"College coaches are always looking ahead."

Ethan Willoughby's recruitment process stands out, beginning in his high school days and culminating in his decision to join Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville (SIUE).

Willoughby, a member of the Tigers class of 2022, hails from Maroa, IL. As a senior infielder, he boasted an impressive .407 batting average and recorded 46 RBIs.

During his sophomore year, Ethan committed to Illinois State University. After being committed to the Redbirds for about a year, Ethan decommitted and found his home at SIUE with Coach Sean Lyons.

Ethan credits the Tigers coaching staff for their role in promoting him to colleges nationwide. "The Tigers really helped me a lot. I posted frequently on Twitter, tagging the Tigers staff, who would then repost my content and send it directly to college contacts."

This spring, Ethan started all 56 games for the Cougars, hitting .309 and collecting 69 hits—second on the team—along with 13 doubles.

#Train #Educate #GrowTheGame

By: Carter Mize
Rawlings Tigers National Director - Player Development