CLEVELAND, Ohio — Even with the randomness of baseball, the run that Tri-C baseball has been on the last few months is quite surprising to themselves.

The Triceratops are on a 40-game winning streak to end their regular season and have an eye-popping 41-5 record. They haven’t lost a game since an 8-5 loss to Macomb Community College (Mich.) the first game of a doubleheader on Feb. 28, making them 1-5 at the time.

“It doesn’t really feel real, and I’m not sure it’s quite sunk in just because it’s such a crazy number,” Tri-C coach Kyle Stahlberg said. “It’s been exciting. It’s been a wild ride.

“In the grand scheme, looking at it from the outside, it is a crazy, crazy number. It’s not something I’m sure I’ll ever see again or be a part of, but it has been a wild and fun ride. That’s for sure.”

They were ranked in the NJCAA Division II Top 25 at the end of April for the first time this season and for the first time in Stahlberg’s three-year tenure as Tri-C head coach. At that time, the streak was 38.

The streak went to 40 on Friday, including a scare in the first game of their doubleheader against Hocking. The Triceratops trailed, 8-7, going into the bottom of the seventh inning. But an RBI single by Joey Lehner and a walk-off sacrifice fly by Brycen Brittain gave Tri-C a 9-8 win, keeping the streak alive at 39.

They won the second game of the doubleheader, 3-1, to make it an even 40 wins in a row.

Friday’s doubleheader game vs. Hocking hasn’t been the only close call for Tri-C. The Triceratops have had similar challenges against Edison State (Piqua).

Tri-C beat Edison State four times, but the first three games were decided by a combined five runs. In one of those games on Apr. 21, the Triceratops faced a 9-1 deficit in the bottom of the fifth inning before scoring nine runs on their way to a 10-9 victory.

“There’s definitely times where the games have been close. But our guys every step of the way, when they’ve been challenged deep in a game like that, have risen to the occasion,” Stahlberg said. “Although there’s been moments of a little bit higher tension, these guys are just showing time and time again that they’re capable of battling back through anything.”

It’s clear where the Triceratops excel.

They ended the regular season scoring 504 runs, or almost 11 per game. They have five players with a batting average of at least .400. All five have played at least 20 games, and four have played at least 40 games. The Triceratops have also stolen 225 bases.

Among their offensive stars is freshman outfielder Jackson Boles, who is hitting .429 and leads the team in home runs (9) and runs batted in (58). He is also third on the team in steals (34).

Among Boles’ highlights this season is hitting a home run over the scoreboard at Wright State in a game vs. Clark State per Stahlberg.

“He’s so exciting because he’s got so many different tools and weapons as a player,” Stahlberg said. “Just an absolute crazy amount of power. On top of that, it’s not all pull. So, he’s hitting to left field, center field, right field. That makes him extremely dangerous and very tough to get out. You can throw him in the zone, and he’s got good pop everywhere.”

Catcher/outfielder Kohan Merritt is also a key component of their offense with a .413 average, and he leads the team in stolen bases (40) and is second on the team in RBIs with 47.

Leading the Triceratops on the mound is the trio of sophomore Mitchell Harder and freshmen Keegan Gilbride and John Birchler. The trio represent the top three for Tri-C in innings pitched, and they have combined to win 12 of 13 decisions.

Harder has a 3.75 ERA and has a team-high 54 strikeouts. Gilbride is not far behind with 47 Ks.

“Having those guys come out and give you consistent and steady starts just about every time is huge,” Stahlberg said. “Baseball is very, very unpredictable. So much can happen. But when you have a pitching staff that you can rely on and have a bit of anticipation about what they’re capable every day of, it makes planning things a little bit easier in this unpredictable game. And it makes managing a pitching staff when you’re playing 4-6 games a week, it makes it a little bit easier on our coaching staff to manage that.”

The postseason for Tri-C begins on Thursday with a best-of-3 series in the Division II Region 12 tournament vs. Mid Michigan College.

With the regular season coming to an end, Stahlberg and the Triceratops know the 40-game win streak doesn’t have as much meaning right now. The goal for Tri-C is to try and make it to the NJCAA Division II baseball World Series in Enid, Okla.

“We’ve gotten a nice seed in the regional. But now every game is one at a time, and that’s how we have to attack,” Stahlberg said. “The guys love that we’re in the top 25, but all their goals are still in front of them. Cracking that doesn’t get us any closer to a national championship. I love the maturity that our guys have shown in saying, ‘Hey, this is awesome. It’s so much fun. Love the recognition, but the regional is what’s important now and getting those wins one at a time, hopefully on the road to Oklahoma.’”