By Derrick Smith
The last name of Holliday is synonymous with baseball in the state of Oklahoma. Whether it is legendary coach Tom Holliday, or outstanding baseball players like Josh, Matt, or Jackson Holliday, when you see that last name, you know what you are getting. And now, Ethan Holliday is following that same path.
Ethan is a senior at Stillwater High School, where he plays shortstop on the Pioneers baseball team. He has his eye on a long future in baseball and he says that his family has helped him realize his dream.
“My family’s had a huge impact on my baseball career,” he said. “Opening up opportunities for me and letting me train around people that are going to make me better. Also having family members that help make me better. So it’s a real honor. I would say my parents are some of my biggest role models and influences. They’ve had a huge influence on my life, and it’s really impacted my baseball career. I’m just super thankful for them.”
While he has had some great opportunities presented to him, Ethan has invested a lot of time, effort, and hard work to continually improve his game and skills.
“I think it takes a lot of sacrifice and dedication to be successful,” he said. “It’s a big mental game as well, just like any other sport. So just having to make some sacrifices to reach the top, I think that’s really important. It’s just dedicating a lot of time, it’s going to take that extra mile.
During his time of playing baseball, Holliday has enjoyed a lot of memorable moments.
“We’ve had a lot of really cool experiences in baseball,” Ethan said. “One of my favorites was winning a World Cup with the USA team. That was really special to represent my country. But high school baseball, I absolutely love it. And so Stillwater has had a huge impact on my career. And I’ve had a lot of great memories with a bunch of teammates.”
Once his high school career is over, Ethan will be going up the road to Oklahoma State University to continue his career. And he is excited to continue the family tradition of being a Cowboy.
“At OSU, I’d say that the family part is very big for me,” he said. “My grandpa and my uncle, but also just being in Stillwater and being around that team. I get to be around them a lot. It’s kind of like a second team for me, and I look up to those guys and those coaches, and it’s going to be a real honor and hopefully I can represent the Cowboys well.”
