After getting five scoreless innings out of Mitchell Kilkenny (Texas A&M) in his Mallards debut, Madison (14-8) will hand the ball to Heath Renz (UW-Whitewater), as he will try and best the Wisconsin Woodchucks (10-10). This will be the first matchup between the two teams at the Duck Pond and the third of 2016. The first two-game series in Wausau was an even split, with Madison being outscored 12-8 across the two games.
Renz will be making his fourth start of 2016 and, outside of Kilkenny, has the lowest ERA of any Mallards starter at 2.25. The right-hander seems to always attract the rain, as his first two starts were cut short by weather. In three starts Renz has pitched 12 innings, thanks in part to the rain, and has struck out six in that span. Renz has posted a WHIP of 1.08 in 2016, the lowest of any Mallards starter.
Wisconsin will try and match Renz with a solid pitcher of their own, as 2015 Northwoods League All-Star Robert Zeigler (Kent State) will take the hill. On the season, Zeigler is 1-0 with a 3.64 ERA and 1.74 WHIP. The Defiance, Ohio native is definitely known as a strikeout pitcher, as he has struck out 20 batters in his 12.1 innings of work.
The Woodchucks currently rank 11th in the Northwoods League in runs scored and strike out the fifth most in the league. Wisconsin hits for average and runs the bases well, making them dangerous if they can move runners into scoring position. They hit .257 on the road and .273 against right-handers.
The Mallards posted their first clean sheet in four games last night, recording zero errors for the sixth time in 2016. Madison is undefeated in those games.
Tonight’s game against the Wisconsin Woodchucks is set for 7:05 pm. The game will feature The Human Cannonball, presented by Budweiser. It will also be George Foreman Grill Night. 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, 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 portal. For more information, visit www.mallardsbaseball.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store and set the Mallards as your favorite team.
