Madison, WI – March 12, 2011. The Mallards have announced the signing of sophomore right-handed pitcher Matt Sims and sophomore outfielder John Welborn from the University of Texas – San Antonio.
Sims, a 6’2″, 175 pound pitcher from Cypress, TX will join the Mallards after his second season with the Roadrunners. So far this season, Sims has made six appearances, all out of the bullpen. He has a 2.25 ERA and 11 strikeouts in eight innings pitched to go along with three saves. In 2011, Sims made 12 appearances, including three as a starter. He finished with 1-0 record and a 6.56 ERA. He struck out 17 batters in 23.1 innings of work.
“Matt brings a lot of versatility to our staff this summer,” said Mallards Manager Greg Labbe. “From what he has done so far at UTSA I would expect him to compete for our closer’s role. He was an all-star last summer in Alaska, and I expect him to be a huge asset for us in Madison in 2012.”
Sims attended Cypress Woods High School where as a senior he was 6-3 with a 2.73 ERA and recorded 93 strikeouts in 56 innings. He was named First-Team All-District and was selected to the Houston Area Baseball Coaches Association All-Star Game. He was also given Texas High School Baseball Coaches Association Academic All-State Honors. He is majoring in accounting at UT-San Antonio.
Welborn, a 5’11”, 185 pound outfielder from Sherman, TX enters his first season as a Roadrunner. So far in 2012, he is hitting .293 with two home runs and 14 RBIs. He spent 2011 at Paris Junior College in Paris, Texas. He was given First-Team All-Region XIV in his one season at Paris which saw him hit .410 with 11 doubles and 20 RBIs. He also had an on-base percentage of .512.
“John is the exciting offensive player that you love to have on a summer roster,” said Labbe. “He was one of the leading base stealers in the Texas Junior College system last spring and he has picked right up this year at UTSA. He is the kind of player that can put the ball on the ground and turn it into a double or triple. He is a game changer.”
Welborn went to Sherman High School where he was named All-District as a senior in 2010. He was the team MVP while earning the Big Stick Award that same season. Welborn is an athletic medicine major at UT-San Antonio.
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 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.
