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Photo by Shawn Bowles
Hewitt-Trussville INF Steele Hall (19) in a game against Hewitt-Trussville and Oak Mountain at Phil English Field on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles
Hewitt-Trussville INF Steele Hall (19) in a game against Hewitt-Trussville and Oak Mountain at Phil English Field on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles
Hewitt-Trussville INF Steele Hall (19) in a game against Hewitt-Trussville and Oak Mountain at Phil English Field on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles
Hewitt-Trussville Steele Hall (19) in a game against Hewitt-Trussville and Oak Mountain at Phil English Field on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles
Hewitt-Trussville Steele Hall (19) in a game against Hewitt-Trussville and Oak Mountain at Phil English Field on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
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Photo by Shawn Bowles
Hewitt-Trussville Steele Hall (19) in a game against Hewitt-Trussville and Oak Mountain at Phil English Field on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
It’s difficult to know whether Jeff Mauldin set the scene intentionally, but it certainly served as a great opportunity for a display of high character.
Photo by Shawn Bowles
Hewitt-Trussville INF Steele Hall (19) in a game against Hewitt-Trussville and Oak Mountain at Phil English Field on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
As Mauldin, the Hewitt-Trussville High School baseball coach, and star infielder Steele Hall walked behind the concession stand, an empty trash can and its companion lid were separated, the lid lying on the ground a foot away from the can.
Without thinking twice, Hall picked up the lid and restored it to its proper place. A few minutes later, Mauldin noted that seemingly insignificant moment was anything but that.
“I don’t know if you noticed walking in here, he picked up that lid and put it on top of the trash can,” Mauldin said.
Hall is one of the top prep baseball players in the country, and all eyes are on him at all times. Major League Baseball scouts representing teams from coast to coast regularly send personnel to get a glimpse of a player who has the potential to be a big-leaguer someday.
How does a player handle himself when the spotlight is constantly on him, watching his every move? Mauldin has an easy answer for that one. He estimates 15 pro scouts were watching a particular intrasquad scrimmage and recalls how Hall handled the moment.
Recalling a conversation with one of his assistant coaches, Mauldin said, “Man, how do you think he feels right now, all these guys watching, everybody's got their cameras out and all that. It kind of gets quiet. Next pitch, hits a ball opposite field, to the wall.
“I think he's going to be just fine. It's been like that ever since.”
The trash can lid itself is not a big deal. But it’s an indication of how Hall attempts to carry himself. He would not be the first star athlete to command movie star treatment, but he gives off the persona of the complete opposite.
“If you know your best player goes in the weight room and gets after it, everybody's going to get after it. If your players see your best player pick up a trash can lid when he's walking by, they'll go do the same thing,” Mauldin said.
The ways to describe Hall’s impact on the team are numerous. Mauldin loves the energy he brings to the dugout, enjoys the passion he plays the game with and believes he elevates the players around him. As far as his skill set goes, Mauldin summarized it by calling him an “elite” player.
Hall committed to the University of Tennessee in 2022. He’s played the sport as far back as he can remember
Photo by Shawn Bowles
Hewitt-Trussville INF Steele Hall (19) in a game against Hewitt-Trussville and Oak Mountain at Phil English Field on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
and spent three years on the varsity team at Daphne High School before moving to Trussville. It was a return home for Hall, as he spent many childhood years in Trussville.
Even though Hall arrived at Hewitt-Trussville High as a sophomore, he will only get to play two years for Mauldin and the Huskies. Last summer, Hall chose to reclassify to the 2025 class, meaning he will graduate at the end of this year — which should be his junior year.
Hall was a first-team Alabama Sports Writers Association all-state player last spring. He hit for a .331 average and stole 31 bases, only being caught once. He was a huge part of last year’s team, which posted a 27-9 record and was eliminated in a three-game series by Hoover in the first round of the playoffs.
Hall made the move from second base to shortstop as an eighth grader and has been there ever since. He excels at the quick-reaction plays that leave coaches’ jaws dropped. After last season, Mauldin wanted him to hone in on “dominating the routine plays” as well — just the next step for a player of his caliber.
Another thing Mauldin harped on after last season was encouraging Hall to bulk up. Hall estimates he’s gained about 20 pounds over the last year.
This season, Hewitt-Trussville won its first 21 games of the year, with nationally ranked IMG Academy the first team to dent the Huskies’ loss column. As of press time, the Huskies had qualified for the playoffs and hoped to make a deep run.
“If we just play as a team and keep on rolling like we have been, I think there’s big things coming,” Hall said.
He has a decision to make. The attention Hall has garnered in recent months gives credence to the idea that his name could be called as early as the first round of the MLB Draft in July. At that point, he may have to decide whether it makes the most sense for his future to sign with the team that drafts him or go play college ball at Tennessee.
“I’ve been doing this a long time,” Mauldin said. “I’ve never seen the things that he’s capable of. He’s still got room to grow and keep getting better, but at this point in his career, he does things we’ve never seen before.”
