Colorado Rockies outfielder Ryan Spilborghs, a member of the Mallards 2001 inaugural team, will try to make the playoffs for the first time in his young career in a crucial tiebreaking MLB play-in game tonight versus the San Diego Padres. Spilborghs is enjoying a successful 2007 campaign; hitting .304 with 11 home runs and 51 RBI’s in 96 games. In the important month of September, the former UC-Santa Barbara standout hit .322 with an on-base percentage of .403 that included a pair of three-hit performances—both coming in Rockies victories. The Rockies and Padres sit tied atop the National League Wild Card standings with the winner scheduled to play the NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday. The Padres’ Jake Peavy (19-6, 2.36 ERA) will toe the mound versus Rockies starter Josh Fogg (10-9, 4.79). Tonight’s first pitch is scheduled for 6:37 p.m. on TBS.

The Mallards honored its first former player in Major League Baseball on June 19 by giving the first 1,000 fans a Ryan Spilborghs figurine. Spilborghs proudly displays the figurine in his Rockies locker.

“It was kind of neat, especially to go show my Rockies teammates,” said Spilborghs in an earlier Capital Times article. “I have a little figurine of myself now.”