Berryhill High School junior outfielder Ian Malicott doesn’t hesitate when asked what sets this year’s Chiefs baseball team apart. The first thing he mentions isn’t wins, stats or velocity — it is the bond in the dugout and on the field. “I love how closely bonded our team is this year,” Malicott said. “I have never been a part of a program that is this tight together. The way we are all family.”
Malicott, a varsity left fielder, carries himself with a mix of confidence and humility that traces back to his biggest influence, his father. “My dad has always been an inspiration to me,” he said. “He has taught me so much in life, but one thing that always stuck with me was whenever you get hit always stand back up and keep going, maybe even hit ’emback.”
On the field, Malicott prides himself on being a smart player who sees the game a pitch ahead. “A great strength of mine is that I know the game really well,” he said. Still, he has a specific goal for his development at the plate. “Something I need to improve on is using my legs more while hitting so I can add some more power to my bat.”
In left field, Malicott knows his job is about far more than catching fly balls. Concentration, he said, can be the difference between a routine out and an extra-base hit. “I play left field, and I believe the most difficult thing to do is to stay locked in every pitch and take not one pitch off,” he said.
He credits catcher Gavin Feilder as the team’s loudest and most vocal presence. “Our most vocal teammate is Gavin Feilder he is our catcher, so it just makes him that much better behind the plate,” Malicott said. When the Chiefs need a laugh, they turn to another teammate. “Billy Jack Dallman is most definitely the teammate that makes everybody laugh. Even the coaches get a kick out of him.”
Away from the diamond, Malicott’s favorite subject is math, and he said teacher Mrs. Martin has made a lasting impact. “My favorite subject is definitely math, I enjoy doing it and mostly anything about numbers, Mrs. Martin has always been my favorite teacher and she always will be,” he said.
Malicott also suits up for the Berryhill football program and said the lessons there carry over to baseball. “I am a part of the Berryhill football club as well. Everything that happens in the football room, well it happens for a reason. Coach Harper does a really great job.”
When he isn’t competing, Malicott keeps his circle close. “I enjoy hanging out with my friends and my girlfriend,” he said. “I also love to watch sports, anything that is on I will watch and like it.”
The best advice he has ever received mirrors the way he plays persistent, steady and respectful. “Best advice I’ve been given is never give up on anything that you do, and also that you should never overlook anyone in life. Nor judge a book by its cover as most would say.”
