The 2023 Malden High School softball squad will be represented at the upcoming Semoball Awards by Player of the Year candidate Rachel Rommel, who spectacularly finished her career this spring. However, despite the graduation of Rommel and two other senior Green Wave athletes from this tremendous team this spring, the future of Malden softball is very bright according to first-year coach Kyle Jones.
“I think the future is bright,” Jones said following his team’s loss to West County in the MSHSAA Class 2 Quarterfinal 1. “We’ve got some young girls, some freshmen, who are really going to be good for us.”
One of those “young girls” is sophomore-to-be pitcher Alyssa Broom.
Broom led her team into the postseason and – at times – was magnificent.
“Alyssa is a hard worker,” Jones said. “I trust her to keep working hard.”
Broom helped the Green Wave win 17 games in her initial varsity season, which was the most wins for the program since 2019.
The Green Wave won the Class 2 District 1 title with Broom throwing the whole way. Malden had won District titles from 2014 through 2019 but hadn’t won a championship since.
“We have some players down in junior high,” Jones said, “who are going to be good for us. I think the future is bright for Malden right now, as far as girl sports go.”
Broom was named to the Class 2 District 1 All-Tournament Team, as well as being a First Team selection to the All-Bootheel Conference Team.
“She is going to mature, and she is going to be a player,” Jones said. “She already is a player. She just has to keep working hard, and she will.”
As far as Jones goes, the future of Malden softball is so “bright,” that the former Green Wave assistant football coach has given up his gridiron duties for his new passion in the spring.
“This is a dream job,” Jones said. “I’m really happy. I got asked to move from football to softball and I just fell in love with it. I love coaching these girls and I just want to keep working hard for them.”
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