TWU alum finds purpose in Rangers outreach program

March 26, 2025 — DENTON — Texas Woman’s alumna Jesse Malone has a bulletin board at work that is full of Christmas cards, thank you notes, colorings from kids, graduation invites and team photos of various youth baseball and softball teams. 

“And they all go up on my wall to remind me of why we are here,” Malone said.

“Here” is the Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy at Mercy Street Sports Complex presented by Toyota in West Dallas. Malone, who graduated from TWU in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, is the senior manager for the academy outreach and education programs. 

The youth academy is one of nine in Major League Baseball that provides free, year-round baseball and softball training to athletes from ages 7-18. Malone handles all the community outreach and education and scholarship programs for the academy. 

“I get to make an impact and I get to inspire the next generation,” Malone said. “There is only so long you get to do something. But I want to make sure it’s in the best possible way for the people coming up after us, especially for the young women.” 

Malone is starting her 10th season with the Rangers. She started as a youth ballpark intern when she was a junior at TWU. She envisioned working for a team’s social media accounts but once she heard about the academy being built, she decided to get involved. As a senior, she interned with the academy in its inaugural year. 

“I realized we were going to make a much larger impact than just building a field and leaving,” Malone said. “We were going to be there day to day and I wanted to make that impact as a first-generation college student myself. I wanted to help others who may have been in the same shoes I was.”

Malone grew up knowing that college was the next step but didn’t know how to get there or how to pay for it. She didn’t step foot on a college campus until January of her senior year of high school. She went to a TWU Pioneer Preview Day and it felt like home to her. 

“While I'm not an expert on college and how to get there, I want to support the kids we work with figure all those things out,” Malone said. “It's why I plan campus tours and keep a running spreadsheet of scholarships, because I don't want them to feel as lost as I did.”

A big part of her job is working with families so it was a natural progression from intern to a full-time position since she had cultivated those relationships. 

And, getting to know the families is the best part of Malone’s job.  

“I get to see the kids grow up from ages seven to 18,” Malone said. “We have a young man that has been with us since he was in fourth grade and graduates high school this year and is going off to play college baseball at Prairie View A&M.” 

Jesse Malone (left) travels with the Texas Rangers Youth Academy baseball and softball teams during the summer

Malone is now seeing academy alumni that she knew as kids come back as adults to work for the academy as part of the coaching staff. 

“It’s so rewarding,” Malone said. “These kids, yes, we make an impact on them, but they also make an impact on us.” 

Malone wears a lot of hats with her job. While it depends on the season, her mornings are typically spent doing administrative work: planning the activities, working on facility usage agreements, waivers, registration. The second half of her day is interacting with the kids. That could be at baseball or softball practice or at one of the STEM programs. 

“We are always here, is what we like to say,” Malone said. “We created a family environment that the kids want to stay because they are getting something out of it. Yes, we are providing baseball/softball skills, but the thing I hear the most is, ‘my kids’ confidence has grown.’”

Malone wasn’t a big baseball fan until she started working for the Rangers. Now, she goes to the games, follows the team and stays on top of the trades. 

“I’m pretty die-hard,” Malone said. 

There is a lot of pride when Malone talks about her job. 

“I think it’s just because of the brand that means I’m a part of something,” Malone said. “When we go on trips, we tell the kids, you are not just representing yourself, you are representing the Rangers. That’s how I also carry myself. I go anywhere —  I am representing the Texas Rangers. I’m just a small cog in the machine that rolls. It’s so much more than that.”