2019 Alpine Cowboys Season Recap - Sean Persky Leads the Cowboys Back to the Pecos League Championship

The 2019 Alpine Cowboys season was one of the great seasons in franchise history. Under first-year manager Sean Persky, the Cowboys returned to the top of the Pecos League and completed their summer by defeating the Bakersfield Train Robbers in the Pecos League Championship Series. Seven years after Alpine captured its first Pecos League title in 2012, the Cowboys were champions again.

Persky took over an organization with enormous expectations. Austin Prott had managed Alpine during the previous two seasons and had restored the Cowboys to winning baseball following the disappointing 2016 season. Prott's final team in 2018 had been one of the strongest clubs in the league, leaving Persky with the responsibility of taking the next step.

In Alpine, that next step meant winning the championship.

The Cowboys had been one of the cornerstone franchises of the Pecos League since its inaugural season in 2011. Alpine reached the playoffs in each of the league's first five seasons, won the championship in 2012 and returned to the Championship Series in 2014. There had been playoff losses to Roswell, the heartbreaking championship loss to Santa Fe in 2014 and the disappointment of missing the postseason in 2016.

By 2019, Alpine had waited seven years for another championship.

Persky's first Cowboys team was built to end that wait.

The lineup featured exceptional production throughout the order. Sam Little became one of Alpine's most dangerous hitters, batting .429 in 38 games. Little collected 57 hits in 133 at-bats, scored 40 runs and finished with 10 doubles, three triples and five home runs. He drove in 30 runs and gave the Cowboys another hitter capable of completely changing a game.

Lance Myers was outstanding throughout the summer. Myers hit .420 in 49 games, collecting 68 hits in 162 at-bats. He scored 42 runs, hit 14 doubles and drove in 29. Myers also drew 39 walks and finished with a .551 on-base percentage, making him one of the most difficult outs in the Alpine lineup.

Webb Little provided another tremendous offensive threat. In 25 games he hit .429 with 39 hits in 91 at-bats. Little scored 31 runs, hit six doubles, a triple and seven home runs and drove in 36. His .747 slugging percentage demonstrated the impact he could make in a relatively limited number of games.

Rodney Tennie became one of the most important table setters in the lineup. Tennie appeared in 49 games and hit .387 with 63 hits. He scored 58 runs, drew 32 walks and stole an extraordinary 52 bases. His speed gave the Cowboys a completely different offensive weapon and constantly placed pressure on opposing pitchers, catchers and defenses.

Ely Gallego continued his long association with the Cowboys and contributed on both sides of the game. At the plate, Gallego hit .355 in 51 games with 55 hits, 15 doubles, five home runs and 46 RBIs. He also appeared on the mound, going 3-1 with a 3.13 ERA.

Mark Traylor returned as another important part of the offense. Traylor appeared in 46 games and collected 63 hits while batting .317. He hit nine doubles, three triples and eight home runs and drove in 40. His ability to produce extra-base hits gave Persky another experienced middle-of-the-order option.

Chris Scura provided a combination of patience and speed. Scura scored 59 runs in 50 games, drew 49 walks and stole 18 bases. Ellington Hopkins hit .364 with 52 hits in 38 games and stole 16 bases. Chris York also hit .364, adding three home runs and 23 RBIs in 31 games.

The Cowboys therefore possessed an offense that could attack opponents in several different ways. Myers, Sam Little and Webb Little could hit for tremendous averages. Traylor and Gallego could drive the baseball. Tennie and Scura could create havoc on the bases. There were few easy outs in Persky's lineup.

The pitching staff gave Alpine another major advantage.

Jake Binder was outstanding in the starting rotation. Binder went 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA in eight starts. He worked 45 innings, completed two games and struck out 39 while walking only nine. His 1.11 WHIP was among the best marks on the team.

Jake Waters provided another excellent starter. Waters went 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA in eight starts. He worked 49 innings, completed one game and struck out 52. Together, Binder and Waters gave Persky two starters capable of controlling important games.

Jose Hernandez went 5-0 in 10 appearances, including nine starts. Hernandez worked 47 innings and struck out 69, the highest total on the staff. His ability to miss bats made him one of Alpine's most dangerous pitchers.

Mike Deletto, who had been an important part of the 2018 club, returned and went 4-2 with a 3.32 ERA. He worked 46 innings in 12 appearances and six starts. Aaron Marquez also won four games and threw a team-high 57 innings while completing two games.

The bullpen featured one of the best late-inning combinations in the league.

Andrew Click was dominant. Click appeared in 20 games and finished 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA and eight saves. He worked 23 innings, allowed only 17 hits and five earned runs and gave Persky a dependable option to finish games.

Jake Woods was equally impressive in relief. Woods appeared in 25 games and posted a 2.89 ERA. He walked only two batters in 28 innings while striking out 26. With Click and Woods available late in games, Alpine had the ability to protect the leads its offense created.

Ryan Hill also produced a strong season in the rotation, posting a 2.85 ERA in six starts. Gallego contributed his 3.13 ERA in a combination of starting and relief work, giving Persky additional flexibility.

The season began on May 30 with an 11-8 loss, but there was little indication of what was coming next.

Alpine responded the following night with a 24-14 victory.

The Cowboys then began June with an 11-6 win and quickly found their rhythm. Alpine won 8-3, 7-6 and 8-3 before suffering an 11-10 loss. The Cowboys answered immediately with victories of 19-14 and 25-9.

The offense was already demonstrating how dangerous it could become.

Alpine then began one of its strongest stretches of the early season. The Cowboys won 3-2, 4-3, 10-2 and 16-4. After a 14-5 loss, they responded with a 17-14 victory.

Close games became a major part of Alpine's identity. The Cowboys won 6-5 and 8-7 on consecutive days. Later in June they won 11-3 and continued to build a strong position in the Mountain Division.

The Cowboys were not dependent entirely on huge offensive totals. Persky's club demonstrated repeatedly that it could win close games, which would become extremely important when the postseason arrived.

July tested Alpine in a different way.

The Cowboys experienced wins and losses in rapid succession but continued to maintain their place among the strongest teams in the division. Alpine won 12-8 and followed with a 13-2 road victory. After an 8-6 loss, the Cowboys answered with a 10-3 victory and then recorded a 10-0 shutout.

That 10-0 victory demonstrated the balance of the team. Alpine's offense could overwhelm opponents, but the pitching staff was equally capable of taking control of a game.

The Cowboys continued winning close games as July progressed. They earned victories of 5-4, 7-6 and 9-8 and then put together another impressive stretch late in the month.

Alpine won 9-0 and 8-1 on consecutive nights. After a 4-3 loss, the Cowboys answered with an 11-2 victory. They later won 4-3, 7-5 and 9-4 before recording a 4-0 shutout.

The regular season had prepared Alpine for postseason baseball.

Persky's Cowboys could win a slugfest.

They could win a one-run game.

They could win a shutout.

And when the postseason arrived, Alpine began playing its best baseball of the season.

The Cowboys opened their August postseason run on August 8 with an 8-1 victory. Alpine followed the next night with an emphatic 13-4 win.

Those victories sent the Cowboys forward with tremendous momentum and brought Alpine back to the Pecos League Championship Series.

Waiting for them were the Bakersfield Train Robbers.

The matchup was a rematch between two of the Pecos League's premier organizations. Bakersfield had established itself as a power on the Pacific side of the league, while Alpine represented one of the original and most successful franchises from the Mountain side.

For Alpine, the championship series represented an opportunity that had been seven years in the making.

The Cowboys had not won the Pecos League Championship since defeating the Las Cruces Vaqueros in 2012. They had returned to the Championship Series in 2014 only to watch Bill Moore's Santa Fe Fuego win the final two games at Kokernot Field. Several other strong Alpine teams had fallen short in the postseason.

The 2019 Cowboys were determined not to let another opportunity disappear.

On August 11, Alpine defeated Bakersfield 7-3.

One victory remained.

The following night produced exactly the type of game that championship baseball should produce.

It was close from beginning to end.

Every run mattered.

Every out mattered.

And when the final out was recorded, the Alpine Cowboys had won 3-2.

The Alpine Cowboys were Pecos League Champions.

Seven years after winning their first league championship, Alpine had finally returned to the top.

Sean Persky had done it in his first season as manager.

The championship completed a remarkable postseason run in which Alpine won four consecutive games. The Cowboys defeated their first postseason opponent 8-1 and 13-4 and then defeated Bakersfield 7-3 and 3-2.

Across those four postseason victories, Alpine demonstrated everything that had made the team successful during the regular season. The offense could score in bunches. The pitching staff could control games. And when the championship came down to a one-run contest, the Cowboys had the composure to finish it.

The final 3-2 victory was a fitting conclusion to the season.

Alpine had spent the summer learning how to win close games. The Cowboys had recorded regular-season victories of 7-6, 3-2, 4-3, 6-5, 8-7, 5-4, 7-6, 9-8, 4-3 and 4-3. When the biggest game of the season became another one-run battle, Persky's team was ready.

The championship also completed an important transition in Alpine Cowboys history.

The 2012 championship team had established the Cowboys as one of the premier organizations in the young Pecos League. The years that followed featured plenty of winning baseball but also repeated postseason disappointment. The 2014 team came close. Other teams ran into Roswell. The 2016 team missed the playoffs entirely. Austin Prott helped restore the franchise during 2017 and 2018.

Then Persky took over in 2019 and finished the job.

There were outstanding individual performances everywhere on the roster. Myers hit .420. Sam Little and Webb Little each hit .429. Tennie hit .387 and stole 52 bases. Gallego hit .355 and drove in 46 while also contributing on the mound. Traylor hit eight home runs and drove in 40.

Binder went 4-1 with a 1.80 ERA. Waters went 4-1 with a 2.93 ERA. Hernandez went 5-0 and struck out 69. Click went 5-0 with a 1.95 ERA and eight saves. Woods posted a 2.89 ERA in 25 relief appearances.

It was a championship roster from top to bottom.

More importantly, it became a championship team.

The distinction mattered.

Alpine had fielded talented teams before. The Cowboys had produced great hitters, outstanding pitchers and impressive regular-season records. But the Pecos League postseason had repeatedly demonstrated that talent alone did not guarantee a championship.

The 2019 Cowboys found a way to finish.

They finished the postseason with four consecutive victories.

They finished the championship series with consecutive wins over Bakersfield.

And they finished the summer with the Pecos League Championship.

For Sean Persky, there could hardly have been a better beginning to his time managing the Alpine Cowboys. He inherited one of the league's most historic franchises and immediately delivered the championship Alpine had been waiting seven years to celebrate.

For Kokernot Field and the Alpine community, it was another championship chapter in a baseball history that stretched far beyond the Pecos League.

For the Cowboys organization, it confirmed that the standard established in the early years of the league remained intact.

Alpine expected to win championships.

In 2019, the Cowboys did exactly that.

The 2012 Alpine Cowboys had been Pecos League Champions.

The 2019 Alpine Cowboys were Pecos League Champions again.

Sean Persky's first season ended with the Cowboys back where Alpine believed they belonged - at the top of the Pecos League.