RANKINGS
EVENTS
I COMMITTED
COLLEGE
ABOUT
Sometimes when you know, you know.
Gracie Maloney, the junior standout pitcher and hitter who was ranked in the Top 20 of the 2024 Extra Elite 100, received great advice from a close family member, her Uncle Rich Maloney, who is the head baseball coach at Ball State University.
“He told Gracie she should go with her gut,” recalls the athlete’s father, Shawn Maloney, who is also her head travel ball coach in the Turnin2 National organization. “Rich said, ‘Your gut impression is from God and if, deep down you know, it’ll be the right decision… trust your gut!’”
And, though the two-way standout was contacted by over 25 schools including programs in the Big Ten, ACC, Sun Belt, Ivy, MAC and several others, it became obvious to her where she was destined to be.
On Monday night, Gracie committed via a Zoom call to the University of North Texas—also known as the “Mean Green”—which is located in Denton, Texas and is a top team in Conference USA. On the call with her was her dad, her mother, Gracie, and the entire UNT coaching staff.
GETTING MEAN💚🤍🦅 @RodneyDeLong @JamieAllred24 @CoachJayGwyn @kdself18 @CollegeBDJocks @RuggedSoftball pic.twitter.com/4ROgWLU2Ag
— Gracie Maloney (@graciemaloney_) October 5, 2022
What led to her making her decision to head to the Lone Star State?
“I didn’t know what to expect when I went to North Texas with my Mom and Dad,” the Michigan high school standout begins, “but I really connected with the players and coaches on my visit. When we got there, the team and the coaches made me feel like I was home.”
“Also, the coaches made me feel like they genuinely loved the way I play. They will give me a chance to pitch and hit and I feel like they will develop my skills.”
The book on Gracie is she’s a 6-foot, five-tool player who has thrown 68 mph in game while typically hitting 64-66 mph. In the field, she has been gunned at 70 mph overhand and is a skilled all-around athlete who runs well, shown by her leading team in stolen bases last fall. Gracie also hits for a high average and with power.
A three-sport athlete most of her life, she has played travel softball and travel volleyball, which she had to quit after her freshman year to focus on getting a softball scholarship. The right-handed hitter and pitcher still does play high school basketball, however.
Gracie has played travel softball since she was 8 and, up until she was 14, competed for her father’s Michigan Batbusters Premier team. For the last couple of years, she’s starred on the Turnin2 National team which was ranked last year in the Top 40 at its age division.
Earlier this year, her Dakota (Macomb, Mich.) High team made it to the finals of the Michigan state championships and, at the club level, she was selected in July as the Alliance Heart of America League Player of the Month.
This summer at the JO Cup, she went 6-0 as part of a club season that saw Gracie go 18-3 with two saves, a 1.40 ERA and 124 K’s in 104 innings. She also limited opposing hitters to a .182 batting average.
Offensively over the summer, the 2024 grad batted .500 (46-for-92) with six home runs, nine doubles 31 RBIs, 32 runs scored and went 7-for-7 in steals. When not pitching, she lined up at third base and impressed with her defensive tools.
In one notable game in the Alliance Nationals, Gracie hit a grand slam and struck out 11 against a strong Texas Glory 2024 – Naudin team and at the Colorado Fireworks threw a two-hit shutout with eight K’s against another tough team, Nebraska Gold National.
We caught up with Gracie after she committed to ask her what led her to verbal to the Mean Green…
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What did you enjoy doing or seeing on your campus visit?
On my visit, the girls on the team took me axe throwing and we really bonded during that event. Most of the team went and it just felt like a family. Also fun was going to Buc-ees for the first time, what a place! Like my dad said: “It’s the Taj Mahal of gas stations” and it seems like there are a hundred pumps, but inside they have fresh BBQ with a full line of store items ranging from grocery to even granite counters. It’s unique but a cool place.
What about the North Texas campus and athletic program stood out to you on your trip?
The facilities are outstanding! You can tell they invest a lot into their athletics at UNT! They are adding new dugouts and a new locker room and everything is already top notch. Also, the strength trainers are amazing, and the indoor facility is the largest in Texas. That is saying something!
The Mean Green softball program has looked very good in Conference USA play as of late… that impact your decision?
Yes, they don’t have a baseball team so the campus rallies around softball in the spring and they win a lot! North Texas is always in the Regionals.
What about the team did you find attractive?
I really like the culture of the team. The coaches care about you as more than just a softball player.
The coaches really made a big impact on you…
(Head) Coach Rodney (DeLong) is one of the best coaches in the country and I’m thankful to get to play for him and the Mean Green! I also love the pitching coach Jamie Allred. She has great energy and reminds me of my pitching coach, Jenn Newmann. Coach Jason Gwyn gets the fielders going with some awesome music. It just feels like a great environment to play in.
How did the UNT coaches first discover you?
In Colorado they were watching another team and I had a big day in front of Coach Gwyn. Then they went and watched me at JO Cup in OKC.
Final thoughts?
I’m so happy to be a part of the Mean Green and can’t wait to Light the Tower! [editor’s note: When a sports team at North Texas wins a game, the school has a tower on campus that they light up… and the softball team lights it up quite a bit.]
— Brentt Eads, Extra Inning Softball