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Somerset Patriots Ink Jake Joyce


(Bridgewater, N.J., Jan. 30, 2019) - The Somerset Patriots have announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Jake Joyce for the 2019 season.

“I’m really excited to start a new chapter with the Patriots,” said Joyce. “By knowing a couple of players from last year’s team, I was able to follow the team and the success through social media. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the organization and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

Joyce enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and first in the Atlantic League. The 27 year-old has spent each of the last four seasons with the Schaumburg Boomers (Frontier League) as a go-to relief pitcher, including the last two seasons as the team’s primary closer. Joyce went 4-2 last year with a 2.58 ERA and 12 saves over 38 relief appearances. This came off the heels of an equally impressive 2017 season, when he carried a 2.68 ERA with 16 saves over 40 appearances.

The Collinsville, Virginia native has been known for two specific stats in his time with the Boomers: relief appearances and strikeouts. Joyce has ranked among the top two on his team in relief appearances in each of his four seasons with the Boomers, including a team-leading 34 and 40 appearances in 2015 and 2017, respectively.

Additionally, The Virginia Tech alumnus posted a strikeout per nine innings (K/9) ratio of over 11.0 in each season with Schaumburg, finishing in the top four in the league three times (2016-’18). That includes three seasons over 12.0 and a career-best/league leading 14.5 K/9 in 2017, when he struck out 65 batters over 40.1 innings of work.

“We are proud to be joined by Joyce this year,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Jake has put up very impressive and consistent numbers over his last four years in the Frontier League. He has primarily been a late-inning reliever during his career and we will find a role that best suits his skill set. It is vital to find guys that are comfortable in those late innings situations. We think we have a guy in Joyce that will fit in nicely.”

Joyce owned a 16-11 record with a 2.41 ERA, 30 saves and 231 strikeouts over 160.2 innings pitching in his four seasons with Schaumburg. He led the team in appearances (145) and ranked second in strikeouts over this four-year stretch.

The former 2013 ninth-round draft pick spent the first two seasons of his professional career in the Washington Nationals organization; both with Low-A Auburn. He owns 18 wins and a career 2.78 ERA with 262 strikeouts over six professional seasons.

The Somerset Patriots will be back in action on Friday, April 26th for Opening Day at TD Bank Ballpark. Stay up to date on all the team news throughout the offseason online; on all of our social media platforms, and on our mobile app. For more information, visit www.somersetpatriots.com.

About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)

The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 40 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 900 players and 70 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment.

For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.
 

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