Monigold triplets lead Hiland baseball surge

Growing up as brothers can create a special lifetime bond, but when those three brothers are triplets, that bond can become so encompassing it grows into something unbreakable.

This spring the Monigold brothers — Gerut, Grady and Griffin — have served as the heart of the Hiland baseball team, which has continued the winning tradition of a program that has become one of the most revered in Ohio.

Gerut Monigold roams left field and hits in the two-hole for the Hawks. He is having a breakthrough season, his first as a full-time starter for the Hawks. He has been a catalyst at the top of the order this season, igniting the offense game after game.

Griffin Monigold perches himself behind home plate, where his defense is equaled by his offense, and his bat in the four-hole has helped Hiland put up some stunning offensive numbers this spring. His big bat, after three years of waiting, has shone brightly, delivering plenty of big hits in key situations.

Then there is Grady Monigold, the first baseman, designated hitter and pitcher, who has been the heart and soul of the team, having been instrumental in Hiland’s epic run of three state championships and a quest for an unprecedented fourth in Ohio baseball lore.

Grady stepped onto the scene as a freshman and became a cult hero by delivering the team’s biggest hit in the state tournament. He duplicated that feat his sophomore season and served as a catalyst at state his junior campaign.

All three have had wildly successful seasons this year, but getting to do so together is something none of the trio will soon forget.

The three Hawks began their playing careers at around age 3, when their dad Jon Monigold would toss pitches to them every opportunity.

“I think it was before we could even walk,” Gerut Monigold said. “Our dad started throwing us little, cushy balls, and we’d laugh and just keep swinging.”

As they grew, they played on teams together throughout their youth baseball careers, many of those seasons coached by their dad.

The work ethic and commitment he instilled in them has always been part of their development, and over the years, they’ve experienced plenty of success and victories together.

“It’s been a lot of fun playing a lot of ball, watching this kid hit a lot of home runs,” Griffin Monigold said, alluding to the fact Grady has shattered just about every long-ball record at Hiland.

Like all brothers, the triplets are all about pulling for one another and inspiring each other on the field. However, they aren’t averse to good-natured ribbing, and there’s plenty of competition to go around among the three of them.

“Yeah, it’s about time these two get up here to play at the varsity level,” Grady Monigold said. “I need someone here to give a hard time to because that’s what makes it fun, and who better to rib than your brothers?”

He said it is a treat to get to grace the field together again, noting there’s just something that feels right and comfortable about it.

How far does the razzing go among the three?

“It’s constant, all the time,” Gerut Monigold said. “It gets to the point where we’re getting yelled at to stop, even though we’re just joking.”

This season Grady Monigold has shown why he is one of Division VI’s top players. The Malone University-bound slugger has been such a threat that intentional walks have become routine.

However, the breakout seasons of Gerut and Griffin Monigold have caught the attention of many teams, even as the two fly under the radar to many people.

During Hiland’s regional semifinal victory, all Gerut Monigold did was go 4-for-4, smashing a triple, two doubles and a single while driving in five runs, and throughout the year, Griffin has produced plenty of key hits that led to victories.

“It feels good being out on the field playing and being able to help the team win in big situations,” Gerut Monigold said. “I think the way our dad has put pressure on us to perform over the years has kind of made the pressure of big moments seem natural.”

Griffin Monigold said the same thing and said stepping up and playing at the varsity level while performing well and gaining the trust of his teammates has meant a lot to him.

“It’s a great feeling to be needed and trusted to perform,” Griffin Monigold said.

When they reached the high school level, Grady Monigold immediately seized a large role as a freshman on the varsity team while Gerut and Griffin continued to play at the JV level. It was pretty much the first time they’d not played together as a trio on the same team.

All three said their father has been instrumental in driving them forward in understanding the game and developing their skills through a relentless work ethic.

To be able to do it together has been especially rewarding.

“Everything that has come from what we’ve invested in this game is just a bonus,” Grady Monigold said. “It’s been so much fun getting to grow up and play together so much.”

It is a bond that is deep and one that goes beyond simple brotherhood.

Three times as meaningful.