Madison, Wis. –  The Madison Mallards have announced the signing of a pair of Wisconsin natives from the University of Illinois. Sophomore outfielder Doran Turchin and freshman right handed pitcher Ryan Schmitt and will join the Mallards at the Duck Pond this season.

Turchin, a 6’2”, 210-pound sophomore from Oak Creek, Wisconsin will be joining the Mallards after his spring season with the Fighting Illini. Turchin played a key role for Illinois for the entirety of his freshman season as he started 51 games in centerfield and was the only Illini to start every game at one position. He posted a .231 average, scored 27 runs, hit four home runs, and tallied 25 RBI. Turchin led the team in RBI during Big Ten games with 14. Turchin had a handful of breakout performances during the season including an impressive game against UNC Greensboro in which he hit a pair of home runs and legged out a triple.

So far in his 14 starts with this Illini this season, Turchin has hit three home runs, knocked in 10 runs, and posted a .213 average. He has also been effective in centerfield as he has yet to make an error.

Schmitt, a 5’9”, 195-pound freshman from Hartland, Wisconsin will head to Madison after his season in Champaign. Schmitt was a two-year letter winner at Arrowhead High School. Schmitt notched an impressive 12-0 record along with a 0.54 ERA in 64 innings pitched during his senior campaign. He struck out 85 batters while walking only 12 and tossed five shutouts and a no-hitter. Following the season, he was named 2016 First-Team All-State and the 2016 Wisconsin State Pitcher of the Year.

At Illinois, Schmitt has thrown 5.0 innings and has allowed just two earned runs and posted a save. He was ranked the No. 20 freshman in the Big Ten during the preseason by Perfect Game.

The Mallards will open their season at home on Tuesday, May 30th at 6:35 PM against the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders. Group tickets for the 2017 season are on sale now. Single game tickets go on sale Saturday, April 29th at 9:00 AM. For information call the Mallards Ticket Office at 608-246-4277, email info@mallardsbaseball.com or stop by the ticket office at 2920 N. Sherman Avenue, Madison, WI.