NORTHWOODS LEAGUE ANNOUNCES
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: March 27, 2009
Local Standout Signs with Mallards
(MADISON, WI) The Madison Mallards are excited to announce the team has signed Sun Prairie native and current Iowa sophomore outfielder Kurtis Muller for the 2009 season. The more interesting storyline though, is that Muller, who helped lead the Cardinals to back-to-back baseball WIAA State Championships in 2005 and 2006, was actually once on the Mallards payroll as a part-time summer employee on the team’s gameday cleaning crew.
“I think I was the only member of that crew who truly enjoyed coming to the ballpark everyday mainly because I enjoyed watching how the players go about their daily business while playing in the Northwoods League,” said the always-humble Muller.
“As sappy as it sounds, from the first hour I worked to the very last, I always strived and worked towards being a Mallard.”
After graduating from high school he joined the Hawkeyes last year and went on to have one of the best freshman seasons the school had ever witnessed, posting a .323 batting average that included 15 multi-hit games, nine doubles, and 47 RBIs. Muller’s RBI total actually broke former Hawkeye and current Mallards Manager C.J. Thieleke’s true-freshman school-record mark of 45 set in 1994. Thieleke was later named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year (in 2008 that award went to Northwestern pitcher Eric Jokisch).
“It’s funny because I actually didn’t know I broke CJ’s record until my dad told me after the season,” said Muller.
“I wish I could say that I was aware of the mark and had a huge celebration after passing it (he broke it with a grand slam), but that just wouldn’t be true.”
After his monster spring season Muller was named to the Ping! Baseball All-Freshman Team for his body of work that also included a .353 batting average and .520 slugging percentage in conference play.
He comes to Madison with summer league experience as well, having played last year for the Quincy Gems in the Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL). There he hit .314 with one home run, 24 RBIs, and 22 stolen bases.