After dropping a close game Saturday at home to the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters, the Mallards (8-4) travel to Wausau to take on the Wisconsin Woodchucks (6-5) in an effort to stay perfect on the road. First pitch for tonight’s contest is 3:05 pm from Athletic Park in Wausau, Wisconsin. Despite going 2-4 in their last six games, Madison has yet to lose a game away from Warner Park.
Justin Watts (Northern Kentucky) will make his third start for the Mallards. Watts’ first two starts were complete opposites. The season opener on May 31 against the Battle Creek Bombers saw Watts strike out ten in less than five innings. In his second start on June 6 against the Rafters he failed to make it out of the first inning in a loss. He enters tonight’s game with a 1-1 record. The Woodchucks rank near the bottom of the division in runs scored, so Watts may be able to regain some confidence in Wausau. The Mallards pitching staff have also posted a 2.33 team ERA on the road.
The Woodchucks will throw left-hander Scott Parker (San Francisco), who is 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA this season. He has displayed great control so far in 2016, as Parker has failed to walk a batter in ten innings pitched. The Mallards are hitting .343 off of left-handers this season and .333 on the road, so this may be just the matchup the Mallards need.
The Mallards return to the Duck Pond on Thursday, June 16 against the Battle Creek Bombers. The game will feature a Madison State Capitol Maynard bobblehead giveaway, brought to you by Zimbrick Honda. 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, more than 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
