The first time Ethan Thompson steps on the pitcher’s mound for the Marist Red Foxes in the spring of 2022, his grandfather will be on his mind.
“My first outing is going to be for him because the impact he had on my life has been crazy,” Thompson said. “It’s definitely going to be for him, for sure.”
It was Edwin Thompson, who graduated from Marist College in 1984, who instilled his grandson with a love for the school, and it started a journey that started with him attending men’s and women’s basketball games. He was the mop boy from ages 8-14, was familiar with the athletic director, met basketball players and it shaped his love for sports and the school.
So, when the offer came to play for the school’s Division I baseball team, he “wanted to hop on it, super quick.”

Now, it’s official, as Thompson signed his National Letter of Intent to play at Marist on Nov. 13, the day Edwin died from pneumonia.
“That really hit me hard,” Thompson said. “For him being the person he was, surrounding me with Marist. I want to say it means something and I really believe it does. The coincidence of that is really insane.”
Thompson’s been a member of the Highland baseball team since he was in eighth grade for then-coach John Buonamano, now the athletic director at Irvington High School, and has played for John Manganiello since he took over the team as during Thompson’s freshman year.
He’s also a key member of the boys’ basketball team.
“He is first and foremost just an absolute delight,” Manganiello said. “He’s always the first one to practice and the last one to leave. He works super hard and is really good with the younger players.”
Thompson’s fastball topped out in the high 80s the last time he threw for Manganiello, but he said it could be higher than that now. While he’s known for his pitching prowess, he’s also Highland’s top hitter, anchoring the No. 3 spot in the batting order.
When he’s not pitching, he’s Highland’s center fielder.
“When he’s in center field, that’s our best defense,” Manganiello said. “It’s when he pitches that we have to move things around. He’s one of the best players in our league.”
He plays two sports, both team sports, but both with different team dynamics. In basketball, he’s working with five other players to score and prevent the other team from scoring. On the baseball field, even though there are eight other players on the field, he’s alone on the mound. He can’t pass the ball off if he doesn’t have a shot; he must make the pitch.
“As a pitcher, you’re in control of the game,” Thompson said. “Every pitch you throw determines the next play of the game. You’re the main guy right now that has to do a job that depending on your performance can win or lose games. I feel like that’s why I love baseball.”
He’s been playing so well for so long that the call from Marist came early. He committed at the beginning of his sophomore year, after only two years of varsity baseball.
“When I received the phone call from coach (former Marist associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Eric) Pelletier, saying they’d like to offer me, I stood up and was on the verge of crying because I was so excited. The emotion at that point was “just wow”. To be able to play in a school I’ve been around my whole life is just amazing.”
He’s already met many of the players and said they’re “basically” brothers already. He said Marist’s pitching staff is like an arsenal and he’s excited to be one of the Red Fox’s weapons starting in 2022.
“I’m just super proud of him,” Manganiello said. “I’ve seen the process and he’s always remained true to it and always remained focused. He never gave up on his dreams. That, at times, meant giving up some time with friends, but he’s remained true to what he wanted to do. Whatever he does in life, whether it’s in business or a professional baseball player, he’s going to be really good at it. I’m honored to be able to have coached him for four years. It’s been a treat.”