Madison, WI – March 19, 2012. The Mallards have announced the signing of redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Kurt Giller and freshman infielder Jose Trevino from Oral Roberts University.
Giller, a 6’2″, 230 pound pitcher from Manhattan, Kansas will join the Mallards after his first season playing for the Golden Eagles. Giller was drafted in the 21st round of the 2009 MLB draft by the Toronto Blue Jays. He declined a professional contract to attend the University of Nebraska where elbow surgery in April cut his only season there short. He redshirted at ORU in 2011 and was named team captain for the 2012 season. So far in 2012 he has posted a 1-2 record and a 5.40 ERA in five starts. He has 29 strikeouts in 26.2 innings.
“Kurt is a power arm that we felt we couldn’t pass up on for our 2012 roster,” said Mallards Manager Greg Labbe. “He is a big, strong righty that pounds the strike zone with a heavy 2-seam fastball and sharp slider. Kurt will be counted on to anchor our starting rotation in either of the top three spots.”
Giller attended Manhattan High School where he led his team to a second place finish in the state in 2007 while going 9-0 with a 0.91 ERA. He was named Second Team All-State as a sophomore, Honorable Mention All-State as a junior, and First Team All-State as a senior. His senior season he was named a First Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball/Louisvlle Slugger. He is majoring in business administration.
Trevino, a 5’11”, 195 pound infielder will come to Madison after completing his freshman season at Oral Roberts. He is from Corpus Christi, Texas. He has started all 19 games for the Golden Eagles and has a .296 average while belting three home runs and driving in 11 runs.
“Jose is a very talented freshman that has already settled into the starting line-up for Oral Roberts,” said Labbe. “He is very versatile because he can play multiple infield positions, but I expect to him him catch a few games a week for us. The coaching staff at ORU can’t say enough about this young man.”
Trevino was a two-time district MVP while attending John Paul II High School. He also tied a Texas state record with 25 home runs his senior season. He led his team to back-to-back state championships in 2010 and 2011. His major at Oral Roberts is still undecided.
The Mallards will host their season opener against the Battle Creek Bombers on May 30th at 7:05 pm at the “Duck Pond.” 7-Game Packs, season, and group tickets are on sale now! Single-game tickets go on sale April 28th.
The Madison Mallards are part of the 16-team Northwoods League. The Northwoods League has more teams, plays more games, and draws more fans than any other Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America.
