A nationally-ranked team and one of the country’s best players might be the talk of the town in most cities. However Jeff Malm’s hometown is Las Vegas, and he understands that things work a little differently there.
“There is no place quite like Las Vegas,” Malm said. “With the number of tourists that come here, you can go out and see people from all over the world. Being the entertainment capital of the world, Las Vegas brings the best shows and concerts to my hometown.”
Malm can add his team to that list, because for the past four years Malm and the Bishop Gorman Gaels have been the best show in town.
Jeff Malm, Bishop Gorman
Courtesy Photo
Bishop Gorman won its fourth straight Nevada 4A state championship over the weekend and in the process, standout first baseman Jeff Malm entered his name at the top of the national all-time hit list.
The Gatorade Nevada State Player of the Year as a junior, Malm completed an incredible senior season on Saturday with a 1-for-2 effort in a 3-1 win over Cimarron-Memorial in the 4A championship game. Malm’s one hit tied him for first place on the all-time national list, according to the National Federation of High School Sports, for hits in a career with 277. He is tied for the top mark with Darren Deadmond of Odin, Ill., who played from 1985-88.
Malm’s mark is not the only place you’ll find the 2009 Gaels in future NFHS record books. Joey Rickard set a national record for runs in a season with 87 and ends his career second on the career runs list with 265. Malm, meanwhile, finishes second for all-time doubles with 74 and fourth in career RBI with 255.
As a team, Bishop Gorman scored 561 runs this year, which ranks second best all-time. The 127 doubles the rapped this year is also second best as is the 516 RBI and the .463 batting average. The Gaels’ 572 hits are fourth best all-time.
But things didn’t look so rosy at the beginning of the season, or even a week ago. The Gaels started the year as the nation’s No. 1 team in nearly every major ranking service, but they began the year 1-3. That’s when the team took stock of its situation.
“The rough start forced our team to come together quickly,” Malm said. “Because of our recent success on the state and national level, every team we play is really into the game and we usually face the ace of their staff, so we have to be ready every time we take the field. But we are tough to beat because we have all played in so many big games and we are mentally tough in those situations.”
The early season road bump gave way to 35 straight wins, but a 10-2 loss to Cimarron-Memorial in the Sunset Regional Championship meant that the Gaels needed to play Las Vegas, with outstanding sophomore catcher Bryce Harper, in a state play-in game the following day, May 16, for the right to defend its state championship.
Malm came up big in a 10-6 win over Las Vegas, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a two-run homer and a run-scoring double. He also picked up the pitching win, giving up only three hits through six innings.
He went right back to the mound five days later and allowed just two hits in a 2-1 win over Green Valley. He struck out 15 batters in the win, setting a school record for strikeouts in a single game.
Malm climbed the hill one final time in the championship game against Cimarron-Memorial, getting the final five outs of the game without allowing a hit while striking out four.
The 6-foot-3 lefthander can hardly get enough of the sport. He vividly remembers playing baseball in his back yard when he was two-years old and he has been a regular member some outstanding American Legion and national age group teams.
Malm participated on the 18U National Team the past two seasons, winning the silver medal last year.
“To represent your country and to hear the national anthem playing with USA across your uniform gave me goose bumps and a feeling of pride that I will never forget. We won the silver medal at the world championships and I was named to the all-tournament team.”
Malm also played on the Bishop Gorman American Legion Team, posting a 75-7 record and winning the American Legion World Series in the summer of 2008. Not surprising, Malm, who homered in his very first American Legion at-bat way back in eighth grade, was named the World Series MVP.
As a junior, Malm led the Gaels to a third straight title (Bishop Gorman has won the state crown in each of Malm’s four years on the varsity) and he won numerous all-state and All-American honors. He hit .564 with 79 hits, seven home runs, 73 RBI, 28 doubles and three triples.
Malm had a near identical batting average this year (79 for 140 in 2008, 75 for 133 in 2009), but increased his home run totals to 17 while driving in 69 runs.
His best game may have been a two-home run effort with four RBI in a 27-0 win over Clark in late April. However Malm’s performance that day was a bit overshadowed by sophomore teammate Eric Van Meetren, who tied a national record with five home runs in the big win.
While Malm’s batting numbers are spectacular, his record on the mound is equally impressive. He went 11-1 on the year with two shutouts and finished with a 1.50 ERA in 65.1 innings pitched. He also struck out 87 batters and walked only 21.
But Malm will likely make his living at the plate and at first base. Ranked No. 25 in the MaxPreps Top 100, Malm has signed a letter of intent to play at traditional baseball power USC and he is expected to go somewhere in the top three rounds of the MLB draft on June 9.
“The MLB draft is very exciting to think about and it would be a dream come true, but it is still a ways away and I am focusing on our high school season right now,” Malm said prior to the start of the Nevada state playoffs.
A fan of one of baseball’s all-time great hitters, Tony Gwynn, Malm credits former coach Cesar Gomez and current coach Chris Sheff for helping him develop as a hitter.
“They have both been instrumental in teaching me to hit and how to approach the game, both physically and mentally,” said Malm.
Bishop Gorman coach Chris Sheff says that Malm’s work ethic will make him successful at the next level.
“In five years, I don’t believe I have seen him waste a swing in the cages,” Sheff said. “He works tirelessly to get his swing better. There is nobody like him when it comes to making small adjustments and focusing on his swing.”
While Malm practices in the batting cages every night, he has a simple philosophy when it comes to the game of baseball.
“Work hard, play every game pitch by pitch, and have fun. It is amazing what hard work and passion for the game can lead to.”
