After Ida floods, Somerset Patriots come back to Bridgewater this weekend

Last week, Garden State baseball fans were beholden to the sight of the TD Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater submerged in murky brown water from the nearby Raritan River following the storm surge from Hurricane Ida.

Now, with the stadium largely cleaned up, the Somerset Patriots that call the Bridgewater-based stadium their home are set to return Sept. 10 for their next home game.

“Opening the ballpark after everything we’ve all been through is a tribute to the resilience of this great community that we serve,” reads a Sept. 8 statement from Jonathan Kalafer, the Patriots’ co-chair.

On Friday, the Patriots are slated to go up against the Hartford Yard Goats at 7:05 p.m., after the first three matches following the storm were moved up to Dunkin’ Donuts Park, a Minor League stadium in Hartford, because of the flooding.

“It goes without saying how thankful we are that our friends at the Yard Goats took us in this week,” added Patrick McVerry, the Patriots’ president and general manager. “They stepped up and made our team feel welcome when we couldn’t be at home.”

The Patriots said they plan to hold 50-50 raffles during this weekend’s games, Sept. 10 through Sept. 12, to raise money for the nearby affected communities.

Those towns, like Manville, which President Joe Biden visited earlier in the week, bore the brunt of flooding when the Raritan River swelled up and inundated most of the local town with floodwaters.

Tickets for this weekend’s games are available online at the Patriots’ website.