Madison, Wis. (August 5) – After a pseudo off-day that saw several Madison players shine in Tuesday’s 2015 Northwoods League Major League Dreams Showcase at Warner Park, field manager Donnie Scott and the Mallards (19-11, 39-26) will re-direct their focus on Wednesday toward a victory and home sweep of the Alexandria Blue Anchors (16-16, 28-39) at the Duck Pond. Madison has already claimed a spot in the South Division playoffs entering Wednesday, though a victory tonight would help the Mallards maintain possession of the division’s second overall seed. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m.
Beneficiaries of stellar pitching both in the rotation and bullpen to begin the month of August – 2.67 ERA, 24:9 strikeout-to-walk ratio across 27 frames as a staff thus far – field manager Donnie Scott and the Mallards will turn to Brandon White (South Suburban CC) to tab his first starting gig of the summer tonight against the Blue Anchors. White, a 6-foot-2 righty from Chicago, Ill., who was added to Madison’s roster in late July, has performed admirably for the Mallards bullpen thus far, ceding just one earned run over five innings (1.80 ERA) with a pair of whiffs and four hits – all singles.
White will be tasked with slowing a hot-swinging Alexandria roster tonight, one that has managed a .292 batting average and 23 home runs in 32 games since the beginning of July. Third-baseman Trooper Reynolds (Dallas Baptist) has become a key cog in the Blue Anchors lineup since making his Northwoods League debut back on July 18, hitting a team-best .393 with a 1.202 OPS during that span. Ricky Sanchez (Notre Dame) has complimented Reynolds amid Alexandria’s upstart offense late this summer, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases on Monday and slugging .572 overall this season.
Tonight’s contest will feature a Charter Communications Team Poster Giveaway, complemented by a Kalahari Resorts Indoor Theme Park Pass Giveaway for the first 500 fans through the gates. For tickets, call the Mallards Ticket Office at 608-246-4277 or visit www.MallardsBaseball.com for more information. Tweet pictures of your experience at the ballpark using #MallardsMoments for a chance to be shown on the right-center video board during the game. Unable to attend? Follow the Mallards @MadisonMallards or tune in to 100.5 FM ESPN Madison’s coverage beginning at 6:45 p.m.
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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.
