Madison, WI – June 29, 2008. After a 7-4 win last night, the Mallards will try for the series sweep of the Green Bay Bullfrogs and their eighth straight win this afternoon at the “Duck Pond.” First pitch is slated for 3:05. Right-hander Nolan Cain (LSU) will make his Mallards debut on the mound this afternoon, going up against Bullfrogs lefty Jason Dovel. The Mallards find themselves one-half game out of first place in the South Division entering today, with five games remaining in the first half.
Green Bay Bullfrogs (13-15) at Madison Mallards (19-9)
June 29, 2008 – 3:05 p.m. (CT)
Warner Park – Madison, WI
Pitching Probables:
RHP Nolan Cain (MAD) – 0 GS, 0.0 IP, 0-0, 0.00 ERA
LHP Jason Dovel (GB) – 1 GS, 6.2 IP, 1-0, 1.35 ERA
Mallards records:
– 3-0 vs. Green Bay
– 10-7 at home
– 9-2 on road
– 12-4 vs. South Division
– 7-5 vs. North Division
Madison is…
– 13-3 when scoring first
– 3-3 in extra innings
– 7-2 in one-run games
– 14-1 when leading after 7 innings
– 12-1 when outhitting its opponent
– 12-0 when scoring 7+ runs
– 12-1 when making equal or fewer errors than opponent
Last time out for the Mallards: W 7-4 vs. Green Bay, June 28
Early offense and another good showing by the bullpen helped power the Mallards to a 7-4 victory over the Green Bay Bullfrogs in front of 7,104 fans at the “Duck Pond.” The win was the Mallards seventh in a row and again helped keep them in position for a South Division first-half title with five games remaining in the half. Aaron Bray (Charlotte), Phil Gosselin (Virginia) and Josh Groves (UW-Milwaukee) had two hits apiece for the Mallards, and Kyle Heim (Iowa), Andy Deain (Northern Illinois) and Bryan Hamilton (Charlotte) came out of the bullpen and allowed just four combined hits in six innings of work. South Division-leading Wisconsin was rained out at St. Cloud, meaning the Mallards now stand only one-half game out of first place.
Mallards Musings:
-Following a day out of the lineup on June 17 Brandon Wikoff (Illinois) is 16-for-38 (.421) in his last 10 games. He has recorded at least one hit in each of those 10 games, giving him the Mallards second-longest hitting streak of the season. He was 2-for-10 in the three games prior to his day off.
-After a 4-for-5 performance on Thursday against Brainerd, outfielder Aaron Bray was named Northwoods League Player of the Night. He had four singles and scored three runs. Bray is the first Mallard to win the nightly award this season.
-With a win on Wednesday at Thunder Bay, Brandon Johnson (Western Carolina) moves into a tie for the second in the league in wins with four.
-Matt Jansen (Purdue) continues to pitch well and make a strong case for mid-season all-star honors. In 32 innings pitched over five starts and a relief appearance he has allowed just four earned runs (1.13 ERA). He is 2-0 on the season, and opponents are hitting just .193 against the left-hander.
-Luke Stewart (UAB) is tied for second in the Northwoods League with four home runs. His 13 extra-base hits rank him fourth in the league
-Rob Lyerly’s (Charlotte) 12-game hitting streak dating back to June 11 ended with a 0-for-2 performance at Thunder Bay on June 24. He hit .380 with 11 runs scored and four doubles during the streak. It is the second-longest hitting streak in the Northwoods League this season.
-From the beginning of the season on May 29 until June 15 Brandon Wikoff (Illinois) reached base in 16 consecutive games.
Two Mallards win College World Series Championship:
Mallards Alan Ahmady and Trent Soares will arrive in Madison as College World Series Champions. The Fresno State Bulldogs defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 6-1 Wednesday night to win the College World Series two games to one. Ahmady had a remarkable postseason to conclude a breakout 2008 campaign, going 17-for-48 (.354) in Fresno State’s 13 postseason games. He drove in 12 runs and scored 10 more. In 2008 Ahmady hit .386 and drove in 92 runs, a total that was good for second in the NCAA. After losing game one to Georgia 7-6 on Monday night, the Bulldogs evened the series on Tuesday with a 19-10 win and then wrapped up the championship with a 6-1 victory on Wednesday night. It is Fresno State’s first baseball championship in school history.
Tonight is Madison Blues Turn-Back-the-Clock Night. The Mallards will be wearing replica 1930s Madison Blues jerseys, and the first 500 children and 500 seniors will receive Blues hats! Following tonight’s game the Mallards hit the road for a 10-game road trip and will return to the “Duck Pond” on Friday, July 11.
