Cubs dominate SBL individual awards

GSM Cubs players pose with their team and individual awards at the conclusion of the Under 25 division of the 2017 Saipan Baseball League last Friday at the Francisco M. Palacios Ballfield. (Jon Perez)

The GSM Cubs showed why they are the champions of the Under 25 division of the Saipan Baseball League after dominating the individual awards in both the batting and pitching categories.

Frankie “Kiku” Lizama led six Cubs players who brought home individual awards. He took four individual trophies, including the regular season most valuable player. The Cubs infielder also topped the league in batting with a .512 average and had two triples to also earn the award in that category, then joined brother A.J. Lizama as co-RBI champs with 10 each.

The Cubs’ Fred Songao scored the most runs in the regular season with 16, while teammate Jose Lizama Jr. posted the lowest ERA with .028 that earned him the Pitcher of the Year honors.

Henry Lizama Jr., also a member of the Lizama-led Cubs, received the Golden Glove award as an outfielder, while Virgil Secharmidal of the Blue Jays duplicated the feat as an infielder.

The Pirates’ Nathan Camacho was the doubles champion with five, while Frankie Lieto of the runners-up Falcons was the league’s strikeout king with 34. Barry Sunumai, also of the Falcons, was awarded the Catcher of the Year trophy.

Cubs’ lefty hurler Joe Palacios was named Finals MVP after pitching four innings in relief and limiting the Falcons to three runs on four hits with a strikeout and one walk. He and the GSM defense also shut down the Falcons in the fifth and seventh innings.

The A.J. Murig-managed squad—supported by Go See Mark, Geri Dela Cruz, and Senate President Arnold Palacios—also took the pennant after ending the regular season with a league-best 11-1 win-loss record.

The Cubs then clinched the SBL’s U25 division title on a Peyton Lizama walk-off single, squeezing out a 9-8 decision against the Tanapag Falcons in last Friday’s championship match at the Francisco M. Palacios Ballfield.

The Falcons were also the runners-up in the pennant race, aside from settling for second place in the finals. The Blue Jays finished third following a 10-9 decision over the IPI Pirates, while the Cubs added the Sportsmanship Award to their collection.

Murig earned the Manager of the Year honors, while Mart Naputi was named the Coach of the Year.

Richard Dela Cruz, Nokki Saralu, Verlance Secharmidal, Angel Palacios, Ethan Babauta, Keoni Kaipat, Shakobe Rangamar, and K.J. Kalen are the other members of the champion team, while Jerome Delos Santos is the assistant coach.

Meanwhile, it was A.J. Evangelista (not A.J. Norita as earlier reported) who went 2-for-3 and scored three runs in the Tanapag Falcons’ championship game against the GSM Cubs.