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Jaydon Gartner of the Lloyd Twins is awarded MVP (left) and Top Pitcher (top right), while Brock Harrison receives Top Batter honours, each presented by NSRBL Co-commissioner, Kelvin Colliar. (Submitted photo/NSRBL)
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NSRBL presents awards for MVP, Top Pitcher and Top Batter

Jul 29, 2021 | 2:01 PM

The North Sask River Baseball League presented their awards for League MVP, Top Pitcher and Top Batter Wednesday evening.

Jaydon Gartner – 2021 MVP, Top Pitcher

Jaydon Gartner of the defending-champion Lloyminster Twins received both MVP and Top Pitcher honours after posting a perfect 3-0 pitching record, along with an ERA (earned run average) of .970, while striking out 35 batters in 21.3 innings of work.

At the plate, Gartner also had a batting average of .348, collecting eight hits and 11 RBI (Runs batted in).

Jaydon Gartner receives the Eldon Elliot – Dr. Ian Smith trophy as NSRBL MVP, and Valley Ford Sales Top Pitcher Award from commissioner Kelvin Colliar. (Submitted photo/NSRBL)

The Macklin product said just being recognized for his body of work this season by his fellow teammates and peers around the league is something special.

“It’s an honour really just to be nominated,” Gartner said. “It means a lot to have the team think of me, and then to get awarded just means my success through the year paid off and the success of the team behind me as well and what they do to help me get to the top.”

The third-year NSRBL veteran was a nearly-unanimous selection for top pitcher, receiving 11 of the 12 total team votes. Gartner will attend the University of Mount Olive in North Carolina next year on a baseball scholarship.

Brock Harrison – 2021 Top Batter

North Battleford product, Brock Harrison took home the Top Batter award, posting a league-best 19 hits, 20 runs, 13 RBI, and .594 batting average. Do to his lethal precision at the plate, Harrison was also walked a league-high 11 times.

Brock Harrison receives the 2021 Western Pro Sports (Lloydminster) Top Batter Award from commissioner Kelvin Colliar. (Submitted photo/NSRBL)

Harrison said while the award is nice, he’s just happy to contribute to his team with a strong performance this year in what may well be his final campaign before hanging up the cleats for good in the senior baseball ranks.

“I’m getting to that age where this will probably be my last year of playing ball, so it’s just been nice to get to the diamond and play with my brother (Brett) and the boys maybe one last year,” Harrison said. “I just go out there to play and have fun while my family gets to go to the games, so that way it’s been a good year.”

Harrison who now lives in Warman said the lengthy commute to games, along with his brother’s pending retirement from senior ball to coach his son’s team in the future, makes the coming offseason the likely right time for himself to call it a career with the Lakers.

Gartner and his Twins’ teammates currently lead Harrison and Standard Hill 1-0 in the teams’ best-of-three semifinal playoff series. Game 2 will be played tonight at 6:30 p.m. in Lloydminster. The winner of the series will play the winner of Kindersley and Wilkie in the NSRBL Finals.

Martin.Martinson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1