Boyajian looks to continue success at Rollins

Jacob Marrocco
Posted 7/7/15

CCRI baseball manager Ken Hopkins found an old Rollins College baseball shirt in his closet on Sunday, and it provoked him to email former player T.J. Boyajian, who will start his journey at Rollins …

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Boyajian looks to continue success at Rollins

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CCRI baseball manager Ken Hopkins found an old Rollins College baseball shirt in his closet on Sunday, and it provoked him to email former player T.J. Boyajian, who will start his journey at Rollins very soon.

“I just told him how proud I was of him,” Hopkins said.

Warwick native and former Warwick Vets standout Boyajian was recently accepted to play baseball at Division II Rollins in Winter Park, Fla., where he can bring a bevy of talents on and off the field. Co-captain Boyajian excelled academically as well as athletically, earning the Ann Cullen Scholarship Award this May. He was also honored at the State House in April as a recipient of the Scholar-Athlete Award.

Boyajian also brings years of baseball experience to Florida, too. In his sophomore season with the Knights, Boyajian played in 28 games hitting for a .411 average, good for third on the team. The diminutive right fielder racked up 37 hits, including eight doubles and a triple, to go with a .533 slugging percentage and a .538 on-base percentage. He also drove in 11 runs.

“[He’s] strong as a bull,” Hopkins, who has managed CCRI since 2001, said. “In baseball, the size doesn’t really matter that much, especially when you have to throw to a smaller strike zone. He attacks pretty good, has great speed, a strong arm and good instincts. He really learned in the last two years to play right field, in high school he played a lot of shortstop and second base. [I told him] ‘bat leadoff, play right field, let me know when you need a break.”

Boyajian rarely ever needed a break, playing in 87.5 percent of the Knights’ games this spring and totaling 90 at-bats. However, his plate appearances were much more plentiful as his patience helped him draw a team-leading 20 walks. He was also plunked six times.

He was a spark plug at the beginning of the lineup, stealing eight bases and scoring 26 runs, both of which were good for top-3 on the team.

Hopkins said Boyajian’s drive and determination were also crucial factors on the diamond and in the classroom. Between 70 games year-round and several weeks of weightlifting and indoor training, Boyajian “never missed a beat.”

“[He leads] by example,” Hopkins said. “I saw him a couple of times get the players together in a huddle before the game. Just the way he worked. You fall in love with the kid because of the person he is, and he’s one of the best I’ve ever had. If I had 25 players like him, I would never stop coaching.”

Hopkins and his coaching staff are already hot on the trail trying to find some new Boyajian-like players. Hopkins said he has already signed five players out of Florida and that he hopes to find someone that can come close to replacing the infielder-turned-outfielder.

“Baseball-wise it will be very competitive, but he can play at that level,” Hopkins, who is close with Rollins manager Jon Sjogren, said. “I talked with coach about T.J. but you can’t measure the size of his heart. He’s a ‘yes sir, no sir’ type of a player to coach and they’re going to get a fantastic athlete.”

Boyajian will look to compete for a starting job next season under Coach Sjogren, who has Rhode Island connections of his own after he previously coached at Bryant University for 15 years. The Tars had a down campaign after finishing with a 21-28-1 overall record and a 6-17-1 posting in the Sunshine State Conference, putting them in last among nine teams.

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