2018 Alpine Cowboys Season Recap - Austin Prott's Final Season in Alpine
The 2018 Alpine Cowboys season marked the end of the Austin Prott era at Kokernot Field. After taking over as manager in 2017 and immediately returning the Cowboys to winning baseball, Prott entered his second season with expectations that Alpine would again be one of the strongest teams in the Pecos League. The Cowboys delivered one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history, producing a powerful offense, a deep pitching staff and long stretches of dominant baseball.
It would also be Prott's final season as manager of the Alpine Cowboys.
Prott's connection to Alpine extended beyond his time in the dugout. He had previously been an important player for the 2014 Cowboys team that won 47 regular-season games and reached the Pecos League Championship Series. After Alpine struggled in 2016 and missed the playoffs, Prott returned as manager in 2017 and immediately helped restore the winning culture that had defined the franchise during the early years of the Pecos League.
The 2018 Cowboys took another step forward.
Alpine assembled a lineup with tremendous production throughout the order. Seth Douglas became one of the biggest offensive forces on the team. Douglas appeared in 62 games and collected 90 hits in 220 at-bats for a .409 batting average. He scored 74 runs, hit 14 doubles, two triples and a team-high 15 home runs while driving in a team-high 74 runs. He also drew 39 walks and was hit by 17 pitches, giving Prott a hitter who consistently reached base and drove in runs.
Tommy Ziegen was another major part of the offense. Ziegen played in 60 games and collected a team-high 94 hits in 265 at-bats for a .355 average. He scored a team-high 77 runs, hit 15 doubles, two triples and nine home runs and drove in 67. Ziegen gave Alpine production, durability and another dangerous bat in a lineup that offered opposing pitchers very few easy innings.
Chace Sarchet was outstanding in 41 games. Sarchet collected 68 hits in 157 at-bats for a .433 average. He scored 55 runs, hit 12 doubles, a triple and 11 home runs and drove in 49. Sarchet also drew 33 walks, making him another constant on-base threat.
Mark Traylor provided another productive season in the outfield. Traylor hit .359 with 84 hits in 234 at-bats. He scored 52 runs, hit nine doubles, four triples and seven home runs and drove in 55. His 84 hits were second only to Ziegen among the Cowboys.
Paul Ludden gave Alpine excellent offensive production from the catching position. Ludden hit .412 in 54 games, collecting 73 hits in 177 at-bats. He scored 54 runs and drove in 44 while drawing 27 walks and being hit by 12 pitches.
Lance Myers appeared in 52 games and hit .336 with 50 hits and 50 RBIs. Caleb Davidson played in 58 games, scored 54 runs and hit eight home runs. Ellington Hopkins collected 55 hits, scored 50 times and drove in 35, while Jonathan Bigley hit .386 in 36 games with eight home runs.
Grant Myers added another productive bat in limited at-bats, hitting .370 with 30 hits and four home runs while driving in 31. The depth of the lineup made Alpine extremely difficult to pitch against. Douglas, Ziegen, Sarchet, Traylor, Ludden and Bigley all produced outstanding stretches, and the Cowboys had power distributed throughout the order.
The pitching staff also contained several exceptional performances.
Mike Deletto became one of the most valuable pitchers on Prott's staff. Deletto finished the season 6-0 with a 2.86 ERA. He appeared in 21 games, made four starts and worked 50.1 innings, allowing only 40 hits while striking out 49. His ability to pitch in different roles gave Alpine tremendous flexibility.
Daniel Williams was equally impressive. Williams went 5-0 with a 3.80 ERA in eight appearances and seven starts. He worked 45 innings, struck out 56 and completed one game. Williams gave the Cowboys another dependable starter during the heart of the season.
Luke Wiechec went 5-1 with a 3.74 ERA in 11 appearances and nine starts. Wiechec worked 57.2 innings, completed two games and struck out 64, the highest strikeout total on the staff.
Cody Remore went 4-1 with a 3.97 ERA in eight appearances and seven starts. He worked 45.1 innings and completed one game. Ely Gallego led another part of the rotation with six victories, finishing 6-1 while working 58.1 innings.
Cam Carney also won six games and threw a team-high 61.2 innings. Matt Terrones contributed five victories in 22 appearances, including five starts, and struck out 50 in 46.2 innings.
At the back of the bullpen, Seth Douglas became an unusual and extremely valuable two-way contributor. In addition to being one of Alpine's best hitters, Douglas appeared in 17 games on the mound and posted a 2.14 ERA. He recorded nine saves in 21 innings, allowing only 13 hits and five earned runs while striking out 31.
Douglas therefore spent the summer doing damage on both sides of the game. He hit .409 with 15 home runs and 74 RBIs while also serving as Alpine's primary closer and recording nine saves. Few players in the league had a greater impact on their team in as many different ways.
Ryan Hill provided additional relief help, going 3-2 with a 3.95 ERA in 12 appearances and striking out 20 in 13.2 innings.
The combination of Alpine's offense and pitching made the Cowboys one of the most difficult teams in the league to beat during long stretches of the summer.
The 2018 schedule was filled with winning streaks.
Alpine opened the season with a 7-6 victory and quickly demonstrated the offensive personality of the club. The Cowboys won games 16-11 and 20-13 during the opening portion of the schedule before settling into an extended run of excellent baseball.
Beginning in early June, Alpine started stacking victories together. The Cowboys won 12-8, 3-1 and 9-2 before going on the road and winning 10-5 and 12-4. After a 9-2 loss, Alpine responded with victories of 9-2, 12-1 and 18-2.
The Cowboys then won 8-7 and 8-6 before a 4-2 loss briefly interrupted the run. Alpine immediately responded with another series of victories, winning 5-4, 8-4, 18-2, 6-2, 19-3 and 24-3.
The offensive numbers during that stretch were extraordinary. Alpine could win a close game one night and completely overwhelm an opponent the next. The Cowboys scored 18 runs twice, 19 runs once and 24 runs in another game during a relatively short period.
As June ended, Alpine continued winning. The Cowboys posted victories of 6-4 and 3-2 and carried the momentum directly into July.
Alpine opened July with a 7-6 victory and then won 4-3, 6-2 and 9-3. At that point the Cowboys had established themselves as one of the league's premier teams.
There were setbacks. Alpine lost 4-3 and later 12-11 and 12-7, but the Cowboys repeatedly answered losses with another winning streak.
On July 10, Alpine won 14-1. The next night the Cowboys survived a 13-12 shootout. They followed with victories of 6-5, 7-6 and 10-9.
The middle of July produced another dominant stretch.
Alpine won 15-3, 17-6 and 4-2 before going on the road and winning 18-10, 11-5 and 10-9. The Cowboys had now won nine consecutive games with decisions.
Even after a 9-8 loss, Alpine responded with a 17-5 victory. After a wild 16-15 defeat, the Cowboys answered with a 19-17 win and then another 17-5 victory.
Those games represented the personality of the 2018 Cowboys. Prott's club was comfortable in almost any type of game. Alpine could win 3-1 or 4-2. It could also survive games that finished 19-17, 13-12 or 10-9.
The Cowboys entered the final portion of the schedule still playing excellent baseball. Alpine won 11-1 and 10-6 before dropping an 18-12 game. The Cowboys answered with an 8-5 victory before a 7-4 loss closed the schedule.
By the end of the regular season, Alpine had once again established itself as one of the Pecos League's elite clubs.
The numbers throughout the roster demonstrated why.
Douglas hit .409 with 15 home runs and 74 RBIs while also saving nine games with a 2.14 ERA. Sarchet hit .433 with 11 home runs. Ludden hit .412. Ziegen collected 94 hits, scored 77 runs and drove in 67. Traylor collected 84 hits and drove in 55. Deletto went 6-0. Williams went 5-0. Wiechec went 5-1. Remore went 4-1. Gallego went 6-1.
It was one of the deepest and most productive teams Austin Prott managed during his time in Alpine.
The season also represented the completion of a two-year turnaround under Prott.
When he took over before the 2017 season, Alpine was coming off the first disappointing year of its Pecos League history. The Cowboys had finished 32-34 in 2016 and missed the playoffs for the first time. Prott immediately restored the club to winning baseball in 2017 and followed that season with an even stronger team in 2018.
His time as manager therefore represented an important transitional period for the organization.
Prott understood Alpine from both sides of the game. He had played at Kokernot Field. He had been part of the 2014 team that advanced to the Pecos League Championship Series. He knew what the expectations were from the fans and the organization, and when he became manager he was responsible for restoring those expectations after the disappointment of 2016.
By the end of 2018, he had accomplished that.
Alpine was again a winning organization.
The Cowboys had an explosive offense, a productive pitching staff and a roster filled with players who produced memorable individual seasons. Douglas emerged as one of the most unique two-way players in the league. Ziegen, Sarchet, Traylor and Ludden gave Alpine one of its deepest offensive groups, while Deletto, Williams, Wiechec and the rest of the pitching staff gave Prott enough arms to survive a demanding Pecos League schedule.
The 2018 season ultimately became Austin Prott's final year as manager of the Alpine Cowboys.
His managerial tenure lasted only two seasons, but it came at an important point in franchise history. Alpine had experienced its first significant setback in 2016. Prott arrived in 2017 and immediately changed the direction of the club. By 2018, the Cowboys had again become one of the league's strongest teams.
That made the end of the season the end of an era at Kokernot Field.
Austin Prott had first been part of the Cowboys as a player. He later returned as manager. His two seasons in the dugout helped restore the winning standard that had defined Alpine during the early years of the Pecos League.
The 2018 Cowboys will be remembered for their explosive offense, long winning streaks and remarkable individual performances. They could dominate an opponent 24-3 or 18-2, survive a 19-17 shootout or win a close game 3-1. Few teams were comfortable playing as many different styles of baseball as Alpine was that summer.
It was also the final chapter of Austin Prott's time managing the Cowboys.
Prott inherited an organization that needed to regain its direction after 2016. Over the next two summers, he helped put Alpine back where the franchise expected to be - among the strongest teams in the Pecos League.
When the 2018 season ended, so did Austin Prott's tenure as manager.
His final Cowboys team left behind a summer filled with winning baseball and provided the conclusion to an important two-year chapter in the history of the Alpine Cowboys at Kokernot Field.
