Parma, OH- I don’t know about you, but Tri-C baseball is feeling 22—win 22 in a row. On Friday, the Triceratops took down Clark State 17-2 and 20-6 in two games. The defending OCCAC champions from a year ago are undefeated in conference and 23-5 overall.
Looking back to February, Tri-C was in a completely different spot. After starting off 1-0, four losses against Cleveland Community College and one against Macomb Community College saw the Triceratops sit at 1-5. Then, the winning started. A hard-fought 7-6 win over the Monarchs, Tri-C sat at 2-6. Lorain County Community College was next—16-6 and 7-2 wins followed. After the Commodores, SUNY Broome was downed 20-4 and 5-2. Following this sweep, John Carroll’s JV squad was the next barrier. After 22-12 and 6-3 wins over the Blue Streaks, Tri-C sat with a record of 8-5.
From there, Cuyahoga Community College dominated. Wins over LCCC, Point Park, Terra State, JCU, Lakeland Community College, Walsh, and Clark State see them with a record of 23-5. Now, a big question arises—how did this run happen? The answer is simple: hard work. In talking to Brock Miller, Joey Lehner, and Brendan Hazuda, SmeeSports learned about just how hard practices are at Tri-C.
Tri-C Head Coach Kyle Stahlberg said, “I love what our coaching staff has done with them and what they require of them every day. Every single day, these guys show up and answer that call.”
Lehner echoed this sentiment as he said, “Nobody works harder than us…It’s the long nights in the Winter that really define who we are.”
In the latest win, 37 runs were scored by the Triceratops across 8 innings off offense. In other words, Tri-C averaged 4.63 runs per inning in the doubleheader. With this much dominance, the standard has been redefined.
Hazuda told us, “It is going to get to a point where this is what we’re going to expect out of this ball club.”
Tri-C has become more well-known over the past few years. Coach Stahlberg has gained a positive reputation for producing elite ball players. Last year alone, seven Triceratops went on to play for a Division One program.
Miller told prospective prospects to, “Bet on yourself and take that risk.”
Tri-C looks to complete a season sweep of Clark State on April 6th on the road. With two more wins, the Triceratops will be winners of 24 straight games. After the games against the Eagles, 14 games remain. In 2024, Tri-C went 31-15. Not only do they have a chance to improve upon that record while winning the OCCAC again, but they could also finish the regular season on a 36-game winning streak. If they do so, regionals would be destined to land at Ron Mottl Field.
Times of change for college athletics are upon us. With NIL, the transfer portal, and JUCO eligibility adding new aspects to the game, there are so many uncertainties. Still, Cuyahoga Community College has found a way to be a consistent source of top transfer prospects. Many four-year institutions will be picking up their phones to call Coach Stahlberg about this group, a group that has their sights set upon not only an OCCAC championship but a national championship.
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