The Mallards add two more hurlers for 2017
Madison, Wis. – The Madison Mallards have announced the signing of two Texas A&M freshman pitchers, Jason Ruffcorn and Tristen Bayless.
Ruffcorn, a 6’2”, 180-pound right hander from Cedar Park, TX will be joining the Mallards this summer after the conclusion of his first year in College Station. Ruffcorn saw limited action in his later high school years due to injury, however when healthy, he overpowered hitters. He posted a 2-1 record and a 0.29 ERA in seven appearances during his senior season. He limited opposing batters to a .180 batting average and sat down 37 batters on strikes and only seven walks.
Ruffcorn’s father, Scott, pitched for five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Chicago White Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies. He also coached Jason’s high school team at Hyde Park High School.
Bayless, a 6’2”, 185-pound freshman southpaw from Hutto, TX is also headed to Madison at the end of his season in the SEC. Bayless has an impressive high school track record, as he was a versatile standout at Hutto High School. In his senior season, Bayless compiled an 8-1 record with 158 strikeouts and a 0.93 ERA. He tossed two no-hitters and struck out 19 of the 21 batters he faced in a perfect game against Waco University. Bayless also pitched in the AABCA’s All-Star game which featured a collection of the best prep players in the Austin area.
Bayless also saw time in centerfield at the high school level, as he hit .393 with 21 RBI and three home runs during his senior year. Bayless was recruited by the Aggies as a pitcher and an outfielder. After his successful high school career, he was drafted in the 35th round of the 2016 MLB First Year Player Draft by the Washington Nationals.
The Mallards will open their season at home on Tuesday, May 30th at 6:35 PM against the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders. Group tickets for the 2017 season are on sale now. Single game tickets go on sale Saturday, April 29th at 9:00 AM. For information call the Mallards Ticket Office at 608-246-4277, email info@mallardsbaseball.com or stop by the ticket office at 2920 N. Sherman Avenue, Madison, WI.
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The Madison Mallards are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The 23-year-old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 160 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including two-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champion Ben Zobrist (CHC) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM) and Lucas Duda (NYM). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League portal. For more information, visit www.mallardsbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Mallards as your favorite team.