The Mallards (7-5, 30-18) will resume play against the Kalamazoo Growlers (5-7, 25-23) on Thursday night in their first game back from the All-Star break. The three-day period saw Mallard Zach Jarrett (UNC-Charlotte) finish tied for third in the Home Run Derby at the Harbor on Monday as well as Jarrett and Troy Bacon (Santa Fe College) represent the South division in the All-Star Game.
Luke Matheny (Oklahoma State) will get the ball for Madison, having last pitched against Rockford on July 15th. The outing was shortened due to an inning limit, but Matheny was terrific in his two innings. He struck out three and kept Rockford off the board in a game that Madison would eventually lose. In six appearances and one start this summer, Matheny is 0-0 with a 1.50 ERA and seven strikeouts in 12 frames.
The Growlers will throw Grant Wolfram (Central Michigan) in Thursday’s game, as the towering left-hander will be making his fifth start and tenth appearance of the summer. The 6’7,” 214-pound Wolfram is 2-2 on the season with a 2.79 earned run average. He’s struck out 30 and has a WHIP of 1.28 in 29 innings of work. The nod will be Wolfram’s second against Madison this summer, as he allowed two earned runs on four hits and a walk with seven strikeouts in five frames back on June 22nd in a Mallards win at the Duck Pond.
The Mallards were playing some good baseball before the break, finding themselves as winners in four of their last six contests, two games out of the top spot in the division in the second half, and owners of the second-best record in the South. A win against Kalamazoo would be their third consecutive victory.
Thursday’s contest against the Kalamazoo Growlers will get underway at 7:05 pm from the Duck Pond at Warner Park. The game will be the Dentistry for Madison: Dr. Jay Hazen Star Wars Night. The Mallards will wear Darth Vader themed jerseys to be auctioned off during the game to benefit DAIS. There will also be a toothbrush giveaway. 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.
