LJ baseball: Q&A with Malaika Underwood

Malaika Underwood throws out

the first ball at the Viking game

Fri., May 10, with her daughter

Birdie holding her flowers.

The catcher was Danny Underwood

of Mira Mesa's team, her nephew.

(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Malaika Underwood is the only woman to play varsity baseball for La Jolla High. In 1999 she was named the CIF San Diego Female Athlete of the Year. She was All-CIF in volleyball and basketball.

Earlier this Spring, Malaika (pronounced mah-LAY-kah) was inducted into the La Jolla High Baseball Hall of Fame for her pioneering and for her play on the U.S. Womens National team, where she holds career records in many categories. She threw out the first ball Fri., May 10, to her nephew, Danny Underwood, who plays for Mira Mesa, in her first La Jolla appearance since her induction.

Underwood now serves as an assistant coach in the U.S. Womens Baseball National program, and looks like she could play second base (her spot on the Vikings back then) now.

Being honored today, how does that feel?

It's a great honor, and it's amazing, a reflection of life's hard work and commitment to playing hard. And it's been great to feel the support of La Jolla High throughout my entire career, not just while I was playing in high school, but also when I made the U.S. Baseball Womens National Team.

And so it's an honor, and I love the team and the coaches, past and present, who have supported me. It's been great. It's nice to be here, and to have my family here and have my oldest daughter be able to see it, to be a part of it, and to know that hard work can result in achievement, as well.

At the time, and even now, it's an amazing breakthrough. Can you put that in perspective for us?

Interestingly enough, I think girls and women in baseball has become more of a thing, but there's still a lot of progress that needs to be made. We have the USA Baseball Womens National Team, and there are a lot of travel ball teams, and more and more girls are playing at the youth and grassroots level.

Ultimately, though, I think that we've got to get away from this social construct that girls play softball and boys play baseball, because there's no reason that girls can't play baseball. It's a wonderful game,

Malaika stands with two of her

three LJHS coaches, Nancy Moyer

(left, basketball) and Bob Allen

(baseball), with Birdie in front.

Missing is Kate Pearson Gauger,

her volleyball coach.

and they should have as much opportunity to play as boys do.

What would you say to a young athlete, especially girls, who hear about your accomplishments?

You've got to put in the work, and if you put in the work, you will achieve your goals. But you have to learn to hit the curveball in life, because the path from where you are to where you want to be isn't always a straight line. If you're willing to put in the work, you can get to where you want to be.

Your nephew is here, and what is his name? He just got a basehit in the top of the first.

Danny Underwood. He plays centerfield for Mira Mesa, and against La Jolla Wednesday night (May 8), he got the winning hit off the wall. I wasn't here, unfortunately. I live in Jacksonville, Florida, so just came in today to watch him play tonight.

And what year in school is he?

He's a senior. They need to win tonight to get to the playoffs.

And your daughter's name?

My daughter's name is Birdie, and her younger sister Kit (?) didn't make the cut to make the trip. She's a wild animal. Isn't that right, Birdie? (at her side)

(Birdie) Yeah.

Last thing, who was a major influence, staff support, here or elsewhere?

Of course, I have to say my parents, because they've been such a support my entire career and they've supported me in everything I've done.

But you know, when I was growing up and going to school in the 90's, there was a team called the Colorado Silver Bullets, and they were a team of women who were playing baseball and barnstorming against men's teams, and they were such an inspiration to me, and many of them are friends of mine now. Tamara Holmes, specifically, up in the Bay Area, who has been a coach for the U.S. Womens National Baseball Team the last few years, and I also got a chance to play with them. They were inspirations to be able to see that, and to imagine myself achieving a high level of success in baseball. I could get to that, because I could see them (doing it).