Madison, WI – March 25, 2008. The Mallards are excited to announce the signing of six new position players for the upcoming season. Headlining the group is junior Carlo Testa (pictured, bottom), a two-way star from Belmont University who doubles as both a center fielder and starting pitcher. Last season Testa recorded 29 RBI’s at the plate while striking out 58 batters in 76.1 innings on the mound. As a freshman he was named to the Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team after hitting .336 and making 11 starts as a pitcher for the Bruins. This spring Testa is batting a team-high .446 (33 for 74) with 10 RBI’s and 17 stolen bases in 20 games. He has also made five starts on the mound, posting a 2-1 record with 32 K’s in 31.1 innings. Testa has Northwoods League experience having played for the Thunder Bay Border Cats last summer. Five other future Mallards are featured below with accompanied bio’s (In alphabetical order, by last name). The Mallards eighth season begins on Thursday, May 29 at 7:05 p.m. against the La Crosse Loggers.

Alan Ahmady, INF, Sophomore, Fresno State. Ahmady appeared in 55 games as a freshman in 2007, starting 51 times at first base. He ended the season with a .288 batting average and was tied for fourth on the team with seven home runs. Ahmady also went 3-for-5 at the plate in last year’s WAC Championship game against Nevada. This season he is hitting .317 (26 for 82) with a team-high 16 RBI’s.

Aaron Bray, INF, Junior, UNC-Charlotte. As a freshman in 2006 Bray became the second player in school history to receive the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year award and be named to the Louisville Slugger Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American Team. He hit .413 hitting second in the lineup and recorded 24 multi-hit games, six 3-hit games, and three 4-hit contests. Bray had a team-best 18-game hitting streak and was the only Niner to play in all 56 games. Last season Bray returned from a mid-season injury to string a 13-game hitting streak together, raising his average from .298 to .341 over that span. This spring he is batting .405 (34 for 84) with 20 RBI’s and a team-leading six stolen bases.

Dan Brewer, OF, Junior, Bradley. In 2007 Brewer took over the leadoff spot for the Braves as a sophomore in mid-season and hit .306 with 23 runs in the final 23 games as the leadoff man and .313 for the year. He also led the team with 10 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Brewer entered 2008 on the Brooks Wallace Award Preseason Watch List, given annually to the nation’s best player. Brewer was also named to the Preseason All-Missouri Valley Conference Team after earning second team honors as a sophomore in 2007. Last week Brewer was named the MVC Player of the Week after batting .435 (10 for 23) with eight runs scored and 10 RBI’s over a five-game stretch. He is hitting .283 for the year. Last summer he was named to the Cape Cod League All-Star Team with the Hyannis Mets after batting .339 at mid-season. He finished the season hitting .297 with seven home runs and 30 RBI’s in 43 games.

Drew Martin, INF, Junior, North Carolina State. Playing through shoulder pain much of 2007, Martin still managed to appear in 46 games, all but five at third base. He batted .435 (10-for-23) during a six-game hitting streak from March 7-17. He has 10 RBI’s in 19 games for this year’s squad. Martin brings Northwoods League experience having played for the Thunder Bay Border Cats in 2006.

Luke Stewart, INF, Sophomore, Alabama-Birmingham. Stewart transferred from Georgia following his freshman season, where he appeared in 45 games and made 31 starts at first base after moving from third. The Normal, IL native hit .274 on the year, including .286 in SEC play with a home run. Stewart’s first career hit was a home run against Oregon State on February 10. This spring he is hitting .286 with 10 RBI’s in 18 games for the Blazers.

Stay tuned to Mallardsbaseball.com as we announce all of the new faces who will be providing exciting baseball action for you this summer!

Opening Day is only 65 days away and counting! There is no better time than now to reward your employees, impress clients, or party with some friends by reserving a suite at the “Duck Pond” this summer! Learn more by calling us at 246.4277!

Group tickets are on sale and single-game tickets will be available for purchase on April 26 at 9:00 a.m.

The Mallards open its eighth season at the “Duck Pond” against the La Crosse Loggers on Thursday, May 29 at 7:05 p.m. Be sure to come early as we have a plethora of activities planned when the gates open at 5:30 p.m.!