Former Cuyahoga Community College baseball coach thriving in Minor League baseball

JUPITER, Fla. (athletics.tri-c.edu) – On June 14, 2026, the Jupiter Hammerheads, Class A affiliate of the Miami Marlins, locked up the first half championship and a spot in the Florida State League playoffs with an 8-1 win over the Daytona Tortugas. The eyes of Cuyahoga Community College were on the game as well, supporting the Hammerheads.

Why was a community college in Ohio hanging on the success of a minor league baseball team in Florida that was affiliated with the Miami Marlins?

The Hammerheads were led by one of Tri-C's own former Triceratops head baseball coach Kyle Stahlberg making the matchup even more meaningful as a familiar face returned to a position he is familiar with as a winning coach.

In September 2025, Coach Stahlberg stepped down from his position at Tri-C after three seasons to take the manager position with the Hammerheads, moving into minor league baseball.

Stahlberg left behind a massive legacy at Tri-C for his three years leading the Triceratops. During that time, Stahlberg's teams went 103-37 - including an impressive 41-game winning streak during his final season - with two Ohio Community College Athletic Conference Championships in 2024 and 2025 to go with two OCCAC Coach of the Year Awards. He also produced the 2024 OCCAC Player of the Year (Kyle Koehler) and 2025 OCCAC Pitcher of the Year (Mitch Harder), in addition to recruiting the reigning 2026 OCCAC Co-Player of the Year, Jamir Ross. 36 of Stahlberg's players landed on OCCAC All-Academic lists, and 19 moved on to four-year programs.

But behind all that was Stahlberg building the program. Former Tri-C athletic director Tony Cipollone gave Stahlberg the keys to the program when it was reinstated in 2022 following the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down all the college's sports for two seasons. When Stahlberg stepped through the door, he knew there was major work to do.

"We had nothing," Stahlberg said. "We had to start with zero players. The equipment and jerseys were outdated. It was a lot of phone calls, a lot of travel, and a lot of persistence finding the right players and the right staff to get it started."

As Stahlberg started to build his program, he started to find the right people. The right players. The right coaches. They were meshing and starting to win. All of it was a reflection of the winning culture and high standards Coach Stahlberg was intentionally building within the program.

"It's easier to recruit when the college has so many great things to offer student-athletes," Stahlberg said. "We really wanted to focus on selling players and families on why Tri-C is not only a great place to come play baseball, but also a great place to start your college education."

That was a message Stahlberg was happy and able to tell his players. The results discussed earlier show that it worked, as the Triceratops won their first OCCAC Championship under Stahlberg in 2024, just two years after he stepped in to lead the program.

To Stahlberg, that build and grind is what made him a better coach and all around a better person.

"Being at Tri-C and working with so many different people and departments made me a better communicator," Stahlberg said. "You become a better person that can hear problems and try to help others solve those problems. There's a lot of things that you can learn from things that pop up, and there's a lot that can pop up with over 30 student-athletes and helping them navigate baseball and college."

Alongside communication, Stahlberg also learned a lot about coaching baseball at Tri-C.

"I was still learning when I left," he said, "but the biggest thing coaching at Tri-C prepared me for was the organization of creating a practice and building out practice plans in an efficient manner so that we can get the most out of the players and staff. We have to constantly refine how we do things to make it the best, not just for development but respecting everyone's time and making sure they have a balance of baseball and school and family.

According to Stahlberg, those two skills have proved invaluable in his new role leading the Jupiter Hammerheads.  There is a difference, of course, between coaching professional players and collegiate student-athletes, but the skills remain the same. Skills like the ability to communicate effectively with student-athletes, coaches, and staff at every level of the game, fostering strong relationships and collaboration across all areas of the program.

The Hammerheads sit as the top team in the Florida State League East with a 36-29 record in Stahlberg's first season in minor league baseball. His communication skills and practice development skills learned at Tri-C are paying off in a big way.

Tri-C is a place where futures begin. Stahlberg is a living example of that after bringing a program up from the ground floor to what's now the reigning OCCAC champion for three consecutive years and consistently leading the conference with All-Academic members.

"It was a privilege to witness Coach Stahlberg guide our baseball program to an extraordinary 41-game winning streak while establishing a culture of excellence that extended far beyond the field," said current Executive Director of Athletics, Recreation and Wellness Anthony Franklin. "None of us were disappointed to see him leave; his opportunity to join the Miami Marlins was a testament to the exceptional leadership, player development, and winning tradition he cultivated at Cuyahoga Community College. We are grateful for his lasting contributions to our student-athletes and proud to see one of our own continuing coaching at the professional level."

According to Stahlberg, "Without the opportunity I had at Tri-C and all the amazing people there, I wouldn't be here coaching professional baseball," Stahlberg said. "It's funny, Tri-C's motto is 'futures start here,' I 100 percent wouldn't be where I am without Tri-C."

Nor would Tri-C or Jupiter's baseball teams be where they are without Stahlberg!

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