College Commits: Ethan Hibicke

Photo provided by Ethan Hibicke.

Izzy Pack

Ethan Hibicke, currently a senior at Hamilton, has been playing baseball for 12 years. He recently committed to playing college baseball at UW-River Falls. 

Hibicke’s teammate, Senior Luke Lehnen, says about him, “Ethan is a mood-lightener on the team; he is also a player that you know you can rely on.” 

His current high school coach, Coach Schramek, also says about Hibicke, “Ethan is a leader in our program.  He leads by example both on and off the field.”

Read more to hear from Hibicke:

How long have you been playing?

12 years.

What is your favorite memory from baseball?

Beating Menomonee Falls in the playoffs last year.

What do you think is your favorite/best baseball goal you've accomplished? 

Getting the opportunity to play baseball in college. 

What will you miss most about playing for Hamilton?

The friends I made while playing baseball and the relationships I formed with my coaches.

How has baseball impacted your life?

Baseball has impacted my life in a lot of different ways. Baseball has built me friends that I will have for the rest of my life as well as coaches that I will look up to for a while. 

What is one lesson you've learned from baseball? 

One lesson I have learned from baseball is to always keep your head up. Baseball is a sport where you are going to fail a lot, so learning from my mistakes and always keeping my head up is a valuable lesson that I have learned.

What was the recruitment process like for you?

My recruitment process was very different from most players. I attended some PBR events to get my name out there, and I also attended some camps on campus, but none of those sparked any attention from any colleges. That was until my pitching coach at Hamilton reached out to one of his best friends who also happened to be the Head Baseball Coach at River Falls. He told him that he thinks I would be a good fit for the program, and the Coach trusted him a lot. About 2 days after he reached out, I got a text from one of the assistant coaches at River Falls saying they were interested in me and wanted me to come out for a visit. I went on the visit and liked the school a lot. At the end of the visit, they offered me a spot on their team. 

What is one thing that a coach has told you that you will carry into playing in college? 

My travel ball coach would always tell me to “think away and react in” while hitting. It was always a good mental note for me when I was hitting, and it's something I will carry into college. 

What advice do you have for younger players? 

Do your best to block out the noise and don’t compare yourself to other players when trying to get recruited. It's very easy to compare yourself to others and get distracted when trying to get recruited, especially when rankings come out. I would also say to never give up and always keep a good attitude. You are going to fail in baseball; it's going to happen, and having a bad attitude about it is going to hurt you more in the long run. 

What are you most excited about next year playing for UW River Falls?

Competing at a high level and building relationships with my teammates and coaches.

Is there anyone you’d like to give a positive shoutout to who has been instrumental in your journey?

My family has been a huge part of my journey because they always supported me and believed in me since the beginning. They sacrificed a lot to help me become a college baseball player, so I am forever grateful for them. My coaches have also been a big part of my journey because they taught me everything and always supported me as well.