Madison, Wis. – The Madison Mallards have announced the signings of right-handed pitchers Nick Gruener (Harvard University), Fred Manke (University of Minnesota), Dalton D’Spain (Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi), Tyler Frohwirth (Minnesota State University) and left-handed pitcher Matt Bower (Washington State University) to their 2015 roster. Each will suit up for the Mallards on temporary contracts this season.
Gruener, a 6’0”, 185-pound pitcher, will suit up for Madison after his sophomore campaign with Harvard. Over 42.2 innings with the Crimson this season, the Miami, Florida, native is 3-4 with an ERA of 6.96 and 7.4 K/9 ratio. Gruener attended Miami Palmetto High School, lettering all four years at pitcher and in the outfield while twice taking home Cy Young honors and once being named Most Valuable Player for Miami Palmetto.
Manke, who stands at 6’1” and 195-pounds, will join the Mallards following his freshman season with the Golden Gophers. He is 1-1 with an ERA of 5.96 over 22.2 innings in a combined role with Minnesota’s rotation and bullpen this season. Manke is originally from Lodi, Wisconsin, and attended his hometown high school, where he finished his prep career with a 24-2 record and helped Lodi High School win the Wisconsin Division 2 title as a junior.
D’Spain, a 6’1”, 165-pound right-handed pitcher, will don green and gold this summer after his junior season with Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The San Antonio, Texas, native has over 23.2 innings authored an ERA of 4.18 while striking out 7.2 batters per nine this season with the Islanders. D’Spain played prep ball at Boerne High School, where he became an all-state first-team selection his senior season after batting .475 with 14 doubles.
Frohwirth, standing at 6’1”, 175-pounds, will be added to Madison’s roster following his freshman season with Minnesota State. In 13 appearances strictly out of a bullpen role, Frohwirth has compiled an ERA of 3.86 with ten strikeouts in 14 innings to go with one save. The right-hander is originally from Waukesha, Wisconsin, and a product of Brookfield Academy, where he went 9-2 with a 1.57 ERA and K/9 of 9.9 during his senior campaign. He is the son of Todd Frowirth, who pitched in 284 career games at the Major-League level during the 1980s.
Bower, a 6’5” southpaw weighing in at 190-pounds, will join manager Donnie Scott’s staff after his junior campaign with Washington State. He is 2-3 with an ERA of 5.47 and 9.3 K/9 ratio in 24.2 innings with the Cougars’ staff this season. Bower set a single-season record for relief appearances (31) as a sophomore with Washington State, a season in which fanned 24 batters in 18.2 innings. He was a three-time letter winner in baseball at Todd Beamer High School and is the son of Gordon and Debra Bower.
The Mallards host their season opener on Tuesday, May 26 at 6:35 pm when they take on the Kalamazoo Growlers. Mallards single game tickets are on sale now! Tickets are available for purchase by visiting MallardsBaseball.com, calling the Mallards ticket office at 608-246-4277, or stopping in the ticket office at 2920 N Sherman Ave.
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The Madison Mallards are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 22nd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2015, 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 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (OAK). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website. For more information, visit www.MallardsBaseball.com
