The Cardinals’ Nokki Saralu acknowledges his teammate after both safely advanced during a game against the Junior Nationals in the 2023 Tan Holdings Saipan Baseball League at the Francisco “Tan Ko” Palacios Baseball Field.
THE Cardinals not only claimed the 2023 Tan Holdings Saipan Baseball League championship title, they also did it with finesse by winning all their 10 regular and two championship games.
Their defense, moreover, is nearly impenetrable while their offense is led by well-rounded batters that include this season’s batting champion, Nokki Saralu.
In game 2 of the best-of-three championship series against the Junior Nationals, Saralu went 1-5 with one RBI via sacrifice fly to aid in his team’s 11-5 victory to win the title.
It was his consistency throughout the season that gave him the batting champion title, going 33 at bat with 19 hits for an average of .576. He also led in most runs scored with a total of 21.
“I don’t really bank on the accolade — it’s more of a team sport; it’s teamwork,” said Saralu. “My motto is be humble, respect the game, and practice,” he added.
Also receiving individual awards were Cameron Towai as the leader in doubles with 5; Josenio Alvarez as the leader in triples with 3; Devyn Flores as homerun leader with 1; and Brian Camacho as the leader in RBIs with 15.
On defense, Virgil Secharmidol was the pitching leader with 6 games, 15.1 innings, 1 ER, 6 hits, 2-0 W/L, and 0.46 ERA; while Jason Reyes was the strikeout leader with a total of 45.
