Photo Courtesy to Somerset Patriots Instagram NEWS Somerset Patriots Win Championship, Postseason Awards Announced Patriots presented with Joe Torre Championship Trophy, MVP and top pitcher award’s announced by Eli Fishman August 24, 2020 The Somerset Patriots clinched a championship in the Somerset Professional Baseball Series on Thursday with a victory over the New Jersey Blasters. They were presented with the Joe Torre Championship Trophy before Saturday’s game and celebrated in the dugout with their well-earned hardware. Torre, an MLB Hall of Fame player and executive, congratulated the Patriots with a virtual speech on the scoreboard. In the 13-game two-team series, the Patriots finished on a high note with seven wins in a row, besting the Blasters by a record of 9-4. Postseason awards were handed out on Saturday as well, including the Willie Randolph MVP Award and Sparky Lyle Pitching Award. Blasters infielder Martin Figueroa won the MVP award for the series by Yankees legend Willie Randolph, the namesake of the honor. Figueroa had a tremendous series at the plate, batting .323 with four doubles in 11 games. Martin Figueroa alongside Willie Randolph (Courtesy of Somerset Patriots Instagram) “It means a lot. The competition is very great,” Figueroa told me. “It’s just awesome to get the experience here, showcase myself and get the opportunity to be out here playing.” Patriots relief pitcher James Pugliese received the Sparky Lyle Pitching Award, given to the series’ best pitcher, for his 1.13 ERA and one run allowed over seven outings. For left to right, Patrick McVerry, Jon Hunton, Brett Jodie, Sparky Lyle, James Pugliese, Sparkee the mascot, Willie Randolph Highlights of the series included a socially distanced walk-off by the Patriots in the second game, as well as the uplifting story of Brandon Leibrandt. After a career-derailing injury, Leibrandt came to Somerset to prove he could perform at a high level. In his three starts with the New Jersey Blasters, the southpaw posted a league-leading ERA of 0.75 along with 15 strikeouts. On August 6, he signed with the Miami Marlins. Just two weeks later, on August 13, Leibrandt was promoted to the major leagues by the Marlins. Saturday he made his major league debut with three shutout innings against the reigning champion Washington Nationals. The Somerset Professional Baseball Series at TD Bank Ballpark was one of only 18 locations where pro baseball took place in 2020. The series provided the community with baseball in New Jersey and gave many the opportunity few fans experience in this chaotic year by heading to the ballpark. Post Views: 734 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Eli Fishman Eli Fishman is a 16-year old college and minor league baseball writer for Double G Sports. He writes about MLB and MLB Draft prospects. Eli has experience broadcasting college baseball and has his own website and YouTube channel where he interviews professional baseball players. Latest posts by Eli Fishman (see all) Yankees Legends, Somerset Patriots Announce New Double-A Affiliation - November 11, 2020 A Recap of Thursday’s Mets Protest, PR Mess - August 29, 2020 MLBN Adds Buck Showalter as Analyst - August 26, 2020 Mike Trout Rookie Card Sells For Record-Breaking $3.9 Million - August 24, 2020 Related TopicsJames PuglieseMartin FigueroaNew Jersey BlastersSomerset PatriotsSomerset Professional Baseball Series Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 XFL Co-Owner Dany Garcia Talks Business, Serving Others at espnW Women + Sports Summit by Candace Cordelia | posted on October 23, 2020 Women in Sports Interview Series: It’s a sure bet with Philadelphia native, Erin Kate Dolan (VIDEO) by Denise Gonzalez | posted on March 17, 2020 From Paramus High School to CBS Sports, Spero Dedes is making waves in sports broadcasting by Sunil Sunder Raj | posted on October 27, 2020 No Shame in Their Game – Female Mixed Martial Artists Use Onlyfans to Make Money by Brandon Berrios | posted on December 4, 2020 More in NEWS French Officials Identify Over 400 Sports Figures Suspected of Sexual Violence Sixty people have faced criminal proceedings, and over 100 have been remove from their... Tim Peel is Discharged After Caught on Hot Mic Tim Peel was Discharged from the NHL After He was Caught on the Hot... Lebron James Leaves Coca-Cola To Sign With Pepsi Lebron James Leaves Coca-Cola To Sign With Pepsi To Be The Face Of Mountain... WNBA Rolling Out Red Carpet For Upcoming 25th Anniversary Season The WNBA’s 25th season also marks the debut of the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup. INTERVIEW: Eric LeGrand; 2020 Rutgers Hall of Fame Inductee (VIDEO) Mike Trout Rookie Card Sells For Record-Breaking $3.9 Million