Northwoods Madison Mallards

Mallards Open Highly Anticipated 2013 Season at Home Against Eau Claire

Published on May 29, 2013 under Northwoods League (Northwoods)
Madison Mallards News Release


Madison, WI - The Madison Mallards open the 2013 season tonight against the Eau Claire Express at Warner Park. The matchup marks the beginning of a two-game series against the Express, who finished with a mark of 26-44 last season.

The Mallards bounced back from a subpar first half of the season last year to finish with an overall record of 39-31. It was their best winning percentage since 2010 and ranked as their fifth-best winning percentage in franchise history. Despite the late-season push, the Mallards were eliminated from postseason contention on August 5th. New manager Donnie Scott is looking to find a way for the Mallards to return to the postseason, as their last postseason appearance came in 2008.

Greg Welsh, a southpaw from Penn State, is starting on the hill tonight for the Mallards. The 5'10," 195-pound native of Holland, Pennsylvania, was a solid starting option for a Nittany Lions squad that finished 14-36 this past spring. He went 3-6 with a 4.09 ERA in 10 appearances, nine of which were starts. His 55 innings on the mound ranked second on the team and he struck out 37 on the year while walking 29.

The Express are going with Fort Dodge, Iowa native Will Kenny. The 6'3," 195-pound sophomore from Iowa Central Community College went 7-3 with a 3.12 ERA in 12 starts for the Tritons. He finished second on the team in innings pitched with 57.2 and struck out 47 on the year. His seven wins also ranked second on the team.

The Mallards enter the game tonight with nine of their 26 players on temporary contracts, as a total of eight Mallards players are currently playing in either the 2013 NCAA or NJCAA Baseball Tournaments. Reilly Hovis and Taylore Cherry (North Carolina), Joe McCarthy and John LaPrise (Virginia), Kevin Duchene and Jason Goldstein (Illinois), and Jordan Tabakman (UConn) received berths in the 2013 NCAA Baseball Tournament and are hoping for a College World Series berth. The Championship Series concludes on either June 25th or June 26th. Ryan McShane (Madison College) went 2-for-5 with three RBIs in the Wolfpack's last NJCAA Division II World Series game Tuesday. They play either No. 1 LSU-Eunice or No. 3 Heartland CC Thursday at 7 pm.

The additions of Drew Weeks (North Florida), Tate Matheny and Eric Cheray (Missouri State) and Geonte Jackson (San Jacinto CC) are all figured to bolster the Mallards lineup throughout the season. Each player batted over .285 this past spring and hit a combined 14 home runs.

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