When talking about the work ethic he’s seen from catcher Henry Hunter, Georgia head coach Wes Johnson paid the UAB transfer quite the compliment.

“He’s got that Navy Seal work ethic,” Johnson said. “It’s impressive. It’s very, very impressive.”

Hunter’s face broke into a wide smile when told what his coach had said.

“It definitely means a lot coming from him, because he’s definitely someone I have a lot of respect for,” said Henry who, along with senior Fernando Gonzalez, shares the catching duties for the Bulldogs.

Teammate Corey Collins said Henry’s go-get-'em approach has been an eye-opener.

“He comes in and brings energy every day, he attacks everything. He works himself harder than I think he should sometimes,” Collins said. “Sometimes we have to tell him to slow down, and he wants to get better every single day. I can barely keep up with him. But no, I’m proud of Henry because he works so hard.”

As a result, Henry’s enjoying the best season of his college career.

Not only has the former Grayson High standout improved his receiving skills, but his bat is having a bigger role than many might have thought it might.

In 46 games last year at UAB (42 starts), Hunter batted just .166 with three homers and 21 RBI.

Twenty-five games into his first season with the Bulldog, Hunter is batting .333 with four homers and 10 RBIs.

Hunter offers hitting coach Will Coggin a tip of the cap for the improvements he’s made.

“I would say make me feel that I can do it, just believing in myself again. That’s probably the biggest rabbit hole I fell into last year, just forgetting that I’m a good player,” Hunter said. “He’s helped me get to that point just through the process of work. Just believe in the mechanics, believe in the swing we’ve put together.”

Johnson likes what he’s seen.

“He had a decent freshman year (.286-4-14) and struggled last year,” Johnson said. “But when you get guys you hear have that kind of work ethic, and have that little bit of track record to go off on, you feel really good that you might get them to another level, and that’s where Henry is right now.”

Defensively, Hunter feels even bigger strides are being made.

“That’s the part of the game I feel I’ve matured the most and developed the most in,” Hunter said. “I’m super thankful for Coach (Brock) Bennett and Fernando (Gonzalez), just learning from him every single day, just bouncing ideas off them, and being there to help me develop.”

Collins joked that Hunter’s soothing mound presence is also having a positive impact on Georgia’s pitchers.

Although Johnson calls pitches from the dugout, Hunter’s ability to help Georgia hurlers navigate their way through games is already being noticed.

“When Henry goes out there and has a mound visit, we call it the ‘Henry Effect,’ because something good always happens,” Collins said. “I don’t know what he’s saying, but he brings the good out of guys”

Hunter said he enjoys playing any role he’s called upon to play.

Whether it’s helping to bring the most out of Georgia’s pitchers or coming through with a big hit, Hunter’s a prime example that hard work does indeed pay off.

“It’s kind of how I’ve always been brought up and it’s kind of the expectation I have for myself day in and day out. I don’t want to be able to look back and regret something I didn’t do,” Hunter said. “That’s part of the reason I work so hard every day. I want to put in as much as I can for my teammates. I just want to do all I can.”