Madison, WI – March 13, 2012. The Mallards have announced the signing of junior left-handed pitcher Kyle Barbeck and sophomore infielder Michael McGraw from the University of Missouri.
Barbeck, a 5’11”, 180 pound pitcher from Blue Springs, Missouri will join the Mallards after his first season with the Tigers. Barbeck spent two years at Ole Miss before ending up at Northeast Community College in West Point, Nebraska for the 2011 season. He went 8-4 with a 2.01 ERA and 50 strikeouts in his only season at Northeast.
“Kyle is an experienced left-handed pitcher that has seen time both as a starter and a reliever,” said Mallards Manager Greg Labbe. “Anytime you can add quality left-handed pitching to your staff you have gotten better, and that is exactly what we have done with Kyle. I would expect Kyle to compete for one of the six starting spots this summer.”
Barbeck attended Blue Spring High School where he went 16-4 with a 1.40 ERA in his career. He team also posted a 61-20 record during his tenure there. He led the team to a MSHSAA State Championship in 2007 and a Suburban 67 Conference Championship in 2007 and 2008. He was named All-State his junior and senior seasons, as well as the KC Star Player of the Year in 2008. He is majoring in business at Missouri.
McGraw, a 6’3″, 185 pound infielder from Newnan, Georgia is set to some to Madison after his first season in Columbia as well. McGraw attended Bossier Parish Community College in Bossier City, Louisiana in 2011. He batted .323 and hit 10 home runs and had 43 RBIs in his one season in community college.
“Michael is a highly talented infielder that can play any position on the infield,” said Labbe. “He has all the tools to be an impact player for us this summer in Madison. He was one of the most sought after JUCO players last year as a freshman in Louisiana and I am excited to see him continue that success this summer.”
McGraw attended Newnan High School where he was a stand-out baseball and basketball player. He was named to the All-Region team in both sports all four years of high school, and was All-State in baseball in 2007, 2008, and 2009. His senior season he batted .515 and hit nine home runs. He led the team to back-to-back state runner-up titles in 2008 and 2009.
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 Baseball League in North America.
