Madison, Wis. – When the Madison Mallards open their 2015 Northwoods League schedule Tuesday night at Warner Park against the Kalamazoo Growlers, they will do so with Southeastern Community College left-handed pitcher Justin Hill on the mound in what will become his Northwoods League debut.
First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. CT at the Duck Pond.
The Bettendorf, Ia., native receives the opening-night nod fresh off a sophomore campaign in which he went 5-3 with a 3.41 ERA across 10 starts for the Blackhawks, including a 11.4 K/9 ratio. Hill also held opposing lineups to a .196 batting average, one of the lowest marks among qualifying National Junior College Association pitchers this season.
To counter, Kalamazoo will send right-handed pitcher Ben Spieldenner out on the mound as its opening-night starting pitcher. The St. Joseph's College product went 1-0 with a 2.92 ERA and 20 strikeouts across 12.1 innings this season for the Pumas, while also batting .178 in 45 at-bats as an outfielder.
Opening-Day Dominance: Madison brings to Tuesday's contest a 6-1 opening-day record since the beginning of the 2009 Northwoods League season, and is a perfect 5-0 over their last five openers. In those games, the Mallards have plated close to twice as many runs (31) as their opponents (16) and have collectively batted .267 (47-for-176) at the dish.
Promotions A'plenty: Opening night will mark the beginning of Madison's promotional schedule with 'Dean & St. Mary's Opening Night Water Bottle Giveaway', in which fans are encouraged to pick up water bottles filled with stroke information at the front gates, while supplies last. The Chicago Boyz will also perform between two half-innings and after the game.
Single-game tickets are on sale now. To purchase tickets, log onto MallardsBaseball.com, call 608-246-4277 or stop by the Mallards ticket office.
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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
