By Michael Letendre

SOUTH HADLEY, MA – The New England Collegiate Baseball League recently announced several of its 2023 regular season award winners and one of those honors went to the Bristol Blues’ own Jagger Duquette.

The undefeated Jagger was named the 2023 Robin Roberts Starter of the Year for the NECBL.

“The Robin Roberts Starter of the Year is given to the best overall starter during the regular season,” according to a release from the league on Monday.

The right handed pitcher, the senior from Wagner College and a former Bristol Eastern High School standout, helped the Blues to a late dash to the postseason, a ride that ended in the finals of the Fay Vincet, Sr. Cup Championship.

Duquette went a perfect 4-0 this past season, starting nine games – throwing an inning during the 2023 NECBL All-Star Game.

He was 3-0 in regular season play, picking up an additional victory during a complete game gem in the playoffs against Valley on August 1 (5-0 win, seven strikeouts).

Duquette threw nearly 50 innings overall this season, posting a slick 1.63 ERA.

Just in the regular season alone, he carried a 1.37 ERA, striking out 31 batters over 32.2 innings of work.  

He walked just seven batters while posting four scoreless appearances along the way.

Duquette allowed fewer than five hits in all but one outing this year with that game being a six-hitter in Bristol’s 6-2 win over Danbury on July 9. He won that game over a five strikeout, zero walk performance.

And he had a couple appearances that ended up as no-decisions in close one-run losses.

Against Keene on June 16 and North Adams on June 24, the chucker from Bristol picked up six Ks over each contest.

Other award winners included Danbury’s Anthony Steele (The Joe Nathan Reliever of the Year award) and Sanford’s Logan Poteet (The 2023 NECBL Batting Champion).