Madison, Wis. – The Madison Mallards have announced the signing of two more players for the 2017 season. Freshman catcher Jake Matheny (University of Indiana), and sophomore infielder Cade Bunnell (Madison College) will both be joining the Mallards this summer.
Matheny, a 6’2” 190-pound freshman catcher from Weldon Spring, MO will head to Madison after his freshman year at the University of Indiana. Matheny had a dominant high school career as he was ranked the No. 3 prospect in Missouri by Perfect Game. His senior year he batted .414 with 11 home runs and 43 RBI, leading Westminster Christian Academy to the Class 4 district championship. A staggering 22 of his 46 hits went for extra bases. Matheny was a Second Team All-State selection as a junior in 2015.
This season with the Hoosiers, Matheny has logged a fair amount of time catching as he’s played in 30 games, starting 24. In 89 at bats, Matheny has 22 hits including a pair of home runs and 15 RBI. Defensively, Matheny owns a .990 fielding percentage and he’s caught nine runners stealing this season.
Matheny is the son of current St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny. He will be joining his brother Luke on the team this season. His oldest brother, Tate, played for the Mallards in 2013.
Bunnell, a 5’11”, 190-pound sophomore utility man from Stoughton, WI will join the Mallards after his sophomore season at Madison College. As a freshman, Bunnell attended Kansas State University and served as the primary pinch hitter for the Wildcats before transitioning into a starting role later in the season. He hit .227 with two doubles and four RBI, appearing in 43 games and starting 16. Bunnell showed off his versatility as he made seven starts in right field, six at second base, two at third base, and one as the designated hitter.
So far this season at Madison College, Bunnell has started in 32 games while compiling a .264 average in 106 at bats. He owns the WolfPack’s second-highest RBI total as he’s knocked in 30 runs. Bunnell has also shown patience at the plate as he has drawn 20 walks. Last week, in the game against Sauk Valley Community College, Bunnell hit three homeruns and tallied six RBI.
The Mallards will open their season at home on Tuesday, May 30th at 6:35 PM against the Fond Du Lac Dock Spiders. Group and single game tickets for the 2017 season are on sale now. For more 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.
