Michael Wacha (left) & Estevan Uriegas
Madison, WI – March 24, 2010. The Madison Mallards are excited to announce the team has signed Michael Wacha and Estevan Uriegas, two up-and-coming pitchers from Texas A&M.
A true freshman, Wacha currently leads the Aggies with 32.3 innings pitched, while his 3 wins, 1.38 ERA, and 41 strikeouts are good for second on the team. He has appeared in nine games, starting two of those contests.
The most telling statistic of Wacha’s strong command of the strike zone lies in his scary good 30:1 walk-per-at-bat ratio.
Uriegas, a situational left-handed reliever, has also appeared in nine games and has a 2.08 ERA in 4.1 innings of work this spring.
While in high school, Wacha was a two-time all-state selection at Pleasant Grove in Texarkana, Texas, after leading the Hawks to the state semifinals as a senior, and posting a 6-3 record. A year prior, the right-hander went 16-3 and led the team to the state championship game. Listed at 6’6”, Wacha also lettered three years as a forward in basketball.
Meanwhile a year ago, Uriegas ranked fourth on the staff with 18 relief appearances. He finished the year with a 1-1 record and 3.09 ERA. The lefty combined for 2.1 innings of no-hit relief in two outings against top-15 teams in Oklahoma City at the Big 12 Tournament. Uriegas played in the Alaskan League last summer and led the Mat-Su Miners (Palmer) to the league championship.
Aggie senior catcher Joe Patterson played for the Mallards last summer and was a very consistent hitter in the lineup, posting 29 RBI, 8 doubles, and 5 home runs over 53 games. He is currently hitting an eye-opening .425 with 8 doubles, 3 home runs, and 15 RBI through 20 games.
Other notes: Outfielder Wes Luquette will no longer join the Mallards this summer after leaving the LSU program due to undisclosed reasons.
The Mallards open their 10th season anniversary on Wednesday, June 2 at 7:05 p.m. Single-game tickets go on sale May 8th. But why wait? Select your seats in the new-for-2010 five-game ticket packages featuring all-you-can-and-and-drink, guaranteed promotional items, and a policy that reads, “if you can’t attend a certain game in your package, don’t worry, we’ll give you a ticket to a different game instead. No questions asked. Intrigued? Click on the “Five Game Packs” graphic below for more information and to purchase!
