Published On: July 27th, 2015

7-27 pre game CROPPEDMadison, Wis. (July 27) – After coming out on the short end of two competitive, low-scoring games against the Lakeshore Chinooks (11-16, 28-31) over the weekend, the Madison Mallards (13-10, 33-25) on Monday will pay a visit to Homer Stryker Field for the opener of a two-game series with the Kalamazoo Growlers (6-19, 14-44).

Tonight’s 6:05 p.m. CT contest will be the third consecutive road game for the Mallards, who are in the midst of a six-game road tour away from the Duck Pond. Play-by-play coverage of tonight’s affair in Kalamazoo will be provided by 100.5 FM ESPN Madison beginning at 5:45 p.m. CT.

Following a strong effort from Andrew Beckwith (Coastal Carolina) in Sunday’s finale at Kapco Park – 6 IP, 5 H, ER, 0 BB, 2 K – the Mallards on Monday will turn to Nate Hoffmann (Middle Tennessee State) to start game one of their two-game tilt with the Growlers. Hoffmann, a 6-foot-2 right-hander in his second summer with Madison’s rotation, stifled Kalamazoo on May 27 at the Duck Pond, ceding just one run across five innings en route to a winning decision in the 2015 season opener. Overall, the Sun Prairie, Wis., native is 3-3 with a 5.13 ERA and 25:12 K/BB ratio across 33.1 frames.

  • Monday’s Roster Move – The Mallards have announced the signing and addition of left-handed pitcher Troy Kenkel (UW-La Crosse) to the active roster, effective Monday. Kenkel, a 6-foot-4 southpaw from Menomonee Falls, Wis., joins the Mallards roster on the heels of a junior collegiate campaign in which he went 3-2 with a 4.86 ERA across 46.1 innings, including a 46:14 strikeout-to-walk ratio with one complete game shutout. He was a three-time letter winner with Menomonee Falls High School and was previously selected to the academic all-state team.

Field manager Donnie Scott and the Mallards will make their return to the Duck Pond this coming Saturday, August 1 against the Wisconsin Woodchucks (10-11, 22-34). This Saturday’s matchup will feature The Diamond Center Diamond Dig post-game, ice-cream scoop giveaway for fans in attendance as well as a free Kids Clinic from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the Warner Park field, presented in part by Zimbrick-Honda. For tickets to the game or inquiries regarding Saturday’s Kids Clinic, call the Mallards Ticket Office at 608-246-4277 or visit www.MallardsBaseball.com for more information.

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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.

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