GRAND CHUTE, Wis. (June 21, 2012) – Just over two weeks ago Mitch Haniger was selected by the Milwaukee Brewers with the 38th pick in the 2012 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Haniger played with the Green Bay Bullfrogs in the Northwoods League in the summer of 2011.

On Friday, he will begin his professional career as a Wisconsin Timber Rattler when the Midwest League’s first half Western Division Champions open the second half of the season at Burlington.

Haniger was selected by the Brewers with a compensatory first round pick out of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in the 2012 draft.  Haniger was the 2012 Big West Conference Player of the Year at Cal Poly.  He led the conference in homers (13), RBI (64), and slugging percentage (.626).

In his time in the Northwoods League, Haniger played 24 games recording a batting average of .277 in 83 at-bats. He also recorded five home runs and 22 RBIs. Haniger had an on-base percentage of .351 and a slugging percentage .542.

Wisconsin starts the second half of their schedule with a three-game series against the Burlington Bees in Iowa on Friday night.  Timber Rattlers fans will get their first glimpse of Haniger when the team returns to Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium on Monday, June 25.  Wisconsin will begin a six-game homestand at 7:05pm on Monday night.