THE DUCK POND ? After a league-wide off day, just one of four for the season, the Ducks should be refreshed and ready to fly high for the home stretch. And the next stretch of games could be critical for the Ducks.

The Mallards will play 10 of their next 16 games at home, with six games in-a-row against teams with poor records in the Waterloo Bucks and the La Crosse Loggers.

?Now is the time for us to make our move in the second half,? said Mallards manager Darrell Handelsman. ?And we should be able to make it happen in front of our home fans?they?ve been great.?

Handelsman is referring to the record-breaking season that the Mallards are having at the gate, averaging better than 4,000 fans per game. The Mallards are also playing better than .600 baseball in front of the Madison faithful.

Tonight, the Ducks will host the Waterloo Bucks for the first time in 2003. The Bucks are the reigning NWL Champions, but that was last year when current Mallards manager Darrell Handelsman was the skipper at the helm of the ship. This year has been a reversal of fortune for Waterloo, who has stumbled to the worst overall record in the league.

Also, tonight is Schwarz Insurance Umbrella Night. The first 500 fans 18 and older will receive a Mallards golf umbrella. It is also a Guaranteed Win Night. If the Mallards don?t win, Maynard will let you in free to any upcoming Mallards regular season game in 2003.

Tonight, is also a Charter Communications/Little-A-Merrick-A Family Four Pack Night presented by WIBA-AM and ESPN 1070. You get four tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas, and two all-day passes to Little-A-Merrick-A for just $20.

The gates open at 5:45pm with the first pitch at 7:05pm.