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Merila Completes Gopher Baseball's 2020 Recruiting Class
2/5/2020 12:11:00 PM | Baseball
MINNEAPOLIS - Head coach John Anderson and the Gopher Baseball coaching staff announced the addition of a fifth and final member to the team's 2020 recruiting class on Wednesday, with infielder Boston Merila officially signing with the Maroon and Gold.
Merila joins left-handed pitcher Noah DeLuga (Lake Zurich, Ill.), catcher Cody Kelly (St. Michael, Minn.), outfielder Brett Bateman (Arden Hills, Minn.) and right-handed pitcher George Klassen (Port Washington, Wis.) as part of Minnesota's 2020 class.
"I'm excited to finally announce the completion of our 2020 recruiting class on National Signing Day. The signing of Boston Merilla completes this class with five premier student athletes that will represent Gopher Baseball well both on the field and in the classroom," said Anderson. "Each of these five individuals have a strong desire to wear the Minnesota 'M,' understand our team 'Why' and purpose in being a part of this program. Our coaching staff anxiously awaits their arrival this fall as we look to prepare them on their journey for the next 50 years of their lives."
Boston Merila
As a three-sport standout at St. Michael-Albertville, Merila arrives in Gold Country as one of the top emerging infield prospects in the state. Teammates with current Gophers Will Anderson and Jack Kelly in high school, Merila will also join Knights teammate Cody Kelly as a part of Minnesota's 2020 recruiting class. The St. Michael foursome (Jack and Cody Kelly, Anderson and Merila) have combined to produce 66 wins over the previous four seasons with three Mississippi 8 Conference titles and a trip to the Class AAAA State Tournament in 2018.
Having manned the hot corner for the Knights since his sophomore season, Merila has been a force at the plate, hitting a combined .381 over the past two years with 56 hits, 87 total bases, three homers, 16 doubles, 48 runs scored and 42 RBI. As a sophomore, the St. Michael native broke onto the scene as one of the Knights' leading hitters with a .370 average to go along with 27 hits, 35 total bases, one homer, 30 runs and 18 RBI en route to being named Mississippi 8 All-Conference. As a junior, Merila logged one of the best offensive seasons of any player in the state, ranking in the top-10 in hits (29), runs scored (18), total bases (52) and average (.392). His .429 average (in regular season play) ranked best among all Mississippi 8 hitters, earning him his second consecutive All-Conference award.
Apart from his impressive resume on the diamond, Merila has been equally as reliable on the gridiron. As the team's starting inside linebacker and a team captain, Merila led the team in total tackles (45) as a junior to go along with one interception and two forced fumbles. His performance helped power St. Michael-Albertville to the Class 6A State Tournament last November. This season, Merila erupted as one of the top defensive players in the state, leading the Knights in total tackles for the second straight season (82) in addition to plucking two interceptions, forcing two fumbles and registering one sack. As a result, Merila was named to his second consecutive All-District (Honorable Mention) nomination and a Star Tribune Athlete of the Week finalist in early September.
This winter, Merila took to the hardwood where he competes for the Knights as a guard for the second straight year. As a National Honor Society member, Merila rounds out his prep career with over a half-a-dozen letters as a multi-sport captain in baseball, football and basketball.
Merila is the son of Mark and Wendy Merila, the former of which was an All-American for the Gophers from 1991-94 and a longtime member of the San Diego Padres organization. Boston plans to major in Sports Management at the University of Minnesota.
Schools Also Recruited By: St. Thomas, Gustavus, Bethel
Boston Merila on why he chose Minnesota: "The reason I chose Minnesota was because of the opportunity to join such a great culture. Minnesota is not only a great place to play baseball, but it is also a place that will give me a great education. Lastly, it's important to me that I stay close to home so my family can watch me play."
Assistant Coach Patrick Casey on Boston Merila: "Boston is an emerging talent with a lot of potential. He's a switch hitter who can hit to all fields, put the ball in play consistently and play multiple positions on defense. He fits our mold (offensively) for the type of hitter we're looking for: aggressive, consistent and is showing the ability to hit for power as he continues to develop his skill set. Most importantly, Boston is a winner and the epitome of a true competitor. He's a very successful multi-sport athlete who also happens to be the captain of multiple teams in high school. Something we look very hard at is character and strong leadership traits and we've got someone here who's going to be a very strong and successful individual in our program for a long time with the work ethic, determination and grit Boston brings with him every day. We couldn't be happier to get Boston officially into the Gopher Baseball family and proudly welcome back his parents Mark and Wendy Merila."
Merila joins left-handed pitcher Noah DeLuga (Lake Zurich, Ill.), catcher Cody Kelly (St. Michael, Minn.), outfielder Brett Bateman (Arden Hills, Minn.) and right-handed pitcher George Klassen (Port Washington, Wis.) as part of Minnesota's 2020 class.
"I'm excited to finally announce the completion of our 2020 recruiting class on National Signing Day. The signing of Boston Merilla completes this class with five premier student athletes that will represent Gopher Baseball well both on the field and in the classroom," said Anderson. "Each of these five individuals have a strong desire to wear the Minnesota 'M,' understand our team 'Why' and purpose in being a part of this program. Our coaching staff anxiously awaits their arrival this fall as we look to prepare them on their journey for the next 50 years of their lives."
Boston Merila
| Position: INF | Height: 5-10 | Weight: 175 | Bat/Throws: S/R Hometown: St. Michael, Minn. | High School: St. Michael-Albertville Scouting Report: Switch-hitter who can hit to all fields, put the ball in play consistently and play multiple positions on defense |
As a three-sport standout at St. Michael-Albertville, Merila arrives in Gold Country as one of the top emerging infield prospects in the state. Teammates with current Gophers Will Anderson and Jack Kelly in high school, Merila will also join Knights teammate Cody Kelly as a part of Minnesota's 2020 recruiting class. The St. Michael foursome (Jack and Cody Kelly, Anderson and Merila) have combined to produce 66 wins over the previous four seasons with three Mississippi 8 Conference titles and a trip to the Class AAAA State Tournament in 2018.
Having manned the hot corner for the Knights since his sophomore season, Merila has been a force at the plate, hitting a combined .381 over the past two years with 56 hits, 87 total bases, three homers, 16 doubles, 48 runs scored and 42 RBI. As a sophomore, the St. Michael native broke onto the scene as one of the Knights' leading hitters with a .370 average to go along with 27 hits, 35 total bases, one homer, 30 runs and 18 RBI en route to being named Mississippi 8 All-Conference. As a junior, Merila logged one of the best offensive seasons of any player in the state, ranking in the top-10 in hits (29), runs scored (18), total bases (52) and average (.392). His .429 average (in regular season play) ranked best among all Mississippi 8 hitters, earning him his second consecutive All-Conference award.
Apart from his impressive resume on the diamond, Merila has been equally as reliable on the gridiron. As the team's starting inside linebacker and a team captain, Merila led the team in total tackles (45) as a junior to go along with one interception and two forced fumbles. His performance helped power St. Michael-Albertville to the Class 6A State Tournament last November. This season, Merila erupted as one of the top defensive players in the state, leading the Knights in total tackles for the second straight season (82) in addition to plucking two interceptions, forcing two fumbles and registering one sack. As a result, Merila was named to his second consecutive All-District (Honorable Mention) nomination and a Star Tribune Athlete of the Week finalist in early September.
This winter, Merila took to the hardwood where he competes for the Knights as a guard for the second straight year. As a National Honor Society member, Merila rounds out his prep career with over a half-a-dozen letters as a multi-sport captain in baseball, football and basketball.
Merila is the son of Mark and Wendy Merila, the former of which was an All-American for the Gophers from 1991-94 and a longtime member of the San Diego Padres organization. Boston plans to major in Sports Management at the University of Minnesota.
Schools Also Recruited By: St. Thomas, Gustavus, Bethel
Boston Merila on why he chose Minnesota: "The reason I chose Minnesota was because of the opportunity to join such a great culture. Minnesota is not only a great place to play baseball, but it is also a place that will give me a great education. Lastly, it's important to me that I stay close to home so my family can watch me play."
Assistant Coach Patrick Casey on Boston Merila: "Boston is an emerging talent with a lot of potential. He's a switch hitter who can hit to all fields, put the ball in play consistently and play multiple positions on defense. He fits our mold (offensively) for the type of hitter we're looking for: aggressive, consistent and is showing the ability to hit for power as he continues to develop his skill set. Most importantly, Boston is a winner and the epitome of a true competitor. He's a very successful multi-sport athlete who also happens to be the captain of multiple teams in high school. Something we look very hard at is character and strong leadership traits and we've got someone here who's going to be a very strong and successful individual in our program for a long time with the work ethic, determination and grit Boston brings with him every day. We couldn't be happier to get Boston officially into the Gopher Baseball family and proudly welcome back his parents Mark and Wendy Merila."
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