Madison, Wis. (August 1, 2012) — The Madison Mallards are excited to announce the additions of Wisconsin gridiron legends Al Toon and Bill Schroeder to the annual MLB and Mallards Alumni Game. The two former wide receivers are set to join Lee Smith, George Foster and other MLB greats on Saturday, August 4 at the “Duck Pond.”
Schroeder is remembered for the years that he spent with the Green Bay Packers as a wide receiver from 1997-2001. During his five seasons in Green Bay, Schroeder accumulated a total of 3,435 receiving yards and 20 touchdown receptions. Being an Eau Claire native and having played his college football at UW-La Crosse, Schroeder quickly became a fan favorite of the Packer faithful.
Toon ranks as the most accomplished receiver in Wisconsin Badgers history, and one of the most storied athletes in Big Ten lore. Upon graduating from UW in 1984, Toon set school records in receptions (131), touchdown receptions (19) and receiving yards (2,103). He was also known as an incredible track athlete as well, earning All-American honors in the triple jump in 1983 and 1984. Toon’s mark on the athletic program earned him a spot in the UW athletics hall of fame in 1995.
The two serve as tremendous additions to an already stacked field that includes past MLB legends Rob Deer, Ben Oglivie, Jason Jacome and Brad Woodall. First pitch of the MLB and Mallards Alumni Game is scheduled for 7:05 pm.
The Mallards return to the “Duck Pond” on Sunday, August 5 to start a five game series with the Lakeshore Chinooks (14-10, 31-28). That night will be Marshfield Clinic Susan G. Komen for the Cure Night and Princess Millie Bobblehead Night at the ballpark.
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.
MADISON, Wis. (July 19, 2012) — The Madison Mallards are pleased to announce a partnership with the Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans called Strike Out Hunger. For every Mallards strikeout of an opposing player this season, Thrivent Financial will donate 60 meals to Second Harvest Foodbank’s Kids Cafe Program. The Kids Cafe Program provides free meals and snacks to at least 1,500 children facing hunger each month through eight Dane County sites. From July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011, 116,000 meals and 35,000 snacks were provided. The promotion once again demonstrates the Mallards commitment to service in the Dane County community.
The partnership between the Mallards and Second Harvest Foodbank will feature a variety of promotions that will raise awareness about hunger in southwestern Wisconsin, including Strike Out Hunger Night with Thrivent Financial at the ballpark. On a July 7thhome game, fans had the opportunity to learn more about Second Harvest Foodbank and make a cash donation. In addition, the Mallards have been distributing a monthly newsletter that gives updates on the Foodbank.
Before each game, Mallards fans will hear an announcement that explains the Strike Out Hunger promotion. And for various strikeouts during the game, the Mallards will announce that another donation has been made to Second Harvest Foodbank.
About Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger in southwestern Wisconsin through community partnerships, serving nearly 141,000 people who struggle to put food on the table, including 43 percent who are children. Through food and financial donations and volunteer support, Second Harvest Foodbank acquires and distributes food to 300 partner agencies, including food pantries, shelters and meal sites, in 16 counties. From July 1, 2010–June 30, 2011, Second Harvest Foodbank distributed 8.6 million pounds of food. It is one of 200 members of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. For more information, visit www.SecondHarvestMadison.org.
About Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping approximately 2.6 million members achieve their financial goals and give back to their communities. Thrivent Financial and its affiliates offer a broad range of financial products and services. As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial sponsors national outreach programs and activities that support congregations, schools, charitable organizations and individuals in need. For more information, visit www.thrivent.com.
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.
ROCHESTER, Minn. (July 2, 2012) — Two Northwoods League players from 2011 and one from 2012 received a high honor last week when they were named to the USA Collegiate National Baseball Team. Rochester’s Bret Hambright (Oregon), La Crosse’s Dan Child (Oregon State) and Madison’s Jose Trevino (Oral Roberts) were named to the 2012 roster.
Hambright, who was a redshirt senior at Oregon in 2012, played in the first six games for the USA team. In eleven at bats, Hambright had three hits, three runs scored and an RBI.
The two-time MLB draft pick (34th round by Phillies in 2007 and 38th round by Rockies in 2009) played in 34 games with the Rochester Honkers in 2011. Hambright batted .248 with two home runs and 14 RBI. On July 12, 2011 against the St. Cloud River Bats, the Corona, CA native went 2 for 2 with a homerun, three runs scored, and four RBIs in a 10-9 Honkers victory.
Child played for the La Crosse Loggers of the Northwoods League in 2011. He pitched in 18 games, amassing 42.1 innings pitched. He finished with a record of 3-2 with a 1.06 ERA. He also had five saves with 34 strikeouts. Child was named to the 2011 postseason All-Star Team. In 106.2 innings pitched for the Beavers in 2012, Child went 6-4 with a 2.95 ERA and 79 strikeouts.
So far this season, Trevino is hitting .225 with three home runs and 10 RBI for the Mallards and is an alternate for Team USA who is playing an exhibition schedule currently against teams from the Summer Collegiate Coastal Plains League. In four games so far, he has gone 3-10 with five RBI.
Trevino was the leading hitter at Oral Roberts this season as he started all 63 games for the Golden Eagles while posting a .317 batting average with 13 home runs and 57 RBI. Following the season he was named a Louisville Slugger Second Team Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball.
The Northwoods League has more teams, plays more games, and draws more fans than any other Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America. The League has 16 teams in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Michigan, and Ontario. The is its 19th season.
MADISON, Wis. (June 4, 2012) — The Madison Mallards will be hosting the inaugural Pondamonium, a live outdoor music festival from the Duck Pond at Warner Park on Thursday, August 9, 2012. Madison’s most popular musical product, Garbage, will be headlining the event along with The Flaming Lips. Gates will open at 2:30pm, with five bands performing starting at 3:00pm. The stage will be placed on the playing surface of the baseball field. Pondamonium will be a general admission event. Tickets go on-sale Friday, June 8, 2012 at 10 am. Tickets are $45 if purchased in advance and $50 on day of the show. Pondamonium is a rain or shine event. For more information on Pondamonium please go to www.pondamonium.com.
About Garbage
Garbage was formed in Madison, Wis. in 1994 and features Shirley Manson, Butch Vig, Steve Marker and Duke Erikson. The band has sold more than 17 million albums around the world. Garbage released its fifth album on May 14, 2012, Not Your Kind of People, through its own label, STUNVOLUME.
About The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American rock band, formed in Norman, Okla. in 1983. Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles. They are also known for their elaborate live show, which feature costumes, balloons, puppets, video projections, complex stage light configurations, giant hands, large amounts of confetti and frontman Wayne Coyne’s signature man-size plastic bubble, in which he traverses the audience.
Pondamonium is presented by the Madison Mallards in collaboration with Last Coast Producing and Majestic Live. All media requests and questions should be directed to Conor Caloia at the Madison Mallards.
Date: Thursday, August 9, 2012 – Rain or Shine
Gates: Open at 2:30 pm.
Tickets: $45 in advance, $50 day of show. Available at the Mallards box office, Majestic box office, pondamonium.com or by calling 608.246.4277.
Pondamonium Address: 2920 N Sherman Ave., Madison, WI 53704.
MADISON, Wis. (April 27, 2012) – Supergroup “The Baseball Project” will play live music prior to the Northwoods League All-Star Game on July 24th at the “Duck Pond” and a post-game concert at the High Noon Saloon located at 701 E. Washington St. (doors at 9:30pm). The band plays original songs completely about America’s pastime, topics include Satchel Paige, Ted Williams, Jackie Robinson and more.
Gates for the Northwoods League All-Star Game will be at 5:00 pm for a special pre-game concert by “The Baseball Project.” Following the game, “The Baseball Project” and “Minus 5” will perform at the High Noon Saloon. Tickets for both events will be on-sale Saturday April 28th at 9:00 am. Tickets for the post-game concert at the High Noon Saloon will be $12.
“The Baseball Project” was formed in 2007 and is composed of Scott McCaughey (Minus 5, R.EM.), Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate, Gutterball), Mike Mills (R.E.M.), and Linda Pitmon (Miracle 3, Golden Smog). Later that year, the group recorded its first album, Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails.
The group’s second album, Volume 2: High and Inside, was released on March 1, 2011. The band followed the record’s release with a tour covering the U.S. and appearances at Major League Baseball spring training games in Arizona’s Cactus League. The band also performed at the “Duck Pond” last season on June 10th.
The band also recorded a ‘real time’ commentary on the 2010 MLB season for ESPN.com. Each month, one song was made available as a free download.
In an article written by ESPN’s Jim Wilkie, singer and guitarist McCaughey jokingly said of the opportunity, “We figured out a way to give ourselves even more work and make less money.”
Singer-guitarist Wynn described the group as being part musicians and part sports journalists.
McCaughey heads the American rock band “The Minus 5” which will also perform at the High Noon Saloon. The band was formed in 1993 as a pop collective, with McCaughey switching the lineup with each record. He most frequently is joined by guitarist Peter Buck (R.E.M.).
The 2012 season is upon us! Single-game tickets go on-sale April 28th for all Mallards home games!
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!
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.
Madison, WI – The Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin (AROW) held its annual awards ceremony last week and the Mallards and the Madison Parks Division were together awarded with an Outstanding Achievement in Recycling award for their cooperative work for turning the “Duck Pond” into a stadium of reused materials.
“As the voice for recycling and waste reduction in Wisconsin, AROW is proud to recognize the achievements of industry professionals, communities and individuals,” said Jennifer Semrau, AROW President. “This year’s recipients continue to demonstrate the dedication and creativity of people to improve recycling and waste reduction efforts in our state.”
The Mallards rebuilt the stadium using as much material as possible from the old facility and reused seating from both Camden Yards and Wrigley Field, home of the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs. The Mallards added the TRICOR/West Bend Club behind home plate which was constructed using old steel from the original stadium grandstand roof. The wood deck was constructed of planks from the original seating structure and the drink rails were created from the original stadium’s aluminum bleacher tops.
The Mallards new Sports Impressions Team Green Store opened in 2011 and was created using 95% recycled materials from the old stadium. The wood framing consists of planks from the original seating area and the siding of the building is from the old aluminum bleacher seats. Even the clothes racks were created from the old stadium chairs and the roof was made using the old grandstand roof.
The Mallards also created six portable concession kiosks out of aluminum and wood from the old stadium.
Founded in 1990, AROW is an association representing Wisconsin’s recycling, waste reduction and sustainability professionals. The organization provides leadership through education, advocacy, and collaboration and promotes effective, efficient and sustainable material recovery initiatives.
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, play more games, and draws more fans than any other Summer Collegiate Baseball League in North America.
While hundreds of former Northwoods League players are participating in Spring Training, two former NWLers are taking a slightly different path to fulfill their baseball dreams. Ben Smith and Jared Johnson will appear as contestants on an ABC social reality show on Saturday afternoon with a chance to earn a spot to New York Mets Spring Training. Bud United presents: The Big Time airs Saturday, March 3 at 3 pm ET (2 pm CT) on ABC.
In the show, Smith and Johnson are two of the three aspiring baseball pitchers – all cast via social media channels – that work under legendary coach Tom House to test their throwing skills from the mound at CitiField, home of the New York Mets. After being put to a series of baseball challenges, the winner will ultimately earn a spot in the starting rotation of the Brooklyn Cyclones, vying for a chance to join the Mets at Spring Training.
In this video, Jared Johnson speaks about why his baseball career stopped, but how it also saved his life.
Johnson played for the Madison Mallards in the summer of 2004. He was a .254 hitter with eight doubles, three home runs and 12 RBIs. He also pitched in relief in three games going 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA.
Smith was an Alexandria Beetles pitcher for two summers. He spent June of 2005 in Alexandria before leaving the team because of an injury. In 5 appearances he went 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA. He returned in 2006 and in 9 appearances had a 0-0 record and 6.28 ERA.
In the video below, Smith talks about his experience in New York for the filming of the episode.
About Ben Smith (27 years old)
In high school, Ben was a promising, but not spectacular pitcher. He was recruited and offered MLB development contracts, but turned them down, thinking that he might get a better offer after playing college ball and improving further. However, while Ben was in college, his father became terminally ill. Ben left school, and his baseball career, behind and came home to help his mother care for his father and his disabled brother, who has cerebral palsy. After going home to take care of his family and support his mother, Ben let go of his dream of playing professional ball and eventually moved on to become a personal trainer. After not throwing a “serious” pitch in over 5 years, Ben discovered he could still throw 95 mph fastballs with great accuracy. Although he’s still hesitant to leave his mother alone, her excitement over his opportunity has reignited his passion for the game.
About Jared Johnson (29 years old)
Superstar athlete Jared was a shoo-in for a career in baseball until disaster struck when he was diagnosed with metastatic Stage IV testicular cancer. With only a 4% chance of survival, Jared battled through chemo with the help of the extraordinary muscle and bone density gained from playing baseball. After high doses of chemo and major surgery, Jared miraculously was given the all-clear. But the surgery, which had cracked his body open from neck to groin, left him unable to recover his previous hitting prowess – the muscles simply weren’t able to knit themselves back together as they were before. After struggling through years of rehab, Jared discovered that he was still able to function at a high level on the other side of the field as a pitcher. Unfortunately, the low pay of minor and independent league play is not enough to support a family, so Jared still dreams of one day making it to the big leagues.
(Madison, WI) The Mallards are excited to announce the team has teamed up with Good Karma Broadcasting for a seventh year to provide fans the opportunity to listen to all 70 Mallards games on FM 100.5 ESPN or via a live stream online at espnmadison.com. Gabe Neitzel will assume his duties as play-by-play announcer on live broadcasts. Similar to last season, Mallards games will be preceded by “Madison’s Baseball Tonight” hosted by Neitzel and Jim Rutledge and followed by post-game coverage.
“ESPN Madison is excited to continue our long-standing partnership with the Mallards in providing in-depth coverage of the local sports scene” said Good Karma General Manager Ken Rovak. “Mallards baseball has become a staple of summer in the Madison area, and we’re proud of our affiliation on air, online, and on site.”
Mallards General Manager Conor Caloia echoed Rovak’s comments.
“We are excited to have all 70 Mallards game broadcast live on ESPN Radio 100.5 FM,” said Caloia. “ESPN Radio has a great presence both nationally and locally and we have had a great working partnership for years. On the air, Gabe Neitzel provides a great product to Mallards fans listening at home.”
ESPN Radio 100.5 FM also broadcasts the World Series, NCAA basketball, the Super Bowl, and WIAA football and basketball. The station is also home to the “Mike and Mike Show” and the “World’s Greatest Talk Show” hosted by Steve “The Homer” True.
The Madison Mallards are members of the 16-team summer collegiate Northwoods League. Opening Day is slated for Wednesday, June 2, at 7:05 p.m. against the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Single-game and group tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 608.246.4277.
(Madison, WI) The Mallards have signed pitchers Matt Morgan (Purdue) and Nick Rice (NC State), a pair of juniors who played for last year’s team.
Matt Morgan, RHP, Junior, Purdue. The 5’11”, 170 pound Morgan returns for his second season with the Mallards. He looks to build upon his strong contributions to last year’s squad, including a 2-1 record, 1.83 ERA and 39 strikeouts in five starts and three relief appearances.
Morgan appeared in 13 games with Purdue last season. As a sophomore, he posted a 6-5 record with a 4.75 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 77.2 innings. Interestingly, Morgan showed he could pitch under pressure by winning five rubber games in tied Big Ten series during the 2009 season.
This spring, Morgan has a 3-2 record and 5.86 ERA for the Boilermakers. He also has 65 strikeouts in 63 innings pitched.
“Matt will tell you the same thing; he wants to finish what he started last summer, and is really looking forward to solidifying a starting role for this ballclub. The best attribute about him is that he’s going to compete during every pitch, and that’s all I’m looking for,” said Thieleke.
Nick Rice, LHP, Junior, NC State. The 6’4”, 209 pound left-hander from Kenosha, WI also returns for his second season with the Mallards. In 2009, Rice gave the Mallard’s pitching staff a boost as a late-season injury replacement by appearing in five games.
Before pitching for the Mallards last summer, Rice spent his freshman season at Southern Illinois and his sophomore season at Madison Area Technical College. He went 5-1 with a 1.79 ERA and 61 strikeouts with the Wolfpack of MATC.
This spring, Rice has a 9.26 ERA and seven strikeouts in 11.2 innings for NC State.
“In the short time Nick played for us last summer, he performed really well so he falls in the same boat as returnee Matt Morgan. He was always in our plans, being a local (Kenosha) kid, and will bring a fresh arm and great attitude to the ballpark every day. We’d definitely like to see him develop into a solid starter,” said Thieleke.
The Madison Mallards are members of the 16-team summer collegiate Northwoods League. Opening Day is slated for Wednesday, June 2, at 7:05 p.m. against the Wisconsin Woodchucks. Single-game and group tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 608.246.4277.
(Madison, WI) In the fourth annual Green Bay Packers Charity Softball game, benefiting the Wisconsin Fire Fighter Association, the Madison local 311 firefighters beat the Packers by the score of 11-6.
The most notable Packer to make an appearance was wide receiver James Jones, who when asked what it felt like to be in Madison for a charitable event, said “It’s good; it’s a time to relax, not think of football and have fun.” Charitable events are nothing new to Jones, who helps lead a charitable foundation called “89 Wishes” based in Green Bay and San Jose, CA.
The Madison local 311 firefighters capitalized in the bottom of the second inning with three runs on the Packers four errors and once again in the 5th with six runs on two more Packer errors.
Despite the costly errors, the Packers’ motivation to win the game didn’t end in the fifth while down 10-3, James Jones started a rally by hitting a sacrifice fly to score Cornerback Brandon Underwood. In the very next play, LB Desmond Bishop hit a single to right field to score CB Sam Shields to cut the deficit to five. Next up, running-back Kregg Lumpkin came in and hit another single to score Bishop all the way from second, bringing the score to 10-6.
The rally raised excitement in the crowd, but just wasn’t enough to overcome the firefighters who would go on to add another run in the bottom of eighth to stretch the lead to 11-6.
Other Packers participants included punter Chris Bryan, cornerback DJ Clark, safety Khalil Jones, and nose tackle Anthony Toribo.
Don’t forget; the Madison Mallards open their tenth season in the Northwoods League on Wednesday, June 2 at 7:05 p.m. The first 1,000 fans will receive a “Duck Pond” stadium replica and numerous fun events are planned throughout the evening.
Single-game and group tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 608.246.4277.
