FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – Carroll High School’s Jordan Malott has shined in his final year with the Chargers baseball team.
Entering the final week of the regular season, the senior has tallied a team-high seven home runs for fourth-ranked Carroll. He’s also third on the team in batting average and first in on base percentage.
Malott may be good at avoiding strikes on the plate, but he’s even better at picking up strikes in a bowling alley.
“I always loved bowling better than baseball, but it could be because I’m in the bowling center most of the time,” Jordan admitted.
Jordan first picked up a bowling ball at 18 months old. By the time he was a toddler he was already on the front page of a newspaper, bowling with his father.
His dad, Wes Malott, has played a key role in Jordan’s development as a bowler.
Nicknamed “The Big Nasty,” the elder Malott has won 10 PBA Tour titles since 2005 and was named the PBA Player of the Year for the 2008-09 season. He also joined the PBA Hall of Fame back in February.
Jordan has benefitted from learning the game from his father. It’s a big reason why Jordan is continuing his bowling career next fall at Huntington University. However, Wes doesn’t want to give too much credit for his son’s development as a bowler.
“It takes some physical talent,” Wes said. “It also takes a lot of hard work, and he’s put that work to be able to get where he is today.”
However, some of the biggest lessons taught from Wes go beyond bowling and baseball.
“He has just taught me to leave everything in the past,” Jordan said. “Whatever happens, if it’s positive or negative just move forward.”
As father and son, the Malott’s will compete to be best dynamic duo in the first-ever PBA ‘King of the Lanes: Royal Family Edition.’ The event will feature PBA stars and their children in a quest to become bowling’s royal family.
“Honestly it’s an honor to be able to shoe up with my oldest son. It’s going to be a special day,” Wes said.
The Malott’s outing on the alley airs to a national audience on June 6.