NORTHWOODS LEAGUE ANNOUNCES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 7, 2009
Mallards Sign Former Oklahoma Two-Sport Prep Standout
(MADISON, WI) Former decorated Oklahoma high school two-sport athlete Mark Ginther has signed with the Madison Mallards for the 2009 season, giving the team flexibility in finding a cohesive left side of the infield. Ginther, who is being used extensively as a shortstop and third-baseman during his freshman year at Oklahoma State this spring, is a graduate of Jenks High School in Tulsa, OK where he helped lead the school to back-to-back state football championships as a quarterback his junior and senior campaigns. He wasn’t too shabby on the baseball diamond either, hitting .430 with eight home runs and 50 RBI his senior year. He also posted a 9-1 record and 0.99 ERA with 88 strikeouts in 56.2 innings on the mound. Ginther was drafted in the 48th round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Although he was recruited heavily out of high school to play college football, Mark never received any formal offers or scholarships. However on the baseball diamond, he was recruited by Arizona State, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Nebraska, LSU, and Missouri before deciding to attend nearby Oklahoma State.
“I always knew my best chances of playing at the professional level was in the game of baseball, so I wasn’t put-off by the lack of scholarships in the football world,” said the 6’4” youngster.
Ginther, like his other first-time Mallards teammates, has leaned on former Northwoods League athletes to become familiar with what to expect this summer. Current Cowboy teammate Neil Medchill actually played in Madison last summer and has offered Mark very valuable advice.
“Neil’s been great in giving me tidbits of what to expect this summer and how to better prepare myself for the daily mental grind,” said Ginther.
“He likes to talk about how the crowds for Mallards games are much, much bigger than any college venue we’ll experience this spring. That gets me really excited to experience that atmosphere first-hand.”
Ginther is hitting .265 with four doubles, one home run, and seven RBI as a part time player in 16 games so far this spring.
