Madison, WI – June 30, 2008. Even though the Mallards fell to Green Bay yesterday, the team still moved into a tie for the Northwoods League South Division thanks to two losses by the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Now with just four games remaining in the first half, every game is even more important. The Mallards begin a 10-game in 11-day road trip tonight at Mankato, and will send right-hander Scott Heitshusen (Kansas) to the mound to face the MoonDogs. La Crosse entertains Eau Claire tonight, and the Woodchucks travel to Brainerd.
Madison Mallards (19-10) at Mankato MoonDogs (19-11)
June 30, 2008 – 7:05 p.m. (CT)
Franklin Rogers Park – Mankato, MN
Pitching Probables:
RHP Scott Heitshusen (MAD) 4 GS, 24.0 IP, 2-1, 4.13 ERA
RHP Travis Smith (MAN) 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 1-0, 3.46 ERA
Mallards records:
– 1-1 vs. Mankato
– 10-8 at home
– 9-2 on road
– 12-5 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: L 14-4 vs. Green Bay, June 29
The Green Bay Bullfrogs powered their way past the Madison Mallards 14-4 Sunday afternoon at the �Duck Pond,� denying the Mallards bid for their eighth straight victory and dropping their record to 19-10. Even with the loss the Mallards moved into a tie for first place in the South Division, because Wisconsin dropped both games of a doubleheader to St. Cloud. The Bullfrogs banged out 15 hits on the day, with three by both Cameron Satterwhite and Rocky Gale. Nick O�Shea was 2-for-5 with a home run, a single, five RBIs and a pair of runs scored. The Mallards offense was paced by the bottom half of the order, which accounted for five of the seven team hits. Eric Nielsen (Purdue) led the team with two hits.
Road Warriors:
Tonight marks the start of a 10-game, 11-day road trip for the Mallards, which is by far their longest of the season. The team will travel from Mankato to Battle Creek and then to Wausau, before enjoying a day off on Sunday, June 6. After that they will go to Duluth and then Alexandria, before returning to Madison on Friday, July 11.
Mallards Musings:
-Following a day out of the lineup on June 17 Brandon Wikoff (Illinois) is 16-for-40 (.400) in his last 11 games. He recorded at least one hit in 10 of those 11 games, giving him the Mallards second-longest hitting streak of the season (10 games from June 18 to June 28). He was 2-for-10 in the three games prior to his day off.
-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, and he stands fifth in the Northwoods League with 24 RBIs.
-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) moved 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.
-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.
