ITG Next’s April 2026 Georgia Male Athlete of the Month is Houston County High School baseball player Ethan Kenney.
The senior standout is one of the reasons Houston County continues to be among the top programs in Georgia high school baseball, including the Bears’ trip to the Class 5A semifinals, which marks their fourth straight appearance in the Final Four.
Just as he has done throughout his career with the Bears, Kenney has made an impact in these playoffs.
In the opening-round series against Lassiter, Kenney went the distance as the starter in Game 2, picking up the win with 10 strikeouts, no walks, and allowing just two earned runs while scattering seven hits in a complete-game, series-clinching win.
He also contributed at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, one RBI, and a run scored.
Then, against Newnan in a rematch of last year’s state championship matchup, Kenney once again went the distance in the clinching Game 2, a five-inning 11-1 victory.
Bears head baseball coach Matt Hopkins talked about the impact Kenney has had on Houston County’s success.
“Ethan has really developed into an asset for the program both at the plate and on the mound,” Hopkins said. “All season he has held down the four spot (cleanup) in the lineup and the Game 2 starter spot on the mound. His emergence on the mound has been the key to pushing us to this point in the season. No matter if he has a bad at-bat or inning on the mound, he has found a way to reset and put the team first. This is what our program hopes our players will grow to become.”
Above and beyond his accomplishments on the field, Hopkins was quick to praise the impact Kenney has made off the field as well.
“Ethan is one of the most mature and respectful kids I have ever coached,” Hopkins said. “To say he is driven would be an understatement because he strives to be better every day that I have known him. This has made a lasting impression on our program and has made everyone around him better. He is the ultimate teammate and the kind of kid that you dream of being in your program. He has the highest GPA on the team to go along with his on-field accomplishments.”
Offensively, Kenney is batting .320 on the season with a .453 on-base percentage. He has hit four home runs with 35 RBIs and seven doubles. He has scored 28 runs and has seven stolen bases.
On the mound, he has an 8-2 record in 67.1 innings pitched with a 1.663 ERA. He has struck out 65 batters while issuing an incredibly low 10 walks all season.
Whatever happens with Houston County in the state playoffs, Kenney will have a lot more baseball in his future.
The senior announced at the beginning of May that he will continue his athletic and academic career at Oglethorpe University.
But there is still work to be done for Kenney and the Bears.
