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, where he played for Maroa-Forsyth High School. As a senior infielder, he boasted an impressive .407 batting average and recorded 46 RBIs.

Before changes to NCAA recruiting rules, commitments to college baseball programs often occurred early in a player’s high school career, especially for Division I athletes. During his sophomore year, Ethan committed to Illinois State University.

“I committed to Illinois State my sophomore year. They started reaching out to me as early as my freshman summer with the Tigers,” he shared.

After being committed to the Redbirds for about a year, Ethan decommitted from the Missouri Valley Conference program, which initiated a second round of recruitment.

“It was the same process all over again—phone call after phone call. I spoke with numerous programs at all levels of college baseball. But when I talked to Coach Lyons (Sean Lyons, head baseball coach at SIUE), I knew it was the right fit for me.”

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. Their support was invaluable in getting my name and videos in front of coaches everywhere.”

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

Looking ahead to the 2025 OVC campaign, Ethan aims to maintain consistency at the plate.

“Consistency in my swing is key for me. I’m always striving to get my best swing off regularly, which I hope will lead to positive results.”

From the entire Tigers community, we thank Willoughby for sharing his journey from the Tigers to Division I baseball.

We wish Ethan the best of luck in his upcoming season at SIUE and look forward to celebrating his future successes on the field.

#Train #Educate #GrowTheGame

By: Carter Mize
Rawlings Tigers National Director - Player Development
[email protected]
@mize_carter on X