The Madison Mallards have boosted their coaching staff, bringing in Chad Langley and Matt O’Brien, as well as adding an additional ten temporary players to the 2016 roster ahead of their opening week of Northwoods League baseball, presented by Edvest.

Langley, 24, will be joining the Mallards from Marian University. Langley just completed his first season as a graduate assistant for the Sabres.  The Racine, Wisconsin, native played for the Sabres prior to joining the team as a coach in 2015.

“I’m just most excited to learn from Donnie Scott and to be a part of this atmosphere,” Langley said.” Playing in front of 6,000 plus fans every night gives the guys a little extra motivation and some experience for when they hopefully make it to the next level.”

Langley had an outstanding career at Marian that was highlighted by being named first-team All-NACC in 2013 and second-team All-NACC in 2014. He was a career .348 hitter with a career-best .408 batting average his 2013 season.

O’Brien, 31, comes to Madison after several seasons as the pitching coach for Winona State University. Another example of a player coming back to coach, O’Brien was named the NSIC Most Valuable Pitcher in 2007. He will serve as the Mallards’ pitching coach for 2016, and is excited for the opportunity in front of him.

“I’m excited to join the Mallards for the 2016 season,” said O’Brien. “I’ve heard nothing but good things about this organization and can’t wait to get the season underway.”

Along with the coaching moves, the Mallards added ten temporary players to the roster.

Zach Jarrett, a junior outfielder from UNC-Charlotte, started all 55 games for the 49ers. He hit .248 with four home runs and 33 runs batted in. Zach is the son of three-time Daytona 500 champion and former NASCAR Winston Cup Series champion Dale Jarrett.

Mike Reitcheck, a junior left-hander from the University of Pennsylvania will come to Madison after pitching 52.1 innings for the Quakers. He posted a 3.96 ERA this season.

Patrick Boyle, a junior left-hander from Drew University, joins the Mallards after 13 starts for the Rangers. He struck out 56 batters in 52 innings in 2016.

Kyle Boser, a freshman right-handed pitcher from St. Cloud State University will don the green and gold in the 2016 season. The Little Falls, Minnesota, product appeared in eight games and posted a 3.24 ERA for the Huskies.

Lucas Halstead, a catcher from the University of Pacific, will come to Madison after completing his second season with the Tigers. Halstead hit .313 with five home runs and 25 RBIs a season ago.

Justin Watts, the right-handed pitcher out of Northern Kentucky University, returns to the Mallards after pitching 15.2 innings out of the bullpen a season ago. The Ohio native pitched 65 innings for the Norse in his junior season.

Matt McCann, the utility infielder from Fairleigh Dickinson University, hit .312 for the Knights in 2016. McCann also led the team with 27 stolen bases as a junior.

Brendan McClary, the middle-infielder from Columbia Basin College, joins the Mallards after leading the Hawks with a .408 batting average and knocking in 30 runs in his sophomore campaign.

Westin Wuethrich, the junior right-handed pitcher from Greenwood, Wisconsin, returns to the Mallards in 2016 after posting a 2.48 ERA in 25 innings a season ago. Wuethrich pitched 69.1 innings for Madison College in 2015 before transferring to the University of Washington, who is currently ranked #21 in the country. Wuethrich has made five appearances for the Huskies during the 2016 season.

Joe Stefanki, a catcher out of San Jose State, heads to Madison following his junior season in the Bay Area. Stefanki hit .291 with 19 RBIs for the Spartans in 2016.

The Mallards open their season on the road in Battle Creek tonight, as they take on the Bombers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 pm. The Mallards will host their home opener on Friday, June 3rd when they take on the new Northwoods League affiliate Rockford Rivets.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 pm.  Single-game tickets for the 2016 season are on sale NOW!  Tickets are available for purchase by visiting MallardsBaseball.com, calling the Mallards ticket office at 608-246-4277, or stopping in the ticket office at 2920 N Sherman Ave.

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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 23rd season of summer collegiate baseball in 2016, 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, 150 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 (DET), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Lucas Duda (NYM) and Ben Zobrist (CHC). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League Website.  For more information, visit www.MallardsBaseball.com

Edvest is Wisconsin’s 529 College Savings Plan designed to help families save for higher education expenses. It takes just $25 to start an Edvest college savings plan, and account owners can choose from more than 22 investment portfolios while enjoying one of the lowest cost 529 plans in the U.S. along with in-state tax advantages for Wisconsin residents.

SavingforCollege.com recently ranked Edvest as one of the Top 15 in 529 Performance, the ninth Lowest Cost 529 plans, as well as awarded the program a 5-Cap Rating, which indicates that a 529 plan offers outstanding flexibility, attractive investments and additional economic benefits. Find out more at www.edvest.com.