AtL Somerset Patriots

Liberty Division Series Preview. Series Begins in Long Island Wednesday Night

Published on September 23, 2015 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Somerset Patriots News Release


How The Teams Got Here

The Somerset Patriots (89-50) enter the first round of the Atlantic League postseason winners of both the First and Second Half Liberty Division Championships. It marked the second-straight season - and fifth season in franchise history - that the Patriots won both half championships in a single year. Somerset now owns an Atlantic League-record 17 Half Championships. The Patriots' league-leading 89 wins fell just one short of the team's previous single-season record (90), set in 2013. Their overall record was eight games better than the next closest team in the Atlantic League (Long Island).

The Patriots stormed out of the gate in 2015, setting an Atlantic League record with 50 wins in the first half. The hot start was helped in large part to a pitching staff that ranked near or at the top of every statistical category. That trend continued through the second half of the season, as the Somerset staff led the league in wins (89), team ERA (3.04), WHIP (1.17), batting average against (.233), shutouts (16) complete games (8) and walks allowed (350).

Third-year manager Brett Jodie leads a Patriots team that will be in the playoffs for the 12th time in the organization's 18-year history. Jodie owns a 264-154 (58.3%) record as manager, with his team making the postseason each year. The Patriots have five Atlantic League Championships, with the last coming in 2009.

The Long Island Ducks (80-59) clinched a spot in the postseason by virtue of a wild card thanks to the second-best overall record in the Atlantic League, behind just Somerset. The Ducks ran toe-to-toe with the Patriots in the first-half of the season, before a late slide had them finishing with a 46-24 record, four games behind Somerset. Long Island posted a 34-35 record in the second half, including a five-game losing streak to finish off the season.

The Ducks calling card through the 2015 season was their offense. As a team, Long Island led the league in runs (649), batting average (.283), slugging percentage (.398) and on-base percentage (.344). Three different Ducks finished in the top four in the league in batting (Sean Burroughs, Delta Cleary Jr. and Dan Lyons), while outfielder/ bench coach Lew Ford hit .364 with eight home runs and 63 RBI in only 75 games played.

Fourth-year manager Kevin Baez leads a Ducks team that will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Long Island has won three Atlantic League championships, including back-to-back titles in 2012 and 2013.

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Atlantic League Stories from September 23, 2015


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