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FOOTBALL: Going Blue, felt right for Brother Rice quarterback Alex Malzone
DETROIT – What a week it has been for Brother Rice junior outfielder Alex Malzone. Thursday afternoon he went 2-3 from the plate, with one RBI, helping the Warriors capture their thirds straight Catholic League A-B Division baseball title, 7-1 over Orchard Lake St.Mary’s at Comerica Park.
"We wanted to come out here playing like we had been playing good, and we did," Malzone said. "We had Matt (Ruppenthal) on the mound, and he pitched pretty good. Then Karl (Kauffman) came in and shut the door.
"We had a good game overall, and we’ve been here the past two years, and we used out experience to our advantage, and today we got the win."
The 6-2, 205-pounder, is without question, an excellent baseball player, and if wasn’t for that fact that he’s an even better football player, could play on some school’s baseball team in college. Instead he decided to take his talents to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and play for the Michigan Wolverines football team, with his pledge of Monday.
"It definitely feels great," Malzone said, when asked about his commitment to Michigan. "I’m starting to build a great relationship with Coach Nussmeier. I know he’s going to be doing great things at Michigan, and I hope to make the 2015 class one of the bet ones yet.
"I’m excited about the opportunity to go to Michigan, and it’s definitely the right fit for me."
Malzone became the sixth commit in Michigan’s 2015 class, and the first one from the state Great Lakes State. Michigan flirted with multiple quarterbacks in the 2015 cycle, including Malzone, before finally deciding to pull the trigger on him, and becoming newly hired offensive coordinator, and quarterbacks coach, Doug Nussmeier’s first recruit.
The offer came on Monday when I visited there," Malzone said. "I kind of sensed the offer was coming, so I was ready for Monday.
"Coach Nussmeier saw a lot of guys throw, and he told me I was one of the best. He expressed to me that they wanted to get the process over with, and so did I quite frankly."
Malzone seemed like a Michigan lock from day-one, but was just waiting on an offer to come, and it did. Head coach Brady Hoke is getting a mechanically sound quarterback in Malzone, who is also a proven winner. He has helped Brother Rice win two straight Division 2 state titles, and performs well under pressure.
To add to his intangibles, Malzone has a rocket for an arm, and has pinpoint accuracy. He should be able to thrive in Michigan’s pro-style offense, whenever he time comes. He will a lot of tough competition in front of him, but has seen this picture before.
"Michigan is a great place to play, so of course it will attract other great players," said Malzone. "But I’m just looking forward to getting my shot up there."
Now that Malzone has made his college decision, he also plans on bringing some of the other top recruits in the state with him to Ann Arbor.
"I’ve been talking to a lot of the too guys from Michigan," he said. "Guys like Mike Weber, Brian Cole, Tyriq Thompson, and I’ve talked to a lot of the too out of state guys that Michigan is recruiting."
Now that Malzone has committed to Michigan for football, he plans to finish out his junior year of baseball, and wasn’t sure if he was going to play his senior year. He loves baseball just as much as football, so Hoke and company may have to hold Michigan baseball coach Erik Bakich off for his services, or not.
