Madison, WI – April 24, 2008. The Madison Mallards are excited to announce the team has signed junior outfielder Brandon Haveman of Purdue to a 10-day contract and sophomore infielder Nick Liles of Western Carolina to a full contract. In another move, the team has released freshman infielder Matt Johns of Western Carolina due to an arm injury. Full descriptions of these moves are listed below.

Signed:

Brandon Haveman, OF, RS Junior, Purdue. Haveman red-shirted last season for the
Boilermakers after playing two seasons at Lake Michigan College in Benton Harbor, Mich. As a sophomore he hit .378 with 12 doubles, five triples, and two home runs. Haveman also stole 27 bases in 31 attempts in his two seasons at LMC. This spring he is hitting .371 with 13 doubles and 14 RBI’s in 37 games. Haveman was named Big Ten Player of the Week on April 1 after going 8-for-16 during four conference games.

Nick Liles, IF, Sophomore, Western Carolina. A 2006 MLB Draft pick by the San Francisco Giants, Liles (pictured, left) finished his freshman campaign with a .335 batting average that included 11 doubles. He started his college career with a six game hitting streak and continued the streak with hits in 18 of his first 19 games. Last summer Liles played for the Florence Red Wolves in the Coastal Plains League, hitting .317 while scoring 17 runs. He is hitting a team-high .360 with 12 doubles and 18 RBI’s for the Catamounts this spring.

Released:

Matt Johns, IF, Freshman, Western Carolina. A two-way player, Johns has been bothered by an arm injury this spring, which has not allowed him to pitch. He has elected to have Tommy John surgery after the collegiate season.

Single-game tickets go on sale this Saturday at 9:00 a.m. Order tickets by phone at 246.4277, online at Mallardsbaseball.com, or in-person at the “Duck Pond!”