By: Ryan Hill — Public Relations
Madison, WI — July 2, 2013. With the 2013 Major League baseball season well under way, several former Mallards players are making their mark in minor league organizations across the country.
Rafael Lopez, who caught for the Mallards in 2010, has caught the eye of several members of the Chicago Cubs organization and now finds himself with the Double-A Tennessee Smokies. Through 53 games, Lopez is hitting .249 with four home runs and 20 RBIs.
Lopez led the Mallards offensively in 2010 by hitting .344 with four home runs and 30 RBIs in just 37 games. He also scored 26 runs.
Kyle Gaedele, who also was a staple in the 2010 Mallards offense with Lopez, has moved up to the High-A Lake Elsinore Storm in the San Diego Padres organization. He is hitting .224 with five home runs and 30 RBIs in 71 games this season.
In 2010 while with the Mallards, Gaedele hit .315 and hit a team-leading nine home runs with 38 RBIs. He also swiped 26 bases, which also led the team.
Former Mallards infielder Matt Juengel has also been a pleasant surprise this season in the Miami Marlins organization by moving up to the Single-A Greensboro Grasshoppers. He is hitting .282 with six home runs and 40 RBIs through 72 games and has also scored 34 runs.
Juengel knocked in 15 runs and hit .279 with the Mallards in 2011. He hit four home runs and scored 20 runs, as well.
The Mallards have also had two former pitchers excel so far this season in the minors. Tyler Jones, who played on the 2010 Mallards squad, and Ryan Bores, a member of the 2011 Mallards, have impressed many within their respective ball clubs.
Jones has been a force out of the bullpen with the Single-A Cedar Rapids Kernels in the Minnesota Twins organization. He is 4-3 with a 2.27 ERA in 20 appearances, all which have been in relief. He has 35 strikeouts in just 31.2 innings of work.
Jones found similar success with the Mallards in 2010. He made 15 appearances (10 starts) and went 5-5 with a 2.79 ERA in 64.1 innings.
Bores has also been a valuable part out of the bullpen with the Single-A Hickory Crawdads in the Texas Rangers organization. He is 2-1 with a 3.67 ERA in 16 games (three starts) and has walked just 12 batters in 41.2 innings.
Bores was used sparingly with the Mallards in 2011 and went 1-2 with a 3.96 ERA in five appearances (all starts) and struck out 14 batters in 25 innings.
Jonathan Crawford, who was the highest drafted former Mallards player in the franchise’s history, has made two starts for Low-A Connecticut Tigers in the Detroit Tigers organization. He is 0-1 but hasn’t allowed a run in five innings of work. He was drafted 20th overall in the 2013 MLB draft out of the University of Florida.
Tom Windle, who was drafted 56th overall by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2013 and played for the Mallards in 2011, is currently with the Single-A Great Lakes Loons and has allowed one earned run in 4.2 innings of work so far this season.
The 2013 season is upon us! Single-game tickets are on-sale now!
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. In 2013, the Northwoods League is celebrating its 20th season.
