When Cooper Tarlie received word that he did not make the varsity roster during his sophomore year at Belmont Hill, it would serve as a wake-up call in more ways than one.
"It was a reality check for me,'' said Tarlie, a senior outfielder/catcher who recently wrapped up his prep career. "I knew I had collegiate-level tools, but I was not able to utilize those in-game. Getting cut made me realize I had to bridge the gap between my showcase performances and my in-game performances. Mentally, it was incredibly humbling, and it helped me adopt 'no matter what' attitude. My thoughts were to make the best of it and work hard to improve.''
The Waban, Mass., product did just that, continuously working on his skill set that summer. It paid off as he made the varsity squad as a junior. Tarlie was eager to contribute to the Sextants immediately. However, that is when things took a nasty turn.
Tarlie suffered a broken wrist during a preseason scrimmage in 2024. He tried to play through the injury once the regular season started, but the effort would prove futile, as the injury required surgery, thus ending his season. Tarlie was able to play summer ball with Boston Prime, but admits he rushed his recovery process and ended up getting a second minor surgery the following fall.
