The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced today the Brett Mitchell, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound right handed pitcher from Iowa Central Community College will return to the Honkers line up this summer. The sophomore from Lakeville, MN was a mid-season signee last summer for Rochester.

The Mankato MoonDogs Baseball Club, a member of the Northwoods League, is proud to announce the signing of two players for the 2009 season. Sophomore utility player Tony Strazzara and freshman utility player Bryan Haar, both of the University of San Diego (San Diego, CA), have committed to play for the MoonDogs this summer.

A pair of Louisville Cardinal freshman right-handed pitchers in Derek Self and Tony Zych (pronounced ‘Zick’) have signed with the Madison Mallards for the 2009 season.

The Waterloo Bucks announced the signing of University of Iowa sophomore Zach McCool. The 5'7", 165-pound middle-infielder joins fellow Hawks Patrick Schatz and Phil Keppler on the Bucks 2009 roster.

The Rochester Honkers Baseball Club announced the signing of Andrew Gagnon, a 6-foot-2, 186-pound freshman right-handed pitcher from Long Beach State. Gagnon is the first player from Long Beach State to call the Honkers home in the summer.

The Battle Creek Bombers announced the signings of three position players to their 2009 roster. Joe Van Meter and Doug Otto, infielders and teammates from Virginia Commonwealth University, will join outfielder Nick Campbell from Bryant University in Battle Creek this summer.

Eau Claire Express field manager Dale Varsho announced the addition of UW-Oshkosh outfielder Nolan Fadness and Texas Tech pitcher Robbie Kilcrease to his 2009 roster. The pair of sophomores brings the Express roster to 18.

New York Yankees right-handed pitcher Mark Melancon (MUH-lan-sin) made his Major League debut Sunday night in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. The former Duluth Huskie pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Andy Pettitte in a game that was seen nationally on ESPN. Melancon, called up on Saturday, entered the game to start the seventh inning and set down Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia, and David Ortiz in order throwing a fastball clocked as high as 96 MPH. Melancon put himself in a bases loaded, no-out jam in the eighth inning. However, he retired the next three batters to finish off his two scoreless innings.

The Mallards are excited to announce the team will add 20 percent more general admission seating in the Great Dane Duck Blind without changing capacity or ticket prices for the 2009 season. The addition is in direct response to fan surveys taken last fall which showed 65 percent of fans who attended the Duck Blind thought the one change that would improve the area would be more general admission seating. The Mallards will re-locate the visiting team bullpen and turn that space into additional room for picnic tables and bench seating with great field level views of the action. There will now be nearly 900 seats available on a first-come-first-serve basis compared to approximately 700 in 2008. The expansion will also provide more space for access to the Duck Blind concession area, which will speed up service for all fans on the deck.

The Swedes are coming! In preparation for the 2009 World Cup to be played beginning in September, the Swedish National Baseball Team has agreed to play the Madison Mallards in an exhibition game at the “Duck Pond” on Wednesday, May 27.