Baseball coaches on the Central Coast see many good players; however, few leave as strong an impression as Chris Mallory has.
Mallory, a second baseman for the Santa Maria Packers, was recently given the California Collegiate League Player of the Year Award, beating out three other candidates in a close vote by league coaches.
Mallory, formerly of Allan Hancock College, hit .373 with five home runs and 29 RBIs for the Packers.
“I ended up having a really great summer,” he said. “It was fun to get to know other people from around the country.”
According to Packers coach Scott Nickason, Mallory set himself apart from other players by playing exceptionally well during the last three weeks of the season. The Lompoc local started playing for the Packers about two years ago, but 2010 was his first full season. He caught Nickason’s attention by being “by far, the best hitter” on the team.
Mallory certainly proved that to be the case as the baseball season came to a close, producing nine multi-hit games, back-to-back two-HR games, and a 10-hit, seven RBI three-game series. This performance made Mallory stand out in the minds of his own coaches and those of rival teams when it was time to decide who was the best player of the year.
Mallory will be playing for Fresno State in the fall, most likely as a second baseman. When asked if he was ready to play Division I baseball, Mallory said, “I’m excited, and stoked, and ready for it.”
This article appears in Aug 12-19, 2010.