The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Bridgewater, NJ- The Somerset Patriots have signed Atlantic League All-Star right-handed pitcher Nate Roe for the 2018 season. His rights were originally acquired in a trade with the New Britain Bees for right-handed pitcher Alex Gouin.
“I could not be more excited to get a chance to play for the Patriots,” said Roe. “It has always been a dream of mine to play in my backyard for Somerset. I used to go to games with my father so it will be very special to put on the jersey. It will be great to play here as a Patriot instead of as a visitor.” 
Roe enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and third in the Atlantic League. The Rutgers University alum has spent the majority of his last two seasons with the New Britain Bees, where he split time between work as a starting pitcher and as a reliever. He went 5-3 over 12 appearances (10 starts) in 2016 with New Britain before he established himself as an All-Star relief pitcher last year.
The Plainfield, New Jersey native appeared in 58 games for the Bees last year (tied for ninth in the league) with a 7-6 record, one save and a 3.63 ERA. Roe held his ERA under 2.00 and his WHIP (walks/hits per innings pitched) under 1.00 for the first two months of the season and finished the first half with a 2.31 ERA over 30 relief appearances. That included an impressive 14-game stretch from May 11th to June 11th over which he did not an unearned run (16.2 innings).
“Nate is a very exciting addition to our Patriots pitching staff this year,” said Somerset Patriots manager Brett Jodie. “Nate has been a solid pitcher in our league the last couple of years, including as an All-Star last year. He had success as a starter and reliever but we look for him to help primarily in our bullpen. Roe is a very unselfish player and just wants to compete and help the team win. He will be a perfect fit in our clubhouse. It is great to have him on our side now.”
Roe spent the first three years of his professional career with the Rockland Boulders (Can-Am League) primarily as a relief pitcher. He finished up 2015 with the Garden State Greys before joining the Quebec Capitals to begin the 2016 season. He appeared in 11 games with Quebec before he signed with New Britain to end the 2016 season.
The former Scarlet Knight owns a 23-21 record with three saves and 215 strikeouts over his five-year professional career.
The Somerset Patriots led the Atlantic League in attendance and made their 14th appearance in the playoffs last season. The Somerset Patriots will welcome their 7,000,000th fan in their 20th season at TD Bank Ballpark in 2018. Tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Season presented by Ford beginning at home on Friday, April 27th. For more information, 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 38 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 900 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.
For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.
