(August 10) Madison, Wis. – The Madison Mallards (23-13, 43-28) quest for a third Northwoods League championship – second under the direction of field manager Donnie Scott – will begin Monday night within the confines of Warner Park when the Mallards play host to the Green Bay Bullfrogs (19-17, 41-30) at 7:05 p.m. Tonight’s matchup between Madison and Green Bay, the two and three seeds in the South Division bracket, respectively, will be a one-game tilt with the winner advancing to play either Kenosha or La Crosse on Tuesday. Coverage will be provided by 100.5 FM ESPN Madison.
Andrew Beckwith (Coastal Carolina), who led all active Madison starting pitchers with a 3.44 ERA (min. five starts) during regular-season play, will be called upon to start tonight’s opening-round matchup against the Bullfrogs. Beckwith, a 6-foot-0 right-hander from Blythewood, S.C., tabbed one appearance against Green Bay during the regular season on June 10, a game in which he provided three innings of one-run ball with a pair of strikeouts, albeit in a 5-2 Mallards loss. Beckwith’s calling card has been commanding the strike zone, issuing just 10 walks in 47 innings (1.9 BB/9).
Tonight’s game will feature two distinct styles of play on behalf of Madison and Green Bay. The Mallards slugged 54 home runs and manufactured a .763 on-base plus slugging percentage as a team across 72 regular-season games this summer, both of which rank among the best of any Northwoods League offense in 2015. The Bullfrogs, meanwhile, have employed an old-school offense that emphasizes base knocks and base-running prowess. Overall, Green Bay has clubbed just 18 home runs as a unit this summer, though it ran away with the league lead in stolen bases, nabbing 188 in total.
Tickets for tonight’s 7:05 p.m. game are on sale by calling the Mallards Ticket Office at 608-246-4277. The Great Dane Duck Blind will not be open for Monday’s contest. Ticket prices Dugout Box Seats will be $14.50, field box seats will $12.00, and Meriter & Physicians Plus Backyard Seats will be $10.00. Fans in attendance are encouraged to use the hashtag #FlockToTheTop to show their support and a chance to be re-tweeted. Unable to attend? Follow the Mallards on Twitter at @MadisonMallards for notes and live in-game updates throughout Monday’s contest.
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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.
