Karns City’s Metcalfe among best in District 9 baseball
With his hair spilling out of his purple hat, Karns City senior Mallick Metcalfe has a fairly distinctive look — and a level of play to match.
One that District 9 coaches and opponents are tired of having to deal with, too.
“I think he’s going to be one of the top players in our league,” Gremlins coach Josh Smith said after his team’s 14-3 win over visiting Kane Friday night. “He’s a feared hitter by every coach. Every coach says, ‘Man, has that kid not graduated yet?’ Because, physically, he is stronger than most kids.
“I expect him to just dominate, hit in the high .500s. Half of his at-bats, he’s going to win that battle — and if he doesn’t, he’s going to get on base any way he can. He’s going to lead this team.”
At shortstop and on the bump, Metcalfe’s experienced presence is one that Karns City values. It energizes younger teammates, such as Michael Neff and catcher Mitchell Waldroup, Smith said.
“He’s a monster on the field,” he added. “He’s a five-tool guy ... In our league — and even at schools bigger than us — he would start on any team, from (Class) 2A to 6A. He’s that type of player.”
Metcalfe, whose locks were inspired by the look of former Pittsburgh Pirates closer Joel Hanrahan, earned a win on the mound against the Wolves, settling in and taking control after three runs crossed the plate in the initial half-inning.
“I feel like I’m more comfortable at shortstop, but (with) pitching, I like to control the game a little bit more,” he said. “As I’m getting older, I’ve mixed it more. I’ve figured out what pitches work this day and I throw that more often.”
Smith has taken notice of what Metcalfe can do as a hurler.
“When he pitches, it’s just a different feel,” Smith said. “You know he’s not going to go out there and just mow everybody down, but he’s going to battle and have good stuff.”
At an earlier age, Metcalfe’s baseball talent led to opportunities in another sport.
Around eight years old, he began playing soccer when a coach in the area noticed Metcalfe’s reflexes as a backstop on the diamond and figured his skills would translate as a goalkeeper.
“I used to play travel with both of them, so that made it even more difficult,” Metcalfe said of the balance. “I couldn’t really do much (else).”
He was moved to defender as a junior with the Gremlins to help a unit that had thinned out, then made the Butler Eagle boys soccer honor roll in both seasons at that position, scoring a dozen goals and adding 13 assists.
It’s on the diamond where his future lies, though. He’ll continue to play baseball at Pitt-Bradford following his graduation. Before then, he has other goals to hit.
“I just want to keep getting better,” Metcalfe said. “As a team, I want to see if we can go further than the District 9 playoffs and, hopefully, win a D-9 championship this year.”
