MUNCIE Ind— Ball State Head Baseball coach Rich Maloney played against his alma mater, Western Michigan.
Maloney played at Western Michigan from 1984 until 1986. He says that he will never forget where he came from and that he has a special place in his heart for Western Michigan, but he is a Ball State Cardinal.
“We’re so far removed from Western time-wise, but I will always have a Bronco in my heart for the great experiences I've had. I am a Ball State Cardinal, and that's what it is,” said Maloney.
Maloney also went on to explain that without his experience at Western Michigan, he would not be where he is today. He credits his coach, Fred Decker, for giving him the opportunity in 1994 after his pro career to become an assistant coach at his alma mater until 1995.
In 1996, he became the head coach at Ball State and coached until 2002. He then coached at Michigan University from 2003 until 2012. He then returned to Ball State in 2013 and has been here ever since.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for my experience at Muncie,” Maloney said. “I played for Fred Decker, who I consider to be my second dad, and I went from a recruited walk on to being kept on the team. I had a chance to play professionally, and after that career, Coach Decker let me back on the team to start coaching, which led me to be able to coach here at Ball State.”
Coach Maloney’s win on Sunday was his 999th win of his career. He said that him approaching the 1000 career wins mark brought up a time of reflection, especially with him playing his alma mater so close to the monumental mark.
“I think as we get closer and people are talking about the 1000 win mark, you start reminiscing and looking back at your career and all the people you’ve worked with, the players you coached and all the great games. It’s an interesting time with a ton of reflection,” Maloney explained.
The Ball State Baseball Team swept the series against Western Michigan this past weekend and beat Purdue Fort Wayne on March 11. They are currently on a 6 game winning streak and look to keep it going this weekend with a homestand against Toledo.
Contact Camden Jackson with comments at Camden.Jackson@bsu.edu.
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