Serge, Koch sweep top awards

NEW CARLISLE- South Bend's Matt Serge and Wills Township's Tony Koch are taking home

ORWBL's top individual honors this season. Both players were named Cy Young winners in their respective leagues, and now claim each league's Most Valuable Player awards as well. Serge, in his second year as skipper of the Sour Wowers, led the American League with a .665 batting average (minimum 100 at-bats). He hit for some power with 24 home runs. However his true strength at the plate was an ability to hit the ball to all fields. His 81 RBI was an American League high, as was his 125 hits and 81 runs scored. On the mound, Serge went 12-3 with 4.90 ERA, which earned him the aforementioned AL Cy Young award. His leadership and energy is unquestionable, as Serge has led South Bend to consecutive ORWBL Championships in his two years at the helm. Koch led the ORWBL with a .672 batting average, appearing in a team-high 39 games for the Federalists. His 46 home runs ranked third in the National League, while his 85 RBI ranked fourth. He became the first player in ORWBL history to reach 150 hits in one season, totaling 154 on the year. Koch also took home his league's Cy Young award, as his efforts on the mound helped the Federalists make a late surge at the end of the regular season. Koch went undefeated (7-0) with a 3.89 ERA. While his teammates campaigned for him to win the "Most Hated Player" award, certainly Koch will be satisfied with NL Most Valuable Player instead.