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Kole Kaler is ready for next challenge at Texas A&M
Kole Kaler was named a semifinalist for the MLB’s Brooks Wallace Award, given annually to the nation’s top shortstop. (Courtesy: Hawaii baseball/Shane Rodrigues)

Kole Kaler is ready for next challenge at Texas A&M

QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. (BVM) – Kole Kaler is no stranger to new beginnings. In fact, not only has he shown the ability to acclimate to different environments, but thrive in them.

The former Queen Creek High School baseball standout was a career .382 hitter for the Bulldogs. He wrapped up his prep career hitting .420 with 13 RBIs and 23 stolen bases as a senior in 2017, but the productivity didn’t result in Division I interest.

Kaler instead found a suitor just 30 miles south at South Mountain Community College (AZ). Although the junior college route wasn’t ideal, it was necessary.

“That’s where I learned to grind,” Kaler said of his time at South Mountain. “That’s where my playing style comes from. It’s kind of molded from being out there every day with the guys, going to war every day at practice and just competing. It was a big blessing to go to South Mountain out of high school and I think I needed to go the junior college route.”

While Kaler believed he needed to take the JUCO route, his immediate contributions at South Mountain indicated what he knew all along: he belonged in the Division I ranks.

As a freshman in 2018, Kaler scored 34 runs, hit nine doubles, three home runs and stole 15 bases as South Mountain won the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference (ACCAC) title. He followed that up with a .318 average, 40 RBIs, 48 runs, eight doubles, four triples and five home runs as a sophomore at South Mountain. Kaler’s seven sacrifice flies (conference-high), 31 multi-hit games and 14 multi-RBI games helped him earn second team All-ACCAC honors.

The incredible two-year run also led Kaler to his dream of playing Division I baseball at the University of Hawaii. It was in Honolulu that Kaler was finally afforded the opportunity to prove that he belonged among the nation’s best.

“I just wanted to prove to everybody that I could play Division I baseball and compete with some of the best guys in the country,” Kaler said.

The former JUCO standout did just that.

Starting all 17 games at shortstop for the Rainbow Warriors in a shortened 2020 season, Kaler led the team in every offensive category except for walks and home runs. He led the conference in doubles (9), RBIs (17) and was one of four Big West players with a batting average over .400.

Kaler completed his inaugural season with Hawaii on a six-game streak which set the stage for a spectacular junior campaign.

The 5-foot-10 shortstop led the team in multi-hit games (21), four-hit games (3), stolen bases (15) and was named a semifinalist for the Brooks Wallace Award, an award for the nation’s top shortstop. Kaler credits his seamless transition from JUCO to Division I baseball to the Hawaii coaching staff for letting him play his game, but the on-court product was largely due to countless days of crafting.

“I just continued to stick to my work, trusted my work and believed in myself,” Kaler said of the transition to Hawaii. “I just had a lot of confidence going into the yard every day.”

Perhaps the most memorable moment of Kaler’s tenure at Hawaii was April 10 against UC Riverside. He hit for the cycle, becoming the first Rainbow Warrior since 1996 and just the sixth UH player in school history to accomplish the feat. The memory is only a rival to one other moment: a game where Kaler hit a home run from both sides of the plate.

Kaler will have plenty of opportunity to create more memories at his next stop in the SEC. The Queen Creek native will once again take a leap up in competition and join Texas A&M in the fall for his senior season.

“Just the opportunity to go in and play in that conference is something I’ve always dreamed of,” Kaler said. “The coaching staff felt right; those guys made me feel welcome as soon as I talked to them.”

If his track record is any indication, it’s a safe bet that Kaler will be able to make an immediate impact with the Aggies. The former Hawaii standout’s high baseball IQ is what he believes sets him apart from other elite shortstops across the country, and it’s what he hopes propels him to a successful season in College Station and beyond.

“The goal is to play professional baseball so it’s about continuing to get my game out there and show people that I can play against the top of college baseball,” Kaler said. “I just have to continue to stick to the process, continue to believe in myself and continue to work. That’s what it comes down to.”