The Liberty League is celebrating its 25th anniversary during the 2019-2020 academic year. Originally founded as the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association (UCAA) in 1995, the conference was renamed the Liberty League during the summer of 2004. Each Thursday throughout the year, the Liberty League will be celebrating its silver anniversary by recognizing outstanding teams and individuals from its rich 25-year history.
Over the last seven years, Union College has been one of the more successful baseball teams in the Liberty League with three championships since 2014, claiming league titles in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Jake Fishman was a big part in helping the team win conference titles in 2014 and 2016 as he excelled as both a pitcher and a utility player in three seasons for Union.
Following his junior campaign in 2016, where he paced all of college baseball with an earned run average of 0.41, Fishman was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft. Fishman was selected in the 30th round as the 912th overall pick. He was the first Dutchman to ever be selected.
“It’s just an unbelievable feeling,” said Fishman at the time of the draft. “This makes me incredibly happy. It doesn't matter what the size of the school is; if you put in the work, you get noticed. I believe this puts Union baseball on the map and draws attention to our college and program.”
Fishman made an immediate impact for Union during his rookie campaign from the pitcher’s mound and the plate in 2014. He posted a 7-0 record with a 2.29 earned run average and 49 strikeouts in 63 inning pitched. In just his second collegiate start, he tossed a no-hitter. In addition to pitching, Fishman split time between first base and designated hitter, hitting .400 with 24 runs batted in and 12 stolen bases. Fishman was named the 2014 Liberty League Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Liberty First Team. He helped lead the Dutchmen to their first-ever Liberty League title and first trip to the NCAA tournament since 1965 as they finished the year with a 26-12-1 mark.
He also had a strong sophomore season from the plate with a .477 batting average, 23 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. From the mound, he went 4-2 with a 1.48 earned run average and 43 strikeouts in 42.2 innings. He was again named to the All-Liberty League First Team and he was also recognized for his academics that season, earning a spot on the 2015 Academic All-District Baseball team with a 3.32 grade point average as a Managerial Economics major.
However, it was Fishman’s junior and final season with Union that garnered national attention. He dominated from the pitcher’s mound, topping all of NCAA baseball in earned run average (0.41) to go along with a 7-0 record and 85 strikeouts in 66 innings pitched. In nine appearances, he had six complete games and three shutouts while allowing only three earned runs on the year. He also saw success from the plate in 2016 with a .361 batting average. Fishman paced the Dutchmen in runs scored (29) and hits (48). He also produced 11 doubles, three triples and 14 runs batted in.
Fishman was named the Liberty League Player and Pitcher of the Year following the 2016 season and earned a spot on the All-Liberty League First Team both as pitcher and utility player. He again helped lead Union to a Liberty League championship, the Dutchmen’s second title in three years as the team finished the year with an overall record of 26-14. Fishman was the only Division III player named to the 2016 USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award Midseason Watch List and he was a two-time All-American, garnering All-America accolades from D3Baseball.com as a pitcher and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) at utility.
In his career as a Dutchmen, Fishman went 18-2 with a 1.36 earned run average from the pitcher’s mound and as a hitter he batted .410.
"I am very proud of Jake's accomplishments at Union," said Union Head Coach
Paul Mound after the 2016 MLB draft. “He is deserving of his selection by the Toronto Blue Jays. He is a special player, a special person and the entire Union College community is proud to call him our own."
Since being drafted, Fishman has spent time on various teams within the Blue Jays farm system, including the Golf Coast League Blue Jays, the Vancouver Canadians, the Lansing Lugnuts and most recently, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Toronto’s AA team). With the Fisher Cats during the 2019 season, he was 1-1 with four saves and a 3.45 earned run average in 62.2 innings and a team-high 42 relief appearances. Through three seasons in the minors, Fishman sports a 4-6 record with 13 saves and a 2.97 earned run average and 183 strikeouts.
25th Anniversary Spotlight Series:
10/24/2019 - 1999 St. Lawrence University Men's Soccer
10/31/2019 - Sara Artus, Clarkson University, Volleyball (2008-2011)
11/7/2019 - Ali Marpet, Hobart College, Football (2011-2015)
11/14/2019 - 1997 William Smith College Field Hockey
11/21/2019 - Grant O'Connor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cross Country/Track & Field (2015-2019)
11/28/2019 - Andrew Franks, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Football (2011-2015)
12/5/2019 - 2013 William Smith College Women's Soccer
12/12/2019 - John Coleman, Clarkson University, Basketball and Baseball (2011-2015)
12/19/2019 - Nickie Griesemer, Ithaca College, Swimming & Diving (2013-2018)
1/2/2020 - Kelly Donnelly, Skidmore College, Women's Basketball (2014-2018)
1/9/2020 - Richie Bonney, Hobart College, Men's Basketball (2010-2014)
1/16/2020 - Taryn Cordani, Ithaca College, Cross Country/Track & Field (2014-2018)
1/30/2020 - Amr Khalifa, St. Lawrence University, Men's Squash (2012-2016)
2/6/2020 - Cydni Matsuoka, Vassar College, Women's Basketball (2010-2014)
2/13/2020 - Edvinas Rupkus, Skidmore College, Men's Basketball (2015-2019)
2/20/2020 - Kevin Makarowski, Union College, Men's Swimming & Diving (1993-1997)
2/27/2020 - Kyle Bartlett, University of Rochester, Women's Track & Field (2015-2019)
4/9/2020 - Heather Ingraham, Vassar College, Women's Track & Field (2012-2015)
4/16/2020 - Stephen Goodridge, University of Rochester, Men's Golf (2004-2008)
4/23/2020 - 1998 Skidmore College Women's Tennis
5/1/2020 - The Eisenhut Siblings - Meredith, Cliff & Erika, St. Lawrence University & Union College
5/7/2020 - Ben Fazio, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Cross Country/Track & Field (2013-2017)
5/14/2020 - Rebecca Gutwin, William Smith College, Rowing (2002-2006)