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Rounding the Bases with Boston Merila
1/26/2021 9:23:00 AM | Baseball
There are six new faces in the fold for the Gopher Baseball program heading into the 2021 season, including five freshmen and one transfer. In order to get to know all of them better, Gopher Sports is sitting down with each newcomer and diving into the finer details of their baseball career.
As the son of former Gopher All-American Mark Merila (1991-94), the multi-faceted Boston Merila wraps up this year's series. To date, Mark's .452 batting average in 1994 still stands as the highest single-season mark in program history. As for the younger Merila, Boston represents yet another member of the Maroon & Gold from St. Michael-Albertville High School, joining STMA graduates Jack Kelly, Will Anderson and Cody Kelly on the Gopher roster. From 2018-19, Merila held down third base for the Knights and batted a combined .381 with 56 hits, 87 total bases, three home runs, 16 doubles, 48 runs and 42 RBI over those two seasons. Both years, the now-Gopher infielder was named Mississippi 8 All-Conference.
However, the diamond was not the only place Merila excelled. He competed year-round as a three-sport athlete at STMA, also suiting up for the Knights' basketball and football teams. In the latter, Merila earned a pair of All-District Honorable Mention nods at inside linebacker, leading the team in tackles in both 2018 and 2019. In addition to his athletic prowess, Merila also shined in the classroom and in the arts, receiving STMA's 2020 Triple "A" Award as a result.
GS: Why did you decide to attend the University of Minnesota?
BM: "It was the family atmosphere that the U has. When talking to all the coaches, they're trying to get you prepared for the next 50 years of your life and they care about you as a player, but they also want to develop you as a man. It's the best of both worlds and the team is really close with each other and super supportive. I wanted to be a part of that."
GS: Growing up as the son of a Gopher Baseball legend, did you ever feel pressured to follow in those same footsteps?
BM: "I didn't feel pressure to, but hearing stories about when he played and just all the stuff he had to say about his time there and his buddies, I wanted to be a part of that. He had [head coach John Anderson], too, as a coach. All the good memories he had weighed in on my choice a little bit, just because I wanted to have a similar experience… I always grew up a Gophers fan."
GS: Do you ever trade stories with your dad about Coach Anderson (14)?
BM: "For sure. He'll ask how practice is going and it's fun to hear how 14 was back when my dad played. I feel like he's probably mellowed down a little bit since then. It's cool to exchange stories and hear his side of what college was like and how 14 was the coach when he was there. For the most part, everything has stayed the same, but it's definitely cool to talk about both of our experiences."
GS: What is your earliest baseball memory?
BM: "I just remember starting tee ball back in California. Growing up, playing youth baseball in California, how we could play all the time. That's what everyone wanted to do: be out and playing baseball. I remember hitting with my dad all the time. Since I was young, I was always hitting, always had a bat in my hand and was playing with my dad."
GS: When did your family move back to Minnesota from California?
BM: "I was 10 when I moved back to Minnesota. I got to play baseball here in St. Michael and that was also super fun."
GS: What is it like being reunited with Will Anderson, Jack Kelly and Cody Kelly at the U?
BM: "It's awesome. Playing together, youth all the way up through high school, we built bonds together and obviously have a strong connection. To get to continue that is really special. It makes me feel like Minnesota is home, because I'm playing alongside some of my brothers from high school. I know I have guys I can always reach out to if I ever need anything."
GS: Tell us more about the Triple "A" Award you won at STMA and what went into it.
BM: "The Triple "A" Award is arts, academics and athletics. Hitting all three of those things in my high school career. I was involved in three sports: basketball, baseball and football. And then for arts, I was involved in choir for two years. It was cool to be around a different group of people and get a new experience with something I really enjoy. Academics, just trying to do the best I could with high school and good things happened. That's what the award was all about: hitting all three of those and being a good overall student."
GS: Who were some of your favorite players as a kid?
BM: "Growing up, because my name is Boston, I was a big fan of David Ortiz. I always followed him. I was a big Padres fan, too, because I grew up in San Diego. One player that people probably don't know is Mike Cameron, but he was one of my favorites. Trevor Hoffman, I always enjoyed him coming in to close the door. Those are some of the players I really loved."
GS: What is the story behind your first name?
BM: "It changes every time I ask, but I know that my parents went to the All-Star Game in Boston in 1999 and that had something to do with it. Also, they wanted to have all B's, because my sister was Brooke, and then it continued down the line."
GS: Do you miss being a three-sport athlete?
BM: "I definitely miss playing those other sports, just going from season to season was nice because it gets your mind off of one of the sports and allows you to focus up on another one of them. I feel like all those things helped translate onto baseball. Basketball and football, there's definitely skills that you can take from those sports to make you a better athlete on the baseball field."
GS: Would you rather have a highlight reel play or clutch hit?
BM: "Clutch hit, probably, because if you can get a knock in crunch time, that beats making a highlight reel play a little bit because you're winning it for your team. Clutch hit down the stretch of a game would outweigh a nice play, in my opinion."
GS: Who inspires you as a ballplayer?
BM: "Both my parents inspire me a lot. My dad, being a former Gopher, sparked my baseball career. He really pushed me and all the things he had to go through in life really inspired me not to take things for granted and just to work as hard as I can. My mom has always been there for me. She has always pushed me to get the best out of me. Both of them inspire me a lot and I don't know what I could do without them."
GS: What are your goals for your Gopher career?
BM: "I want to be a leader for the team and a guy that people look up to on and off the field. Be a good teammate and push everyone to get the best out of everyone. I want to make sure that I can do my role and also push others."
As the son of former Gopher All-American Mark Merila (1991-94), the multi-faceted Boston Merila wraps up this year's series. To date, Mark's .452 batting average in 1994 still stands as the highest single-season mark in program history. As for the younger Merila, Boston represents yet another member of the Maroon & Gold from St. Michael-Albertville High School, joining STMA graduates Jack Kelly, Will Anderson and Cody Kelly on the Gopher roster. From 2018-19, Merila held down third base for the Knights and batted a combined .381 with 56 hits, 87 total bases, three home runs, 16 doubles, 48 runs and 42 RBI over those two seasons. Both years, the now-Gopher infielder was named Mississippi 8 All-Conference.
However, the diamond was not the only place Merila excelled. He competed year-round as a three-sport athlete at STMA, also suiting up for the Knights' basketball and football teams. In the latter, Merila earned a pair of All-District Honorable Mention nods at inside linebacker, leading the team in tackles in both 2018 and 2019. In addition to his athletic prowess, Merila also shined in the classroom and in the arts, receiving STMA's 2020 Triple "A" Award as a result.
GS: Why did you decide to attend the University of Minnesota?
BM: "It was the family atmosphere that the U has. When talking to all the coaches, they're trying to get you prepared for the next 50 years of your life and they care about you as a player, but they also want to develop you as a man. It's the best of both worlds and the team is really close with each other and super supportive. I wanted to be a part of that."
GS: Growing up as the son of a Gopher Baseball legend, did you ever feel pressured to follow in those same footsteps?
BM: "I didn't feel pressure to, but hearing stories about when he played and just all the stuff he had to say about his time there and his buddies, I wanted to be a part of that. He had [head coach John Anderson], too, as a coach. All the good memories he had weighed in on my choice a little bit, just because I wanted to have a similar experience… I always grew up a Gophers fan."
GS: Do you ever trade stories with your dad about Coach Anderson (14)?
BM: "For sure. He'll ask how practice is going and it's fun to hear how 14 was back when my dad played. I feel like he's probably mellowed down a little bit since then. It's cool to exchange stories and hear his side of what college was like and how 14 was the coach when he was there. For the most part, everything has stayed the same, but it's definitely cool to talk about both of our experiences."
GS: What is your earliest baseball memory?
BM: "I just remember starting tee ball back in California. Growing up, playing youth baseball in California, how we could play all the time. That's what everyone wanted to do: be out and playing baseball. I remember hitting with my dad all the time. Since I was young, I was always hitting, always had a bat in my hand and was playing with my dad."
GS: When did your family move back to Minnesota from California?
BM: "I was 10 when I moved back to Minnesota. I got to play baseball here in St. Michael and that was also super fun."
GS: What is it like being reunited with Will Anderson, Jack Kelly and Cody Kelly at the U?
BM: "It's awesome. Playing together, youth all the way up through high school, we built bonds together and obviously have a strong connection. To get to continue that is really special. It makes me feel like Minnesota is home, because I'm playing alongside some of my brothers from high school. I know I have guys I can always reach out to if I ever need anything."
GS: Tell us more about the Triple "A" Award you won at STMA and what went into it.
BM: "The Triple "A" Award is arts, academics and athletics. Hitting all three of those things in my high school career. I was involved in three sports: basketball, baseball and football. And then for arts, I was involved in choir for two years. It was cool to be around a different group of people and get a new experience with something I really enjoy. Academics, just trying to do the best I could with high school and good things happened. That's what the award was all about: hitting all three of those and being a good overall student."
GS: Who were some of your favorite players as a kid?
BM: "Growing up, because my name is Boston, I was a big fan of David Ortiz. I always followed him. I was a big Padres fan, too, because I grew up in San Diego. One player that people probably don't know is Mike Cameron, but he was one of my favorites. Trevor Hoffman, I always enjoyed him coming in to close the door. Those are some of the players I really loved."
GS: What is the story behind your first name?
BM: "It changes every time I ask, but I know that my parents went to the All-Star Game in Boston in 1999 and that had something to do with it. Also, they wanted to have all B's, because my sister was Brooke, and then it continued down the line."
GS: Do you miss being a three-sport athlete?
BM: "I definitely miss playing those other sports, just going from season to season was nice because it gets your mind off of one of the sports and allows you to focus up on another one of them. I feel like all those things helped translate onto baseball. Basketball and football, there's definitely skills that you can take from those sports to make you a better athlete on the baseball field."
GS: Would you rather have a highlight reel play or clutch hit?
BM: "Clutch hit, probably, because if you can get a knock in crunch time, that beats making a highlight reel play a little bit because you're winning it for your team. Clutch hit down the stretch of a game would outweigh a nice play, in my opinion."
GS: Who inspires you as a ballplayer?
BM: "Both my parents inspire me a lot. My dad, being a former Gopher, sparked my baseball career. He really pushed me and all the things he had to go through in life really inspired me not to take things for granted and just to work as hard as I can. My mom has always been there for me. She has always pushed me to get the best out of me. Both of them inspire me a lot and I don't know what I could do without them."
GS: What are your goals for your Gopher career?
BM: "I want to be a leader for the team and a guy that people look up to on and off the field. Be a good teammate and push everyone to get the best out of everyone. I want to make sure that I can do my role and also push others."
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HIT & RUN WITH BOSTON
Major: planning to enter Carlson School of ManagementFavorite class: Microeconomics Hobby: watching movies Athlete: Mookie Betts Professional team: San Diego Padres Musical artist: Morgan Wallen Movie: Good Will Hunting TV show: All-American Actor/actress: Mark Wahlberg Color: baby blue Food: Chicken Alfredo Ice cream flavor: cookie dough Biggest fear: heights Pet peeve: chewing loudly Hidden talent: Mario Kart Person you'd like to meet: Shaquille O'Neal Tme travel destination: 1980s Coolest place you've played: Target Field Dogs or cats: dogs Morning or night person: night Chocolate or peanut butter: chocolate TEAMMATE SUPERLATIVES
Most likely to be president: Andrew WilhiteMost dramatic: Danny Kapala Most gullible: Noah Berghammer Most talkative: Kyle Bork Best dressed: Noah Berghammer Best flow: Drew Stahl or Andrew Wilhite Breakout player: Jack Kelly |
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