The Madison Mallards have signed six pitchers for the upcoming season. The new Mallards will join returning pitchers Adam Mills (UNC-Charlotte), Casey Baron (Maryland) and Mike Creevy (Xavier). Highlighting the crop of new pitchers is Creighton left-hander Scott Reese. He is a 2006 NCBWA Pre-season First Team All-American. In 2005 Reese was 12-0 with a 2.85 ERA in 37 appearances for Creighton. So far this season, Reese is 1-4 with five saves and a 4.34 ERA in 17 appearances.

A pair of Illinois State pitchers will be among the staff joining Reese this summer in Madison. Junior right-hander Kitt Kopach and junior right-hander Dan Frega have signed to play for the Mallards. Kopach has seven saves, one complete game and a 2.86 ERA in 11 appearances this spring. Frega has pitched 33.1 innings in 15 games with a 1-4 record for Illinois State.

Two other pitchers that play their college ball in Illinois will be joining Kopach and Frega with the Mallards. Brian Smith is 3-5 with nine starts for Northern Illinois this season. Smith started the Huskies season opener against Arizona State allowing three runs in five innings for the loss. Southern Illinois left-hander Cody Adams is 3-2 with six starts in 15 appearances in his first season of collegiate baseball.

Oak Park, Illinois native Derek Schlecker has also signed to come to Madison this summer. The Western Michigan right-hander is 0-1 with a 0.84 ERA in six appearances this spring. The junior has been limited by tendonitis so far this season. In 2005, Shlecker led the Broncos with five wins and five saves.

The Madison Mallards open the 2006 season against the Thunder Bay Border Cats on Thursday, June 1, 2006. Group and season tickets are on sale now. Single game tickets go on sale Saturday, April 29. For more information please call the Mallards ticket office at 608.246.4277 or log onto www.mallardsbaseball.com.