle’s best despite his litany of skills.
He’s one of the leaders of Lakeshore’s lineup and hopes to keep hammering homers as he uses the summer-ball opportunity to expand an already large baseball resume. After Chinooks teammate Cohen Achen was drafted to the Baltimore Orioles Tuesday, Hindle might be just a year or two behind.
“I don’t wanna say his game is perfect because it’s not possible in baseball,” Pier said. “But with how relentless he is in pursuing improvement, the sky’s the limit for him.”
Article written by David Jacobs. Image by Connor Ziman.
