THOMASVILLE – The Thomasville Bulldogs senior pitcher Ethan Barrett sat in front of a crowd of supporters with his parents on either side Friday morning as he signed his letter of intent to play baseball at Chipola College.

Barrett, who is known for his unrivaled energy and emotion on the mound, made his commitment to the Indians earlier in the year after a stellar junior season that featured a 15 strikeout game in the playoffs against Peach County. 

When asked why he chose Chipola, Barrett cited not only the coaching staff, but the family environment that the Indians have.

“Jeff Johnson (Chipola’s head baseball coach), the resources he has. You can’t beat it,” Barrett said. “I talk to them every day, the connection’s there, it’s a great family.”

Barrett will be in good hands at Chipola. The Indians have one of the best junior college baseball programs in the country and have produced some serious talent. They have sent ball players to top tier baseball universities like Mississippi State, Auburn and Michigan. A few MLB stars also came through Chipola in the form of Blue Jays legends Jose Bautista and Russell Martin as well as former Atlanta Braves Tyler Flowers and Adam Duvall. 

Chipola finished last season with a record of 41-14-1 and ended the year on a pair of losses in the FCSAA/NJCAA South Atlantic District Tournament.

After signing his letter of intent, Barrett made sure to take a picture with as many of his supporters as he could. Family, friends, coaches and teammates all lined the stands of the Bulldogs gym in support of Barrett.

“It means a lot,” Barrett said. “The support is absurd. I’m glad Thomasville welcomed me in and words can’t describe it.”