Zink will return home for a second season.
The Madison Mallards announced Wednesday that Madison native Ryan Zink will be returning for a second season with the team. Zink, a sophomore at the University of Illinois-Chicago, was a 2004 Northwoods League post-season All-Star. In his rookie season with the Mallards, Zink was 4-6 with a 2.10 earned run average in 13 appearances. The 6?5?, 210-pounder recorded 81 strikeouts in 81.1 innings of work. Following his first season of summer collegiate baseball Zink was named the No. 3 pro prospect in the Northwoods League by Baseball America.
In his freshman season at UIC, Zink was named All-Horizon League First-Team and to the All-Horizon Newcomer Team. He was also named the 2005 Horizon League Pre-season Player of the Year by Baseball America. Zink was 9-3 with a 2.07 earned run average and 92 strikeouts in 96 innings during his 2004 season at UIC. During his stellar freshman year Zink pitched the tenth no-hitter in UIC history in a 7-0 victory over Youngstown State on May 16, 2004. Following his first collegiate season he was named a Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-Amerian and a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American team. UIC opens the 2005 season at Evansville on February 18th .
Zink, who attended LaFollette High School , was recently named one of 22 Madisonians you should know by Madison Magazine. Following his senior season at LaFollette, Zink was named the Wisconsin State Player of the Year and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 47th round of the 2003 draft. Zink will be in Madison on Thursday, January 27th to attend the Greater Madison Brewers Banquet. He will be available for comment regarding his upcoming collegiate season and the 2005 Mallards season.
The 2004 Northwoods League Champion Madison Mallards open the 2005 season against the Mankato MoonDogs on Wednesday, June 1st at 7:05 p.m. at the Duck Pond. Season tickets and group packages are on sale now. Single-game tickets will go on sale April 30th. For more information please call 608.246.4277 or log onto www.mallardsbaseball.com.
