Photo Courtesy to Somerset Patriots InstagramNEWSSomerset 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 RandolphHighlights 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: 297The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest PostsEli FishmanEli 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 SubscriptionCan't Miss Posts! No Shame in Their Game – Female Mixed Martial Artists Use Onlyfans to Make Money by Brandon Berrios | posted on December 4, 2020 Neha Uberoi Khangoora: Pro Athlete to Successful Business Entrepreneur by Sunil Sunder Raj | posted on February 9, 2021 Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 The Five Biggest Injuries of the 2020 NFL Season by Anthony Paradiso | posted on November 6, 2020 Two-Time WWE Women’s Champion Jazz is a Very Busy Woman by Candace Cordelia | posted on February 2, 2021More in NEWS Nike Executive Ann Hebert Leaves Company Following Reports Of Son’s Sneaker Flipping BusinessNike Executive Ann Hebert Leaves Company Following Reports Of Connection Of Her Son’s Sneaker... Supportive Fans and Golfers Help Tiger Woods Through His ‘Tough Time’Tiger Woods Receives Support from PGA Golfers and Fans Last week there was a... Alex Smith, Washington Football Team Reportedly Parting WaysAlex Smith recently told GQ Magazine that the Washington Football team “did not want him... Jalen Johnson the “Student” AthleteJalen Johnson opted out of the remainder of the men’s basketball season at Duke... INTERVIEW: Eric LeGrand; 2020 Rutgers Hall of Fame Inductee (VIDEO) Mike Trout Rookie Card Sells For Record-Breaking $3.9 Million