FIFTH IN A SERIES (see more below)

By CHRISTINA EASTER

PARMA, May 7 — In Keagan Gilbride’s first year as a starting pitcher for Tri-C, he was 7-0 in eleven starts, pitched four complete games, had an ERA of 4.61 (and a WHIP of just 1.38) and struck out 58 batters in 53.2 innings. This was a follow-up to his senior year at Tallmadge High School where he was named to the first-team All-Suburban League American Conference and one of fifteen top 2024 high school baseball players in Greater Akron.

Gilbride chose Tri-C after meeting with head baseball coach Kyle Stahlberg, a former pitcher who was inducted into the National Semi-Pro Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014. With guidance from Stahlberg, Gilbride improved the speed of his fastball and began to rely on the change up and slider as his go to and strike out pitches.

“Keagan is a grinder. He just goes out there and pitches. He’s as cool as they come no matter the situation,” Stahlberg says in describing Gilbride.

Gilbride’s dedication to improving as a pitcher has paid off for Tops baseball, as the team made school history with 40 straight wins and now ranks No. 22 in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll.

“Growing up, I always played a lot of positions, but pitching came natural to me,” Gilbride says. “It’s where I found the most success and what I wanted to pursue to help my team win.

“I came to Tri-C because of the opportunity it provided right now and what would be available to me down the road.”

Gilbride gained valuable experience during fall ball last year, which Stahlberg uses to help the players prepare for a successful season. It was during these games, against nationally  ranked teams, that helped Gilbride realize he was no longer in high school and needed to improve all pitches in his arsenal.

“We played some really good teams in the fall which set us up for how to compete,” Gilbride explains. “This showed me that there is a different level, and you have to lock in and focus on what you’re doing, every pitch and every at bat because there’s no slacking out there.”

Triceratops coaches are impressed with Gilbride’s dedication, and his tenacity against opposing batters.

“As a freshman, his maturity and calm demeanor is outright impressive,” Stahlberg adds. “With his unbelievable mental makeup, Keagan has outstanding control and an ability to throw all pitches for strikes in any situation. Keagan puts his head down and works hard every single day.” 

Gilbride started playing baseball at the age of five in Akron and remembers when his dad signed him up for T-ball. He was a member of the Canes Northern Ohio travel team in Wadsworth, and played multiple positions before focusing only on pitching about two years ago.

“It was definitely an adjustment,” Gilbride recalls. “I was used to being an everyday player to playing once a week. So, on the days that I’m not pitching, I sit to the side and be a great teammate.”  

For Gilbride, the big difference between high school baseball and college is that guys are more talented, guys don’t get as many hits and the ball doesn’t go as far.

“You have to adjust to this,” Gilbride says. “You also have to learn to live with failure because it is part of the game that’s just going to happen as the competition gets better.”

During this historic season, Gilbride and his teammates started paying attention to their consecutive game win streak after 14 straight wins. Even still, the team didn’t really think about it as they got ready to play and continued to focus on winning the pitch, inning, and game in front of them. 

After winning the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference Championship in late April, the Triceratops are focused on winning at regionals and making it to the NJCAA Championship in Oklahoma. To accomplish this, “we’re going to take it one game at a time and one series at a time.”

TODAY’S GAMES: Mid Michigan Preview and watching live

The Mid Michigan College Lakers won their final three games of the season to finish in second place in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association standings and qualify for the NJCAA Region XII tournament. The team went 26-15 in the regular season, and 17-8 in MCCAA conference play. The Lakers are an impressive 11-4 (.733) in away games this season.

The Lakers come into the series with the Triceratops carrying a .296 batting average. Their main offensive threats include freshmen Trey Boven (.319, 21 runs scored), Nic Stimek (.379) and Jack Nilsen (.371, 24 RBIs), and and sophomores Justin Esch (.348, 29 RBIs) and Brennan Hallman (.289, 20 RBIs).

Top pitchers for Mid Michigan are sophomores Jordan Nelson, Jacob Kowalski and Luke Sherman and freshman Donovan Heugh, who has a 3.63 ERA and a 1.52 WHIP with a 4-0 record. A left-handed pitcher, Heugh is a probable starter for the Lakers. All four of these pitchers have 11 game appearances. Nelson is 2-0 on the season to go with four saves. He has a 2.84 ERA and 1.51 WHIP.

Game Times for the series today at Ron Mottl Field at York Road and Letterman Drive in Parma Heights are 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. For those who cannot make it in person, Smee Sports will be broadcasting the contest on its You Tube live stream. Nathan Smee will have the play-by-play call, and he’ll have Cameron Ragazzo (Color) and Gabe Cozza (Pregame, Postgame Analyst) assisting as well. Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3R-AVPInGvx2o5YD6efQXw

PREVIOUS STORIES IN THE SERIES:

WEDNESDAY: https://eyeoncleveland.com/2025/05/07/north-royalton-freshman-has-electrifying-impact-for-tri-c/
TUESDAY: https://eyeoncleveland.com/2025/05/06/triceratops-brendan-hazuda-catches-back-to-back-winning-season-at-tri-c/
MONDAY: https://eyeoncleveland.com/2025/05/05/jackson-boles-as-tough-as-they-come/
SUNDAY: https://eyeoncleveland.com/2025/05/04/merritt-always-gets-it-going-for-the-tops/

Easter is a student in Professor John Kerezy’s MJS 2070 class and is also a regular contributor to eyeoncleveland.com

MOVING UP

Cuyahoga Community College advanced from No. 25 to No. 22 in the NJCAA Division II national rankings. Here’s a link to the entire poll: https://www.njcaa.org/sports/bsb/rankings/DII/index