Published On: March 24th, 2016

LOVES PARK, Ill. – A name familiar to Mid-American Conference baseball fans will join the Rockford Rivets this summer.

 

The Stateline’s Northwoods League team announced on Thursday that they have added Ball State University shortstop Alex Maloney to the roster. Maloney, a junior general studies major, is a three-year starter for the Cardinals.

 

“Alex comes from a strong baseball family,” Rivets manager Brian Smith said. “His father, Rich, is currently the Ball State head coach.”

 

Rich Maloney is in his 21st season as a head coach. In two stints with the Cardinals, he has been named Mid-American Conference Coach Of the Year three times. In 10 years at Michigan, he was twice named Big Ten Coach Of the Year and was twice named Region Coach Of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

 

“Alex hasn't had a healthy summer in a while, so I know he will be excited to be out on the field everyday,” Smith said. “It is nice knowing that he has had past success in the NWL (hitting .311 in 20 games for Kalamazoo in 2014). Being the son of a coach myself, I know Alex has the ability to see the game from many different spectrums. His baseball acumen and physical abilities will be a great asset to the top of our order.”  

 

Through 22 games this season, Maloney is hitting .267 with a home run and 11 RBI. He had three hits in a 9-8 win over Purdue on Tuesday.

 

Rockford is a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League, which will play its 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2016. The Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 140 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (Chicago White Sox), Jordan Zimmermann (Detroit Tigers), Curtis Granderson (New York Mets), Lucas Duda (Mets) and Ben Zobrist (Chicago Cubs). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website, NorthwoodsLeague.com. 

 

 

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