Justin Nuoffer
Mallard pitcher Ryan Schmitt is returning for a second year.
Madison Mallards fans will be able to watch three players with Wisconsin roots this summer at Warner Park’s Duck Pond.
Nick Schrader, an infielder out of Jefferson High School, finished his junior season at the UW-Whitewater earlier this month with a .341 average, while Milton’s Jack Blomgren played for Janesville Craig High School and, as of May 13, was hitting .194 as a freshman infielder at the University of Michigan.
Right-handed University of Illinois pitcher Ryan Schmitt was a standout at Hartland Arrowhead High School and is one of two Mallards returning from last year’s team. An elbow injury limited his output in 2017; Schmitt pitched for Madison in six games and compiled a 2-1 record.
The Mallards, who narrowly missed the playoffs last summer, open the 2018 season at home May 29 with a two-game series against the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters. First pitch is 6:05 p.m. Manager Donnie Scott, back for his sixth season with a 198-154 record, could notch his 200th win with the Mallards as early as the next night, May 30.
As is always the case at Mallards games, there’s more to the experience than just what’s happening on the field.
“Heading into this summer, we’re excited about the renovated Great Dane Duck Blind, which has now been done for a year,” says Tyler Isham, general manager of the Mallards, referring to the area down the right-field line that offers four viewing levels, all-you-can-eat food and drink options and a dozen fan suites converted from lightly used shipping containers. The project won Ballpark Digest’s “Best Ballpark Improvement” award last year in the “over $1 million” category.
A new indoor space also was part of that project and is now used year-round for everything from business meetings to Lenten Friday fish fries.
“There’s definitely more room to expand, but to be honest, we love the the size of the stadium now and want to make sure we keep filling it by making tweaks to our existing operations,” says Isham, noting that the Mallards have led the 20-team Northwoods League in attendance for years, averaging more than 6,300 fans per game last season and selling out 25 of 34 home games.
Justin Nuoffer
Colt, the bat dog, is a border collie with a mission.
One tweak that’s sure to be a crowd favorite this season is the addition of Colt, a 45-pound border collie, as the Mallards’ bat dog for 16 games — including the home opener.
Single-game tickets are available online at northwoodsleague.com/madison-mallards.