Hi-Line Athlete Profile: Trenton Maloughney, Northstars Baseball

With eight games remaining in Northern A District schedule, the Havre Northstars American Legion baseball team finds itself sitting in second place in the district standings.

Yet, holding that position won't be easy, especially with four of the last eight games against Vauxhall, the Northstars' opponent tonight in Canada. The Spurs lead the district and playing a doubleheader at their place should give the Northstars a good idea of where the team stands heading into the stretch run.

Under the direction of head coach Patch Wirtzberger, the Northstars are 20-13 overall as well as 10-6 in the Northern A. The team has won with a solid combination of youth and experience, with players both young and old making important contributions.

One young player who has made a positive impact in his first season with the Northstars is Trenton Maloughney. The sophomore-to-be at Havre High is a multi-sport athlete who also plays football, basketball and tennis.

Yet, right now, his focus is the baseball diamond and for the legion club, he wears many hats.

Maloughney is known for having a strong arm and should have a bright future on the gridiron, even seeing some snaps at quarterback for the Havre Blue Ponies last season as a freshman. In tennis, Maloughney came within a single win of reaching the Class A state tournament in singles during his freshman season, and, according to HHS head coach George Ferguson, he has a super-high ceiling on the court.

Right now though, Maloughney is a talented hurler and has been thrust into a starting role at times this season for the Northstars. While the first-year legion player has a record of just 1-2 in five starts, he has an ERA of 6.82 as well as a WHIP of 2.35.

With all the pitch counts managers must abide by, pitching depth is a valuable thing at the Legion level and that's where Maloughney has helped prove his worth with four appearances in which he pitched three or more innings.

In addition to his role on the pitching staff, Maloughney is also a backup catcher for the Northstars and a utility defender that can be used in a number of different positions. In all, his time on the mound and in the field has gotten him a total of 47 at-bats and even with those limited opportunities, he has been impressive at the plate.

For the season he is batting .349 and has an on-base percentage of .391 to go along with eight RBIs and nine runs scored. He also has two doubles. Maloughney's overall hitting numbers are solid for a first-year player, however, the way he has stepped up against district opponents, hitting .440 and notching five of his eight RBIs shows an ability to deliver when it counts.

Whether it's on the mound or at the plate, the Northstars will be calling on Maloughney this week, either against Vauxhall this afternoon or Saturday, when Havre will host the Lethbridge Miners. First pitch Saturday will go out at 3 p.m. at Legion Field. Vauxhall and Havre will get their doubleheader underway at 4 p.m. this afternoon.

Yet, before the Northstars made the trip to Vauxhall, the Havre Daily News caught up with Maloughney for five questions.

HDN: What is your impression of legion baseball after one season?

Maloughney: "Baseball is always baseball no matter what the level. But everything is more routine and a lot crisper. Plays that might have been errors in Babe Ruth aren't going to be errors as often, things like that. You have to be sharper mentally."

HDN: What have you enjoyed the most about playing for the Northstars?

Maloughney: "Playing games at Legion. It's a special place and getting to play up there with these guys and this coaching staff has been really awesome. This is by far the most fun year of baseball I have ever had. It's just great to go up there and see so much community support and try to do well for the fans."

HDN: What has gotten you into so many sports and do you have a favorite?

Maloughney: "I think growing up around Blue Pony sports and going to Northstars games and my parents opening things up for me and taking me to watch stuff. I always enjoyed going to Northstars games or watching the Ponies and I think that made me want to get into athletics and play as many sports as I can. My favorite sport is always the one I am playing at that time."

HDN: What has been the biggest adjustment moving up to legion ball?

Maloughney: "As a pitcher, the zone will tighten up more and you can't leave the ball over the plate. You can't just blow it past guys, you have to approach it differently. As a hitter, you have to be ready to jump on balls and put it in play because sometimes that all you need."

HDN: What's your goal for the rest of the season?

Maloughney: "I think our goal as a team, with these last eight games, I think they are all do-or-die games and I think we will just play it game by game. I don't think we are looking too far ahead as far as where we are in the district or anything and we are just trying to take it one at a time."