Madison, WI – October 30, 2013. The Madison Mallards have announced that Field Manager Donnie Scott will return for his second season. Scott led the Mallards to a Summer Collegiate World Series Championship in his first season in Madison.
"I am very excited about returning to the Madison Mallards, because it is by far the best place to be in all of summer collegiate baseball for a player, coach, or fan," said Scott. "The atmosphere Owner Steve Schmitt, President Vern Stenman, and General Manager Conor Caloia have created would make a lot of professional teams envious. The energy within the ballpark that comes from the front office, the staff and our fans pours right down onto the field to the players."
Scott wore number two on his jersey last season, but thinks he is due for a number change. Upon arriving in Madison he wanted to wear number two, to bring Madison it's second championship. That goal is now accomplished, and Scott will switch to number three, and go for title number three in Madison.
"After winning the NWL Championship and having the fun we all had in striving for it, the decision to return was an easy one," said Scott. "Trying to repeat is going to be an awesome challenge."
The Mallards finished with a 41-29 regular season record and clinched a playoff berth on the last day of the first-half of the season by clinching the South Division. In the playoffs, the Mallards defeated the Lakeshore Chinooks two games to one to win the South Division Playoff Series. In the Summer Collegiate World Series, the Mallards swept the Duluth Huskies two games to zero. It was Scott's first championship with the Mallards and second overall. He won the 2011 Summer Collegiate World Series while with the Battle Creek Bombers.
Scott was a second round selection of the Texas Rangers in the 1979 amateur draft. He spent parts of four seasons in the major leagues with the Rangers, Seattle Mariners, and the Cincinnati Reds between 1983 and 1991. After retiring in 1991, Scott accepted a coaching position in the Reds organization that led to roles as a Manager, Field Coordinator, Catching Coordinator and Instructor over 17 seasons.
Scott spent five seasons with the Rookie level Billings (Montana), where he guided the Mustangs to four league championships. He returned to managing the Gulf Coast (Rookie) Reds after spending three seasons as Field Coordinator. He went on to have two tenures with Class A Dayton (Ohio), where he led the Dragons to the playoffs four out of five seasons.
In between his stints with the Dragons, Scott managed one season at High A Sarasota (Florida). Scott was named Manager of the Year in the Pioneer League in 1992 and Minor League Manager of the Year by Baseball Weekly in 1994. Scott has also managed two Midwest League All-Star games and has a career record of 689-569 (.548) in the minor leagues.
Scott, 52, resides with his wife Debbie in Pinellas Park, Florida and has two children, son David and daughter Dana. He currently works as a private instructor at The Winning Inning in Clearwater, Florida.
The Madison Mallards are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 115 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including MLB All-Stars Max Scherzer (DET), Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYY), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live and free of charge via the Northwoods League YouTube Channel. For more information, visit www.mallardsbaseball.com.
