Since 1982 the stadium lights of Warner Park have been shining through summer nights on the next generation of professional baseball players. The team taking the field has made several transformations, from their start as an Oakland A’s affiliate called the Madison Muskies to the Madhatters, Black Wolfs, and finally the Mallards. In 2024 a new team is taking the field and things are going to look a little different around the Duck Pond.
Madison Softball is Coming
On January 4th the Madison Mallards announced that top-level fast-pitch softball was coming to Madison under the Northwoods League. A “Name Your Team” contest opened reminiscent of a few years back when Forward Madison FC came to town. After several rounds of submissions and voting, The Madison Night Mares made their arrival. Turning the baseball-ready Duck Pond into a softball field has been a massive investment and undertaking for the Mallards organization which truly shows their commitment to softball thriving in Madison.
What is the Northwoods League?
The Northwoods League has been serving as summer baseball for college players looking to continue competing outside of the collegiate season. The league has served as a pipeline for players making their way to the big leagues. Notable alumni and household names like Mike Trout, Pete Alonso, and Max Scherzer just to name a few. For decades boys have been growing up dreaming of playing at the Duck Pond for the Mallards, lining up for autographs from the players on the field. Now it is girls who get to share that dream with the addition of Northwoods League Softball.
The Madison Night Mares
The Madison Night Mares will be led by the recently announced coaches, Raquel Savoy by way of California and Savoy’s former player turned Assistant Coach Laurèn Schiek of Oshkosh. Savoy comes to Madison with most recently volunteer assistant coaching credentials from Cal-Berkely. She is also the owner and operator of Apex Performance, an indoor softball training facility back in California. Schiek joins her former Santa Clara University coach in her first venture into coaching. The roster of players taking the field will soon be filled with 16 names from across the nation. The first two announcements are obviously Badgers. Freshmen Hilary Blomberg and Dani Lucey etch their name into team history with their signing. Follow the team for updates as more players are announced.
Schedule
The team will play a total of 42 games with 21 here at home. Games are a standard 7 innings and in true Mallards form, the action never stops between innings and is fun for the whole family. The home opener is scheduled for Sunday, June 16th with a first pitch time of 6:05 p.m. Single-game tickets will be available soon but ticket packages are now available and can be purchased through the team’s website.
Team Links
- Try Being A Tourist in Your Town With Madison Adventure Tours.Written in Partnership with Madison Adventure Tours. We love traveling and seeing new cities; who doesn’t? We are often looking for and planning our next great adventure. Recently, we had the opportunity to be tourists in our town, though, and we are so glad we did. For two hours on a Monday afternoon, we got… Read more: Try Being A Tourist in Your Town With Madison Adventure Tours.
- Sober Social is Bridging the Gap Between Sobriety and Society
In partnership and gratitude, we write this blog to Kristi Tanner, owner of Sober Social. A Sober Curious Generation If you had said a few years ago you were opening a non-alcoholic bottle shop in the heart of Wisconsin, you’d have gotten some confused and concerned looks. You would have been asked, “Is there demand?”… Read more: Sober Social is Bridging the Gap Between Sobriety and Society - Comfort Fuel Deserves Your LoveComfort Fuel Comfort food with a healthy twist. Located in downtown Madison in the heart of the UW Campus is Comfort Fuel. It makes sense to be near students too; studying for finals, fueling for a day of labs, or getting ready to write that paper finally will certainly go better with proper nutrition. It… Read more: Comfort Fuel Deserves Your Love
- Day Trips and Weekends Away, Wausau
We recently took some time in Wausau… Located just 2 hours and 15 minutes north of Madison is Wausau. Wausau is a community worth exploring known for its outdoor recreation and something of a Midwest meets mountain town charm. With endless miles of trails to explore and local flavors to embrace it is a perfect… Read more: Day Trips and Weekends Away, Wausau - Madison Night Mares Softball has Arrived.Since 1982 the stadium lights of Warner Park have been shining through summer nights on the next generation of professional baseball players. The team taking the field has made several transformations, from their start as an Oakland A’s affiliate called the Madison Muskies to the Madhatters, Black Wolfs, and finally the Mallards. In 2024 a… Read more: Madison Night Mares Softball has Arrived.