With Season Winding Down, Mallards Face Growlers
Madison takes on Kalamazoo at 7:05 PM
Madison, Wis. – The Madison Mallards (18-13, 46-21) take on the Kalamazoo Growlers (16-16, 40-24) tonight at Warner Park after earning a win on Monday night to clinch the best overall record in the South Division this season. The Mallards have secured home-field advantage during the first two rounds of the 2018 Northwoods League Playoffs, if the Mallards advance. The playoffs begin in Madison next Monday and the Mallards will learn their opponent in the coming days as the rest of the South Division teams battle it out for the final playoff spots.
Probable Pitchers
The Mallards are scheduled to start Illinois righty Sean Leland tonight against the Growlers. Leland will be making his tenth start of the season and is searching for his fifth win. Leland has tossed 49.2 innings and has totaled 43 strikeouts while walking only 15 batters. Leland lasted 6.0 innings and earned a win in his last outing, allowing only two runs on four hits. Leland has held opponents to a .249 clip at the dish this season.
Kalamazoo hurler Kyle Virbitsky will oppose Leland, making his 12thstart of the summer. Virbitsky holds an impressive 2.42 ERA and a 4-1 record through 63.0 innings this season. Virbitsky has allowed only four total runs over his last four starts and has lasted at least 6.0 innings in each of those outings. Virbitsky worked 8.0 innings on August 2 and allowed only one hit in a win against the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders.
Players to Watch
Outfielder Jake Randa (NW Florida State) has reached base in 17 straight games and has knocked in six runs over his last five games.
Randa has totaled eight home runs and 49 RBI this summer through 64 games while posting a .321 average. Randa also leads the league with 22 doubles.
Infielder David Vinsky (Northwood) currently owns a 13 game hitting streak and has raised his average up to .309 this summer. Vinsky drew a walk and scored a run in game two of the 2018 Major League Dreams Showcase last night at the Duck Pond.
For tickets and more information visit mallardsbaseball.com. Make sure to catch every Mallards game game on The Zone, 1670 AM and 96.7 FM.
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The Madison Mallards are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Now in its 25th anniversary season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 20 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, 200 former Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (WAS), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist (CHC) and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (BOS), Jordan Zimmermann (DET) and Curtis Granderson (TOR). 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 or on Google Play and set the Mallards as your favorite team.
