In front of a large crowd at Notre Dame Regional High School, TJ Bolen couldn’t even finish writing his name before his classmates roared in approval. He made his signing to Three Rivers baseball official on Monday, April 27, to continue the Capaha legacy in Poplar Bluff.
One of Southeast Missouri’s most dominant pitchers, with a strong bat in tandem, Bolen said there was never a doubt in his mind that he’d be playing college baseball. Monday was just a formality.
“It’s a personal expectation, because of my grandpa and my dad,” Bolen said. “It's so cool.”
TJ’s grandfather, Jess Bolen, had a full ride to Baylor University before suffering an injury that kept him from continuing his career in Waco, Texas. TJ’s father, coach Tom Bolen, played at Lewis and Clark before finishing his career at Southeast Missouri State.
The three share the legacy of the Cape Girardeau Capahas, which is something that TJ has always shown to be proud of as he grew up with the team.
Asked about how he could bring a slice of the Cape Capahas to Poplar Bluff, TJ’s answer seemed wise beyond his years as the high school senior talked about the wisdom that Jess Bolen had instilled in him from his time managing before passing last January.
“Grandpa loved to win, obviously, but his biggest key takeaway was building relationships,” TJ said. “At the end of the day, that's what's more important than winning and losing.
“I obviously hope that I can win, but I hope even more that the relationships I build will be lifelong.”
Tom called TJ an “old soul” when talking about his mentality, having learned so much from Jess, and talked about how it ties back to their family legacy with the Capahas.
“He believes in conversations,” Tom said. “He believes in developing relationships along the way, and that's kind of what the Capahas were all about for the last 57 years.”
One relationship that’s new to the Bolen family is Tom coaching TJ through his senior season, the first time that the two have ever shared a coach-player relationship. Though it’ll only be for one season, it’s been a special opportunity for the two to share before TJ takes off for college.
“It’s cool, because we’re on the same page about things,” TJ said of playing for his dad. “We just love talking baseball. Being able to go home and truly seeing the inside of it has been pretty cool.”
TJ is going to a Three Rivers program that has turned out numerous talented Division-I prospects in recent years. Local standouts like Kobe Watson from Scott City still show up and put up ridiculous numbers, which is why it’s a perfect fit for the Notre Dame senior.
Nobody goes to the NJCAA level to stay there, and Bolen’s not the least of which. He has aspirations to advance to a four-year university, but he’s appreciative of how strong a program he’ll be starting his career at.
“They've got a lot of history there,” TJ said. “Coach (Matt) Palmer went there, and he played in the major leagues. Coach (Dave) Lawson's there, and he played at SEMO.
“I have no doubt in the development that they have there, and I know that they will get the best out of me, whatever that may be.”
Cole B. Lee - Daily American Republic