Exactly two weeks after Gatorade named Garden City senior pitcher Ethan Armstrong its Michigan Player of the Year, the Michigan High School Baseball Coaches Association followed suit.
The Michigan commit was named Michigan’s Mr. Baseball before the 45th annual East-West All-Star Baseball Classic on Monday, June 15, at Comerica Park.
“Ethan is a coach’s dream,” Garden City coach Avery Emerson said earlier this season. “Phenomenal player but even better person. He’s always the first one on the field and the last one to leave. Whenever I need help with anything, I know I can turn to Ethan.”
While Garden City’s playoff run ended early, Armstrong put together a season to remember.
The future Wolverine posted a 0.21 ERA with 70 strikeouts and three shutouts. He also batted .388 for the 30-6 Cougars, whose season ended in extra innings against Dearborn Divine Child in the Division 2 district championship on May 30.
Armstrong was brilliant in his final start.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound right-hander threw 8⅔ innings as No. 13 Garden City and No. 7 Divine Child battled through seven scoreless innings before extras. He struck out 13, walked two and allowed just two hits before giving way to Dallas Collins with two outs in the eighth.
The Falcons capitalized in the ninth when Jack Krakowski drove in Dallas Terski with a ground ball for the game’s only run and a 1-0 win, ending Armstrong’s standout prep career.
“He’s an extremely hard worker who other players follow because they see what it takes to be great,” Emerson said. “Ethan has elevated the play of our entire program.”
Armstrong finished 5-1 as a senior. During the regular season, he threw 34 innings, recorded a no-hitter and held opponents to a .100 batting average.
Baseball America ranked him Michigan’s No. 1 recruit in the 2026 class, while Perfect Game listed him as the nation’s No. 114 prospect.
At the plate, Armstrong added five doubles, three triples, six home runs and 26 RBIs.
Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life and the Detroit Free Press. Follow him on X at @folsomwrites.
This article originally appeared on Hometownlife.com: Garden City’s Ethan Armstrong named Michigan’s Mr. Baseball
Reporting by Brandon Folsom, Hometownlife.com / Hometownlife.com
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Brandon Folsom, Hometownlife.com | USA TODAY Network
