After downing the Growlers (3-2, 23-18) by a score 6-0 in last night’s contest, the Mallards (3-2, 26-15) will play their second of a two-game set in Kalamazoo, hoping to keep their red-hot offense alive. Madison has scored 17 runs over their past two outings, the second most runs they’ve scored in back to back games this season. They’ve hit .275 as a team over their last five games.
Looking to give his team a boost and remain perfect on the 2016 campaign, Heath Renz (UW-Whitewater) will take the hill for Madison in tonight’s contest. The right-hander from Jefferson, Wisconsin is 2-0 on the year with a 2.57 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. Renz has been phenomenal on the road in 2016, posting a 1.50 ERA in 12 innings of work across three starts. He will be making his seventh start of the season and his first against the Growlers.
The Growlers will have their ace on the mound in this contest as BJ Butler (Ball State) is set to take on the Mallards. Despite his 2-2 record, Butler has the third-lowest ERA in the Northwoods League this season, owning a 1.00 earned run average. The right-hander has struck out 35 batters in 35.2 innings over his five starts this year.
In his first game in the green and gold last night, Noah Cummings (Oral Roberts) made an immediate contribution to the lineup, going 1-3 with a walk and an RBI while manning the hot corner. Madison will have another new face on the roster tonight, as infielder Jesse Medrano (Fresno State) will join the team. As a junior, Medrano hit .326 with 26 RBIs in 49 games for the Bulldogs.
The game tonight will get underway at 6:05 pm Central time from Homer Stryker Field in Kalamzoo, Michigan.
The Mallards will return to the Duck Pond on Tuesday, July 12th, to take on the Kenosha Kingfish at 7:05 pm. The contest will feature a Zimbrick Honda Lego giveaway. It will also be Agriculture Appreciation Night, South Central Library System Night and Children's Theatre of Madison 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.
