Purdue's Corbin Malott makes instant impact on Catfish

Cape Catfish outfielder Corbin Malott celebrates a win over the Dubois County Bombers with shortstop Lane Crowden on Thursday, June 6, at Capaha Field.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

One of the Cape Catfish's biggest stars last summer was a slugging outfielder from Purdue.

And while Brody Chrisman is not with the Catfish this summer, his roommate is.

Corbin Malott has made a quick impact since joining the Catfish, including a hit and run during Cape's 3-2 win over the Dubois County Bombers on Thursday, June 6, at Capaha Field.

"I think there's a strong connection between the Purdue program and the Catfish," Malott said. "[Chrisman] had nothing but great things to say about the Catfish. When they told me I was coming here, I was very excited."

Malott was able to come in and gel quickly with the team, as many of them were here last year and were fond of Chrisman's clubhouse presence.

"Some of the guys played on the team last year so Brody told me about some of them," Malott said. "Just almost right away we clicked and I can't wait for the rest of the summer."

Like many players experiencing Cape Girardeau for the first time, Malott was awed by the atmosphere.

"I just can't believe how many people come out," Mallot said. "From what I heard those have been small crowds so I can't wait to see what a big crowd looks like."

So far this summer, Malott has four hits and three stolen bases in four games, including a triple on Wednesday. He was named Player of the Game alongside Lane Crowden on Sunday for driving in a run and scoring one during the Catfish's 8-4 home win over the Rockabillys. It's a tradition that he is not used to in college but one that he enjoys about summer baseball.

"I love the green jacket," Malott said. "My first game here I got to wear it, a very cool experience. It's something that I haven't really seen in college baseball but I love it."

Malott's first week with the Catfish already eclipses his production at Purdue, where he had only six at-bats in 23 games all season.

"It's been pretty much since last summer since I got an at-bat," Malott said. "There's definitely a learning curve getting back into it. Just got to be as confident as I can, just pretending that I didn't have that gap."

In a game in which only Crowden collected multiple hits, the pitching had to step up and close the door on the Bombers. Isaac Vedder, Walker Brodt, and Arlon Butts combined to throw four no-hit innings to finish the game after the Catfish scored the go-ahead run in the fourth inning after Quinton Borders grounded into a double play to score Crowden. Malott scored on a single by Alex Kowalski, which represented the Catfish's RBI in the game.

Blake Kincaid started the game on the mound and allowed only one run on a hit in three innings. Drew Wedgeworth was credited for the win after giving up one run in two innings.

It's early in the season, but the trend has shown that the Catfish win at home but are fish out of water on the road.

After playing REX Baseball on Friday, the Catfish (3-5) will begin a new rivalry series with the O'Fallon Hoots on Saturday, June 8, at Capaha Field. The MRV Banks Show Me Slugfest is a seven-game series throughout the summer between the Prospect League's only two Missouri teams.

While many Jackson High School alums play on the Catfish, one key player from the Indians' Class 6 third-place winning team from 2023 plays on the Hoots. Braden Hackworth, who redshirted at St. Louis this past spring, is currently batting .294 for the Hoots (6-3), which are already in contention in one of the league's most competitive divisions.