Madison, WI – The Madison Mallards have secured three right handed pitchers from the 2018 SEC champion Florida Gators. Sophomore, Justin Alintoff (Jupiter, FL), and two freshmen, Nick Pogue (Melbourne, FL) and Ben Specht (Fort Myers, FL).
Alintoff, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, played his freshman year at Indian River State College, in Fort Pierce, Florida. In 13 appearances at IRSC, he pitched 57 innings and struck out 77 batters, while only allowing nine walks. On two separate occasions, Alintoff fanned more than 10 batters while only giving up 2 earned runs in those appearances (ten vs ASA College, February 2, 2018) (12 vs Eastern Florida State College, March 2, 2018). He also was a star pitcher at William T. Dwyer High School, in Palm Beach Florida, where he led his team to the state semifinals and pitched a complete game, giving up only two runs and striking out nine.
Pogue is entering his first season with the Gators. He decided to further his academic and athletic development instead of entering the Major Leagues when he was drafted in 2018 in the 33rd round (996 overall) by the Colorado Rockies. Pogue pitched lights out in high school, earning him a spot on the 2018 Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Classic East Team after his senior season. In that all-star caliber season, he recorded a 1.28 ERA in 27.1 innings, while punching out 56 batters and only handing out eight free passes.
Specht, also entering his freshman year with the Gators, was equally impressive in his high school career. So much so, that he was also drafted in the 2018 MLB Draft, in the 40th round (1,214 overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Specht earned a spot on the 2018 Florida Athletic Coaches Association All-Star Classic West Team after his senior season, posting an impressive 4-2 record with a 1.19 ERA. In that span he pitched 53 innings and struck out 106 batters. Specht is a two-way player that also saw great success at the plate, with a .403 average in 26 games, 19 RBI and five home runs.
The Florida Gators opened full practice on Friday, January 25. They will have three weeks of preparation before their home opener at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium on February 15 against Long Beach State.The Mallards open the 2019 campaign on May 28 against newcomers to the Northwoods League, the Kokomo Jackrabbits. Single game tickets will go on sale April 27. For all ticket information and pricing, click here. Group and season ticket packages are also on sale now. If interested in bringing a group out or purchasing a ticket package please call the ticket office at 608-246-4277 and a group representative will be available to help.
