The Mallards have signed four Wisconsin locals for the upcoming 2020 season. Pitchers Hunter Rosenbaum (Webster, WI) and Keaton Knueppel (Verona, WI), catcher Drake Baldwin (Madison, WI), and infielder Walker Jenkins (Sun Prairie, WI) will all be joining the squad this summer.
Rosenbaum, a 6-foot-3 freshman right-hander at West Virginia, shined at Webster High School before heading to the Mountaineers, earning two Preseason Underclass All-American honorable mentions from Perfect Game. Rosenbaum had a blistering 0.13 ERA during his senior season at WHS, allowing just one earned run all season and striking out 90. He was ranked as the 15th best recruit in Wisconsin and the fourth best right-handed pitcher by Perfect Game in 2019.
Knueppel, a 6-foot-1 southpaw, is a redshirt junior at Gonzaga. Knueppel’s last action with the Bulldogs came in 2018 when he threw eight innings with a 4.50 ERA, holding opponents to a .160 batting average. As a senior at Verona Area High School, Knueppel earned a second team All-State honor after tossing 61.2 innings with a 1.02 ERA and 106 strikeouts.
Baldwin, a 6-foot-1 left-handed hitting catcher, enters his freshman season at Missouri State as the seventh ranked recruit out of Wisconsin and a top 100 catching recruit in the nation according to Perfect Game. Baldwin has started the first three games with the Bears, hitting a .273 with three runs, and a home run. In addition to his baseball accomplishments, Baldwin was an accomplished hockey player at Madison West High School and was the Big Eight Conference Player of the Year twice.
Jenkins, a 5-foot-11 left-handed hitter, joins the Virginia Cavaliers, after spending two seasons with Madison College. With the Wolfpack, Jenkins slashed .335/.433/.408 in 2019, with seven doubles, three triples and 31 RBIs. Jenkins was a menace on the base paths as well, swiping 29 bags across 52 games played. Jenkins was named to the NJCAA All-Region IV first team and received a NJCAA Region IV Gold Glove award for his efforts in 2019. Jenkins, was also a standout at Sun Prairie High School, earning multiple baseball honors including WBCA first team all-state and Wisconsin State Journal Player of the Year, following his senior season.
The Mallards will kick off their 20th anniversary season and their 20 Summers of Wiener celebrations on May 26, taking on the Wisconsin Woodchucks at the Duck Pond. Single game tickets go on sale on April 25. Book your group outing today by calling 608-246-4277 or emailing info@mallardsbaseball.com.
