Madison, WI – March 7, 2012. The Mallards have announced the signing of junior right-handed pitcher Alec Mills and sophomore infielder Phil Sorensen from the University of Tennessee-Martin.
Mills, a 6’4″, 170 pound pitcher from Clarksville, Tennessee will join the Mallards after his third season at Tennessee-Martin. This season, Mills has made three starts and has a 1-2 record and 3.45 ERA while striking out 19 batters in 15.2 innings. In 2011 Mills made a school record 30 appearances and compiled a 7-4 record with three saves. He made two starts, his first being a must-win game for the Skyhawks to qualify for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. He tossed a career best 8.1 innings and tied a career-high with seven strikeouts against league champion Austin Peay.
“I believe that to be successful as a team you need to have guys that have had success in the past and that is what Alec will bring with him to Madison this summer,” said Mallards Manager Greg Labbe. “He was one of the top arms in the Texas Collegiate League last summer having lead the league in ERA and was one of the starters for the All-Star Game.”
Mills attended Montgomery Central High School where he was named Male Athlete of the Year all four years while participating in baseball, golf, and basketball. He was named District Most Valuable Player in baseball as a senior in 2009. He is an Engineering major at Tennessee-Martin.
Sorensen, a 6’1″, 205 pound infielder from Erie, Pennsylvania is ready to produce for the Mallards offense in 2012. In Sorensen’s freshman season at Tennessee-Martin he was named First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference and was honored as a Collegiate Baseball Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. He hit .340 with 15 doubles, four home runs, and 33 RBIs. He hit safely in 29 of 40 games.
“Phil was one of the best hitters in the Ohio Valley Conference last year as a freshman, therefore it was an easy decision to add him to the 2012 roster,” said Labbe. “He is a versatile player that will see time at first base, third base, or even as the designated hitter, but Phil’s best tool will be his bat. He is a strong young man that has shown the ability to drive the ball to all fields. I think he could put up some very strong numbers for us this summer in Madison.”
Sorensen went to Cathedral Prepatory School where he hit .441, with seven home runs and 29 RBIs as a senior in 2010. He led his team to a Region 7 Championship and was an All-District 10 selection by the Erie Times-News. Also as a senior, MaxPreps.com named him the Pennsylvania All-League Player in District 10. He is studying Biology at Tennessee Martin.
The Mallards will host their season opener against the Battle Creek Bombers on May 30th at 7:05 pm at the “Duck Pond.” 7-Game Packs, season, and group tickets are on sale now! Single-game tickets go on sale April 28th.
The Madison Mallards are part of the 16-team Northwoods League. The Northwoods League has more teams, plays more games, and draws more fans than any other Summer Collegiate League in North America.
