Malaika Underwood always gave the impression of a hard worker when observed on a playing field at La Jolla High years back.
That trend has continued, most recently as a member of the gold medal-winning Team USA Women’s Baseball squad.
Team USA broke a 10-10 tie with a one-out, bases-loaded double down the left-field line in the bottom of the sixth inning and defeated Japan, 13-11, at Tienmu Baseball Stadium in Taiwan earlier this month. In doing so, the win gave Team USA (5-1) its second consecutive gold medal at the IBAF Women’s World Cup.
“I’m extremely proud of our athletes,” said Julie Croteau, Team USA manager. “I knew we had a fantastic team of seasoned veterans and future superstars. There is a lot of parity at the international level and I look forward to the teams these countries will field in the future.”
Underwood, who played second base for the squad, got the opportunity to participate with Team USA following a tryout process that began in June with open tryouts in three locations: New Jersey, Florida, and Phoenix.
“The open tryout was a two-day process that included skill evaluation and scrimmages,” Underwood said. “About 130 women attended the three regional tryouts. They selected the top 30 to attend the final tryout in Phoenix. The final tryout was, again, a two- day process that included skill evaluation and a scrimmage.”
The final tryout was held on July 22-23. On July 23, the USA Baseball coaches selected 18 players. Training for the 2006 World Cup began immediately, with the team departing for Taiwan on July 26.
“The entire experience was amazing,” Underwood continued. “Winning the gold medal was just icing on the cake. I not only had the opportunity to play the sport I love, but to play it for my country. Wearing the USA jersey was something I will never forget.”
One coach who hasn’t forgotten Underwood is the current La Jolla High Head Baseball Coach, Gary Frank. Frank was with the Vikings as an assistant when Underwood plied her trade.
“Malaika was a sophomore at La Jolla my first year coaching,” Frank noted. “I was assisting the JV team and she was in her second year on the team. Her junior year was my first year as a varsity assistant. Because of the girls’ basketball team winning CIF, she came out to the baseball team after we had started playing our first tournament.
“So Malaika had to try out during the season (in an actual game). Bob Allen (head coach) put her in at second base at Oceanside High in the bottom of the sixth inning. The first batter of the inning hit a ground ball to her and she made a tough play in the hole and threw out the runner. Then with one out and a runner on first, the batter hit a grounder to third, and she turned a 5-4-3 double play. The runner going from first to second slid into her and took her out, but Malaika just got up dusted herself off and ran into the dugout.”
As fate would have it, Underwood came to bat in the top of the seventh and lined an 0-2 fastball down the right field line for a double.
As Frank noted, “Everyone in the dugout just exploded because they knew that she had just made the team. That was exactly how she liked it: the more pressure, the better she performed. She never asked for any special treatment.”
Frank said that he wasn’t surprised that she made the USA baseball team, or that she was a contributor to winning the gold medal.
“Anyone that has ever spent at least five minutes with Malaika has learned to never doubt her,” Frank said. “She exudes such confidence and charisma that you expect great things from her … and she almost always delivers. I am very proud of her and all of her accomplishments. She is a champion in every sense of the word and I can’t think of a better person to represent our country.”
What does her future hold?
According to the University of North Carolina grad, she plans to play in a few other women’s baseball tournaments (the World Series of Women’s Baseball in Orlando, Fla. in October) and training to make the 2008 USA Women’s National Team for the next World Cup.
And did she learn anything from her playing days at La Jolla High that helped her on Team USA?
“At La Jolla High I was privileged to play for great coaches and with great teammates,” Underwood said. “I learned a lot about the game. There’s no doubt in my mind that everything I learned while playing for Chollas Lake Little League and La Jolla High contributed to my success on the USA Baseball team.”
A success that is a hit with many local people who know her.