Madison, WI – June 11, 2009. Mallards shortstop Brandon Wikoff (Illinois), the team’s only current three-year player, was selected Tuesday morning by the Houston Astros in the 5th round (161st overall) of the 2009 MLB Draft.
The strong-armed prospect finished his junior season with the Illini with a .373 batting average, 17 doubles, 41 RBI, and 10 stolen bases. Last season for the Mallards he posted a .310 average with 24 RBI and 15 stolen bases and in the postseason Wikoff was even more effective, leading all Northwoods League hitters with eight base-hits, good for a .444 average over 5 games. In 2007 he was named a post-season All-Star after hitting .323 with 14 RBI that included an impressive hitting streak of 16 games.
For his career in a Mallards uniform Wikoff accumulated a .315 batting average with 130 hits, 39 RBI, and 23 stolen bases in 115 games.
Wikoff is expected to leave the Mallards today to begin preparation of his professional baseball career.
Six other former Mallards were selected in the first 30 rounds of the ongoing draft:
Rob Lyerly (Charlotte), 6th round (195th overall), NY Yankees. Lyerly played for the Mallards last summer and won the Silver Slugger Award as the NWL’s top hitter with a .342 average while setting franchise records in single-season RBI (48) and doubles (19).
Neil Medchill (Okla. State), 11th round (345th overall), NY Yankees. Medchill was a Mallard in 2007 and appeared in 32 games while posting a batting average of .257 with five doubles and 14 RBI.
Nick Kirk (Iowa), 19th round (575th overall), Cleveland Indians. Kirk came to Madison in 2007 and posted a 1-2 record and 1.13 ERA in 24 innings pitched. The left-hander started four games and struck out 24 batters.
Jake Sullivan (Arkansas-Little Rock), 22nd round (679th overall), Tampa Bay Rays. Sullivan played for two seasons (2006-07) and accumulated a 6-4 record and 2.05 ERA in 70.2 innings on the mound.
Aaron Bray (Charlotte), 27th round (821st overall), Houston Astros. Bray appeared in a Mallards uniform last season and went on to hit .273 with four doubles, three triples, and 18 RBI over 54 games.
Brandon Haveman (Purdue), 29th round (863rd overall), Seattle Mariners. Haveman only appeared in 10 games last summer for the Mallards and hit .214 with eight RBI.
The Mallards continue their 4-game homestand tonight against the Duluth Huskies at 7:05 p.m. with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. On Friday the La Crosse Loggers come to town for a two-game series.
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