By: Jared Shlensky, Contributing Writer

The Southland Vikings will take on the Quad City 76ers tomorrow evening at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport, Iowa, home of the Quad Cities River Bandits, a class-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals.

The ball park was built on May 26, 1931 and is known as one of the most beautiful minor league stadiums. The Mississippi River is located behind both the center and the right field fences and there is a great view of downtown Davenport.

The Vikings are part of the Midwest College League, along with the Will County Crackerjacks, Rockford Foresters, and the Chicago Zephyrs. This season the Vikings are 12-17 in league play.

Getting the start for the Vikings tomorrow is southpaw Josh Negele. Negele, a MCL All-Star and sophomore at Indiana State University, has pitched six innings in league play, giving up only three earned runs. Negele has also contributed with the stick, as he is hitting .269 this season.

Players having a lot of success this season for the Vikings are shortstop A.J. Doyle, catcher Kuris Duggan, first baseman George Patteson, third baseman Ian O’Connor, outfielders Dontrell Rush and Elliot Armstrong, as well as pitchers Stanten Jones and Aaron Hauge.

This season Jones and Hauge have a combined 5-3 record, with 75 strikeouts and twelve earned runs in 61.0 innings pitched this season.

Dayton bound catcher Duggan is hitting. 301 this season with 14 RBI’s and 9 walks in 23 league games. First baseman Patteson is batting .318 with 5 doubles, 1 long ball, and 11 RBI’s in 23 league games this season.

Dontrell Rush, who was drafted in the 48^th round of the 2011 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox, is hitting .293 with 7 runs scored this season for the Vikings in 16 games played. Armstrong, who was drafted in the 39^th round of the 2007 MLB draft, is batting .229 with a triple, 2 home runs, 14 RBI’s, and 12 stolen bases in 29 games.

O’Connor is batting .299 with 5 doubles, 14 walks, and 4 stolen bases in 20 games played. Doyle is hitting a red hot .354 along with 3 doubles, 13 RBI’s, and 15 walks as well.

The stadium in Davenport now has new luxury suites, home and road clubhouses, a video scoreboard and much more. First pitch between the Vikings and the 76ers is expected to be thrown at 7:30pm.