The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Bridgewater, NJ- Somerset Patriots infielder Kyle Roller has been named a 2017 Atlantic League Post-Season All-Star, the league announced Tuesday. Roller was selected as the designated hitter for the post-season All-Star team through voting from club managers, executives and media.
Despite playing in only 90 games during the regular season, Roller led the Atlantic League in slugging percentage (.591), on-base percentage (.429) and OPS (1.020). The next closest player in slugging (Alonzo Harris, York) finished 61 points lower than Roller, while the next closest in on-base percentage (James Skelton, New Britain) finished 21 points lower. 
Additionally, the former East Carolina University standout finished third in the league in batting (.326), sixth in home runs (22), tied-sixth in RBI (77) and tied-eighth in walks (55). Roller’s 61 runs scored were tied for the team-lead while his 102 hits ranked third on the team.
Roller enjoyed a historic night at TD Bank Ballpark on Wednesday, June 28th against the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. That night, the former New York Yankees’ draft pick went 5-for-5 from the plate with two home runs and became just the second Somerset Patriot ever to record a cycle (Orlando Miller, 2002). In addition, became the fourth Patriot all-time to tally eight RBI in a single game, tying the franchise record with Ryan Radmanovich (2008), Emiliano Escandon (2003) and Greg Blosser (2001).
The second-year Patriot notched a number of notable streaks during the season, including a 10-game stretch from June 25th through July 5th in which he went 18-for-36 (.500) with five home runs and 20 RBI. Roller also had a six-game stretch from July 29th through August 4th where he hit three home runs with nine RBI and a four-game stretch from September 3rd through September 7th in which he went 7-for-16 (.438) with three home runs, four runs scored and 10 RBI.
The Somerset Patriots recently completed their 20th Season Anniversary in which they led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. For more information about the 2018 season, please 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 37 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 800 players and 50 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 to metropolitan markets serving nearly 15% of the US population.
For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.
