Eight Mallards players have been selected to participate in the Major League Dreams Showcase on August 9th at the Duck Pond, a day in which four teams comprised of Northwoods League players selected by Major League scouts will be able to demonstrate their talents. The four teams will play a doubleheader with game one getting underway at 4:05 pm and game two starting at 7:05 pm.
After getting drafted in the 37th round of the 2016 MLB draft by the Colorado Rockies and representing Madison in the All-Star Game, Troy Bacon (Santa Fe College) will play in the showcase. Bacon leads the league in wins and leads the team in saves and strikeouts, currently standing at 6-2 with six saves and a 1.68 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 26.2 frames so far in 2016.
Mike Reitcheck (Penn) will also pitch, as the left-hander currently sits at a perfect 6-0 record. Heath Renz (UW-Whitewater) will play as well, owning a 2.13 ERA in 38.0 innings of work. A 20th round selection in the 2015 MLB draft by the Texas Rangers out of high school, Luke Shilling (Illinois) will also represent Madison, as the right-hander has acted as a reliable arm out of the bullpen this season. He is 1-1 with a 2.42 ERA.
Four position players will play in the showcase from Madison, as outifelder Josh Stowers (Louisville), infielder Nico Hoerner (Stanford) and catchers Bryce Carter (Stanford) and Cam Comer (Virginia) will all participate. Stowers is currently hitting .276 with seven RBIs this summer, spending time at both left field and centerfield in 2016. Hoerner, Madison’s everyday shortstop since his arrival, is hitting .303 and is second on the squad in RBIs with 25. Carter and Comer have both been able to display their power this season, as Comer has had 36% of his hits go for extra bases and Carter has had 53% of his knocks go for at least two bags, including four home runs.
The Mallards will battle the Lakeshore Chinooks at 7:05 pm on Wednesday night from the Duck Pond at Warner Park. It will be Animart’s Bark-In-The-Park Night with a doggy chip clip giveaway presented by Madison Veterinary Specialists. Bring your pooch to the park! 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.
