SECOND IN A SERIES (See details below)

By MITCHELL WOOD

PARMA, May 5 — “He’s as tough as they come … an absolute savage on that field.”

The way that Kyle Stahlberg, head coach of the Cuyahoga Community College Triceratops baseball team, describes freshman center fielder Jackson Boles, you would think he’s talking about a real, meat-eating dinosaur.

At GlenOak High School near Canton, Boles broke into the varsity roster as a sophomore and didn’t look back. He played 22 games his senior season, recording a .242 batting average, scoring 13 runs and 9 RBIs. Now in his first season with Tri-C, those numbers have exploded.

The Tops’ current roster is chock-full of hitters, but Boles is arguably the most productive. Playing in 42 regular-season games, Boles has posted an impressive .429 batting average, scoring 68 runs and driving in 58 more. Boles also has a team-high 9 home runs.

Stahlberg calls Boles’ swing “one of the better lefty swings I’ve seen,” high praise from a member of the National Semi-Pro Hall of Fame. “It is a swing that produces contact and great power,” the coach adds.

Even with Boles’ remarkable numbers, he believes that the only stat which matters is the W or L at the top of the box score. “I’ve learned that me and our entire team have the skill set to produce a lot of Ws,” he says.

The Tops are 41–5 in the regular season and are riding an historic 40-game winning streak into the postseason. The center fielder credited the team’s style of play, ‘Tops’ ball, with keeping the streak alive.

“The basis (of Tops ball) is pretty much barrel the ball, touch first as soon as possible, and keep going until they stop you,” Boles says. “Pair that with a rotation and bullpen like ours, that’s where our wins are being made.”

Along with Tops ball,” Boles believes that the Triceratops’ culture has played a big part in its remarkable win streak.

“I think the team is so successful because we’re a family, we’ve grown and matured a lot together,” he adds. “We all have confidence in the guy next to us.”

A blend of sharp tactical execution and team cohesion has helped the reigning Ohio Community College Athletic Conference champions to a perfect 26-0 record in conference play this season, with Boles playing a vital role in both areas.

“The development we’ve seen from Jackson has been remarkable,” Coach Stahlberg adds. “He has matured as a leader, as a player, and as an individual. He quite possibly (has made) the biggest jump I have ever seen a player make on the mental side of the game.”

With the long regular season in the books, Boles is still focused on staying locked in.

“I prepare for a game like any other day,” he adds. “I stick to my approach and have fun.”

The Tops have had a historic season full of highlights, and Boles emphasizes some of his joy in the season is “coming in every day and seeing the guys, and seeing how well we get along,” he says. “(I) couldn’t ask for better people to share this season with.”

In just one year with the program, Boles has left a mark on Tri-C baseball that will last for years to come, helping to shape a team-driven culture. And if you find yourself at Ron Mottl Field watching Tri-C baseball, keep an eye on center field – there you will spot that triceratops wearing number 18.

THE FIELD IS SET

Seven other community college baseball teams in Region XII will be visiting Cuyahoga Community College on May 8-9 (Thursday and Friday) for the first round of the NJCAA baseball playoffs. Joining Tri-C are:  Grand Rapids Community College, Henry Ford College, Hocking College, Kellogg Community College, Lansing Community College, Macomb Community College, and Mid-Michigan College.

Four of these teams will advance to the Region XII Finals on May 15-17 at Jackson College.

You can find rosters, won-loss records, and statistics for these eight teams here:

https://njcaaregion12.org/tournaments/bsb2/2024-25/index#tournament-participants

OTHER STORIES IN THIS SERIES

Students in John Kerezy’s MJS 2070 sports reporting class are doing feature stories on members of the Triceratops baseball team. These will run every day on eyeoncleveland.com through the opening day of the NJCAA Region XII baseball tournament on May 8.

Link to feature on Kohan Merritt (May 4) is here: https://wp.me/p6cQl4-Ya

COMING NEXT: Profile on Brendan Hazuda