Tanner Mally will do anything he can to get on a baseball field, even if it means changing positions.
The Naperville North graduate appeared in just seven games, primarily as a pinch hitter and at second base, and got only five at-bats during his freshman season at Western Michigan in 2024.
Afterward, WMU coach Billy Gernon suggested Mally try center field. That was new territory for Mally, who was a three-year starter at Naperville North, first at second base and then at shortstop.
“It was all pretty much coach Gernon just giving me a way of making the lineup,” Mally said. “I knew there was some spots open in center, and he said I could try it out in the summer.
“I kind of excelled at it right away. I came back and got even better with it.”
Did he ever. Mally not only earned the starting job in center field in his sophomore season. He was named to the All-MAC defensive team after recording a .973 fielding percentage and throwing out two runners at the plate.
“I had a blast in center,” he said. “It was a pretty natural change. I’ve always seen the ball in the air well. It was just a little adjustment in the footwork and some other smaller changes, but it was pretty natural overall.”
Mally also was the leadoff hitter for WMU (19-32). Batting .356, he led the Broncos in hits (73), triples (3), runs scored (50) and on-base percentage (.444) and ranked second in doubles (11) and stolen bases (16).
Mally may have made it look easy, but Naperville North coach Jim Chiappetta said such success doesn’t come without effort.
“It was tough as a freshman trying to find his avenue,” Chiappetta said. “The kid just works so stinking hard and found himself in the lineup, and they couldn’t take him out.
“He came out of the gates on fire and just kind of continued that all through the year.”
Chiappetta wasn’t stunned by Mally’s smooth adjustment to the outfield.
“It’s not surprising,” Chiappetta said. “The way that kid moves athletically and the way he covers ground, I’d say that’s a transition that made sense.
“It’s why college coaches love recruiting shortstops because, generally speaking, those guys can do just about anything. I think Tanner is a great example of that.”
Mally is an example of a high school star who paid his dues in college. Most athletes aspire to play right away, and that isn’t always realistic.
“The game is so much faster in college than it was in high school, and that year break that I got gave me a chance to break down my game offensively and defensively to kind of ready myself for college baseball,” Mally said.
“I made sure I was learning every day in practice. Every day after practice, I’d stay and get swings in. You’ve just got to trust the process, and it will all work out in the end.”
Chiappetta was confident things would work out for Mally.
“A lot of kids have the skill and the ability, but I think the thing that has always set Tanner apart, whether it was in his high school career or clearly now in his collegiate career, is he’s got the other things that go with it,” Chiappetta said. “He’s got the leadership, he’s got the work ethic, he’s got the desire and drive, and he’s a great teammate.
“So anywhere he can help out, he’s going to welcome that with open arms. I think you saw that this past season.”
Incoming Illinois State freshman catcher Zach Bava, who recently completed a sterling four-year varsity career for Naperville North, benefited from Mally’s leadership. The two are friends despite a two-year age difference.
“He took me under his wing right away freshman year, and every question I had, he would answer,” Bava said. “He taught me how to be a good leader. As I got older, he gave me confidence to be a better player.”
Mally isn’t resting on his laurels. He’s spending the summer in North Carolina playing for the Morehead City Marlins in the Coastal Plain League and taking summer classes. Through 26 games, he ranked third in the college summer league with a .394 batting average.
“The work he puts in in front of the cameras on the field is incredible, but it’s the things he does behind the scenes that makes him so good,” Bava said. “He hasn’t even reached his potential yet, and Western Michigan has a special guy on their team.”
Mally, an advertising major who has a 3.8 GPA, will be eligible for the 2026 MLB draft.
“I’m always looking to improve,” he said. “Obviously, I’m trying to play baseball for as long as I can.”
Chiappetta is rooting for him.
“He’s a wonderful kid,” Chiappetta said. “You’re super happy for his successes.
“As much as you miss having him around, you’re thrilled and you’re happy to see that he’s chasing his path. He’s one of those great Huskies, no doubt.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.