Madison, Wis. – After claiming two consecutive victories by one-run margins, the Madison Mallards will go for their fifth straight win overall to begin the 2015 Northwoods League season on Sunday in Wisconsin Rapids. First pitch for today’s contest with the Rafters is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. from Witter Field.
Dalton D’Spain (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) will be assigned his first start of the season for Mallards field manager Donnie Scott. The San Antonio, Tex., native posted a 3.71 ERA across 26.2 innings during his junior campaign this spring, holding opponents to a .266 average. D’Spain fanned four batters in as many innings during his first relief appearance this summer.
The Rafters will send right-handed pitcher John Jaeger (Pacific) to the mound Sunday afternoon against the Mallards. Jaeger, a native of Tracy, Calif., appeared in 20 games during his sophomore collegiate season, authoring a 3.82 ERA with 17 strikeouts and 16 walks.
The Mallards will return to the Duck Pond on Wednesday, June 3 against the Green Bay Bullfrogs on Joey’s Song Epilepsy Awareness Night. There will be a pre-game skydiving and tandem skydive giveaway presented by Great Lakes Skydiving, with Mallards players wearing purple jerseys to be auctioned off during the game.
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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
