Published On: April 10th, 2011

The Mallards are excited to announce that nine players from last year’s team that won 41 games will return to play in Madison for the 2011 season.

Highlighting the group is three-year Mallard Jacob Esch (Georgia Tech) and 2010 Northwoods League All-Star Josh Parr (Illinois).

Full biographies and additional quotes from Mallards Field Manager Greg Labbe can be found below (in alphabetical order):
Joel Effertz, RHP, Freshman, 6’3”, 235 lbs (Madison College)

Effertz returns for a second season in Madison after posting a 3.86 ERA over two games last summer.

He transferred from the University of Arizona to Madison College this year and has looked impressive thus far, in winning his first two starts and allowing only one earned run over 11 innings.

Effertz was a four-year letter winner for Ladysmith High School in Wisconsin. Said Mallards Field Manager Greg Labbe, “Joel will be a different guy for us this summer. He is the big, strong-bodied right-handed pitcher who people would expect to see in our league. He has a three pitch repertoire, and a fastball that can sit in the low 90’s. He has matured a lot, and I would expect to see him make a huge impact as either a starter or late in the game as a closer.”

Jacob Esch, IF/RHP, Junior, 6’3”, 195 lbs (Georgia Tech)
Esch is this year’s only member of the Mallards three-year club. A year ago, he hit .230 with 10 doubles and 22 RBI over 52 games. On the mound, Esch went 2-2 with a 5.06 ERA over six appearances.  In 2009 he had a solid first year after hitting .284 with 11 RBI, two home runs, and 16 RBI. On the hill he was 3-1 with a 4.42 ERA over nine starts, and two other relief appearances.  This spring he is hitting .350 with 11 doubles, one home run, and 11 RBI. On the bump he has appeared in four games and has an unblemished record and 2.25 ERA over four innings.

Labbe: “Jake will play a vital role on this year’s team because he has the ability to play all infield positions, plus I expect him to make a major impact on the mound for us. With the amount of experience Jake brings, he will be a great example for the younger players on this roster.”

Jon Pierre “Jumpy” Garcia, IF, Junior, 6’3”, 225 lbs (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)
Garcia returns for a second year after signing with the Mallards in late July last summer as an injury replacement. “Jumpy,” as he’s referred to on the baseball diamond, didn’t disappoint in providing above average power numbers, including six home runs and 20 RBI over only 20 games.

His best performance in Madison came in only his fourth game in uniform as he provided a three-for-three performance with a double, a home run, and five RBI to help spark a 12-1 victory over the La Crosse Loggers.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi is Garcia’s third different school in as many years. Out of Telecommunication Art & Technology High School in Brooklyn, NY, he spent a year at Connors State College in Oklahoma before transferring to Southeastern Community College in Iowa.

This spring, Garcia is hitting .245 with one double, three home runs, and 20 RBI over 19 games. He missed one week due to a wrist injury on a play at home plate but has since returned.

Labbe: “Jumpy is the strong, athletic, and energetic leader that every team wants behind the plate. He knows how to run a team from behind the plate and call his own game.”

Travis Parker, IF/RHP, Junior, 6’1”, 200 lbs (St. Louis)
Parker returns to Madison this summer on a full-time contract after signing a year ago on a temporary contract that expired July 1st. The two-way player recorded four hits over 22 at-bats, and on the mound, he allowed two earned runs over 5.1 innings pitched. He returned to Madison as an injury replacement for the team’s stretch run in August.

Prior to transferring to St. Louis University, Parker played at the Kansas City Kansas Community College his freshman year and at Seward County Community College this sophomore campaign.

This spring he is hitting an even .300 with two doubles and 11 RBI over 22 games. On the hill he is 1-0 with a 3.48 ERA over 10.1 innings. All seven of his appearances have come in relief.

Labbe: “Travis is another polished two-way player who I feel with another year of experience will make our team stronger. He is a solid defender at third base, and is versatile enough to hit anywhere throughout the line-up. Where I think Travis helps us the most is at reliever. He is extraordinarily difficult to hit, and he is used to pitching in the tightest spots for his St. Louis team."

Josh Parr, IF, Junior, 6’0”, 170 lbs (Illinois)
Parr returns for a second year after being named to both the NWL 2010 Mid-Season All-Star Team and the Post-Season All-Star Team after hitting .307 with 16 doubles, three triples, and 28 RBI over 62 games.
In the All-Star Game he walked once in two at-bats and scored a run.

Parr’s best stretch during the regular season came between July 7th and July 10th when he accumulated 10 hits and scored eight times over those four games. The Mallards didn’t lose over that span.

This spring, Parr is hitting .320 with four doubles, one triple, one home run, and 12 RBI over 17 games. He also has nine stolen bases in 11 attempts.

Labbe: “Bringing Josh back means a lot to our team and to the organization. He not only brings a level of play that the fans in Madison love to see, but he was also a leader on-and-off the field for the Mallards. I am ecstatic to know that he will be back with us this summer.”

Justin Parr, OF, Sophomore, 6’2”, 180 lbs (Illinois)
The younger brother of Josh, Justin returns to Madison for a second summer after being signed to the team late last season as an injury replacement. Over 13 games he hit .256 with one double, one triple, and four RBI.

His best performance came on August 11th when he recorded his first multi-hit game with two hits that included one triple.

This spring, Parr is hitting .143 with two triples and eight RBI over 14 games.

“Justin is a solid left-handed hitter who can play multiple positions for us. He was a solid player for the Mallards last summer, and guys usually do much better their second year in this league. I expect to see Justin have a great summer for us.”

Rusty Shellhorn, LHP, Junior, 5’10”, 195 lbs (Texas Tech)
Shellhorn returns for a second summer in Madison after being named a Northwoods League Post-Season All-Star for his 3-3 record and 2.40 ERA in 63.2 innings pitched. He only allowed 24 runs while striking out 58 batters. Opponents only hit .209 against the left-hander.

On August 1, 2010, Shellhorn pitched the first no-hitter in Mallards history and the 13th no-hitter in NWL history in a victory against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. He needed only 103 pitches while striking out eight in the no-hitter.

He transferred to Texas Tech after attending Washington State University for two years. Because of this, Shellhorn will come to Madison well-rested after sitting out this year in Lubbock.

Labbe: Rusty was one of the best pitchers on the Mallards staff last summer and I can’t wait to see what he does for us this year. He brings a wealth of experience and talent to our staff, which will prove to be very valuable.”

Estevan Uriegas, LHP, Junior, 5’9”, 175 lbs (Texas A&M)
Uriegas returns for a second summer after finishing his first stint in Madison with a 5-1 record and 3.13 ERA over 14 appearances that included eight starts. He struck out 53 batters over 54.2 innings pitched.

His best stretch came between July 2 and July 23 when he won four games and only allowed five runs over 24.2 innings.

In 2009, Uriegas pitched in the Alaskan League for the Mat-Su Miners and helped lead the team to a championship.

This spring, he has been used as a situational left-hander and has posted a 3.85 ERA over 9.1 innings and eight appearances.

Labbe: “Estevan was one of the most versatile arms on the roster last summer. He pitched well out of the bullpen and become one of the most consistent starters as the summer went on. I know Estevan is excited about coming back, and he is exactly what I am looking for to help win a championship.”

Notes: It was announced in early January that Verona native and current Michigan State Spartan junior infielder Justin Scanlon will return to Madison for a second summer. With the addition of Scanlon, the Mallards have nine returning players in 2011.

Latest News