2018 Trinidad Triggers Season Recap - A 45-Win Season Keeps Trinidad Among the Pecos League's Top Teams
The 2018 Trinidad Triggers continued one of the most consistent stretches of winning baseball in the early history of the Pecos League. Seven years after professional baseball first arrived at Trinidad Central Park, the Triggers were no longer an expansion story or simply the team that had once been featured on national television. Trinidad had developed into an established Pecos League organization where winning baseball had become expected.
The 2018 team lived up to those expectations.
Trinidad finished the regular season with a 45-21 record, producing one of the best winning percentages in franchise history. The Triggers combined an explosive offense with several outstanding pitching performances and spent much of the summer overwhelming opponents with a lineup capable of scoring runs in enormous numbers.
There were 36-run games, 30-run games and 27-run games. There were long winning streaks and stretches when the Triggers seemed almost impossible to stop. Trinidad's lineup featured power throughout the order, while Joseph Broderick and Matt Stuart each completed undefeated 8-0 pitching seasons.
The result was another memorable summer at Central Park and another chapter in Trinidad's remarkable run as one of the Pecos League's most competitive franchises.
Trinidad Enters Its Seventh Pecos League Season
By 2018, the history of the Trinidad Triggers was already substantial.
The franchise had debuted in 2012 and immediately reached the playoffs. The 2013 team had been followed throughout the summer by the television cameras that produced "The Pecos League," which aired nationally on Fox Sports 1 the following year. The Triggers continued winning in 2014, produced a dominant division championship team in 2015 and reached the Pecos League Championship Series for the first time in 2016.
The 2017 season began a new era following the departure of Royce Holder and still resulted in 37 victories. That team proved Trinidad could remain competitive even after the players and leadership responsible for the championship run had moved on.
The 2018 Triggers took another step forward.
Trinidad improved significantly from the previous season and again fielded one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the Pecos League.
The Triggers Explode Out of the Gate
There was little mystery about the identity of the 2018 Triggers once the season began.
They were going to hit.
Trinidad opened its recorded schedule on May 17 with an 18-6 victory. After several days without a game, the Triggers returned on May 24 and scored 23 runs in a 23-6 victory.
The next night they scored 21.
Trinidad won 21-13 on May 25 and followed with victories of 14-10, 21-6 and 20-7.
The Triggers had opened the season with six consecutive victories, and five of those six wins featured at least 18 Trinidad runs.
It was an extraordinary beginning.
Trinidad finally suffered its first recorded loss in a 10-4 game on May 29, but even that didn't slow the Triggers for long. Trinidad returned later that day and won 4-3 before beginning June with consecutive victories.
The message was clear very early in the season.
Pitching to the 2018 Trinidad Triggers was going to be extremely difficult.
Joba Ferrell Becomes Trinidad's Biggest Run Producer
Joba Ferrell emerged as one of the most dangerous hitters in the Trinidad lineup.
Ferrell played 55 games and collected 85 hits in 225 at-bats. He scored 72 runs, hit 17 doubles and three triples and led the Triggers with 16 home runs.
His biggest contribution came from his ability to drive in runs.
Ferrell finished with 95 RBIs.
Producing 95 runs in only 55 games represented an extraordinary rate of production. Ferrell wasn't simply hitting home runs with the bases empty. He consistently delivered when Trinidad had runners in scoring position.
He also stole 29 bases, giving the Triggers a player who combined power with speed.
Ferrell's 16 home runs and 95 RBIs made him the centerpiece of one of the deepest offensive attacks in the league.
Matt Eureste Leads the Triggers in Hits
Matt Eureste provided another major offensive force.
Eureste appeared in 62 games and accumulated 264 at-bats, collecting a team-high 103 hits. He scored 80 runs, also the highest total on the club, while hitting 23 doubles, two triples and nine home runs.
He drove in 65 runs and gave Trinidad an extremely consistent presence near the top and middle of the lineup.
Reaching 100 hits during a Pecos League season is a significant accomplishment because of the league's relatively short schedule. Eureste averaged well over one hit per game and repeatedly created scoring opportunities for the hitters around him.
His 80 runs scored illustrated just how frequently those opportunities became Trinidad runs.
Kenneth Fudge Remains a Major Part of the Trinidad Offense
Kenneth Fudge returned as one of Trinidad's most productive hitters and delivered another outstanding season.
Fudge played 58 games and collected 71 hits in 186 at-bats. He hit 21 doubles and nine home runs while driving in 77 runs.
Perhaps even more impressive was his plate discipline.
Fudge drew 57 walks, easily one of the largest totals on the team. His ability to reach base without expanding the strike zone created additional opportunities for a Trinidad lineup filled with run producers.
Fudge wasn't required to carry the offense by himself. Instead, he became part of a group of hitters who complemented each other extremely well.
If opposing pitchers tried to work around one Trinidad hitter, another dangerous bat was waiting behind him.
Power Throughout the Lineup
The depth of the Trinidad offense separated the 2018 team from many of its opponents.
Nick Stoll collected 85 hits in 225 at-bats while scoring 60 runs. He hit 11 doubles, three triples and five home runs while driving in 40.
Tim Henry returned and produced another strong season, collecting 79 hits with 15 doubles, two triples and nine home runs. Henry drove in 63 runs and scored 65 times.
Bronson Butcher added 70 hits, seven home runs and 50 RBIs. Abel Arocho collected 72 hits, scored 66 runs and drew 52 walks. Danny Molinari had 47 hits in only 116 at-bats while driving in 30.
Justin Busekrus continued contributing with 46 hits, 10 doubles and five home runs in 125 at-bats.
Rickey Ramirez was particularly explosive in limited playing time. Ramirez collected 36 hits in only 70 at-bats, including 10 doubles and six home runs, while driving in 33 runs.
The numbers explain why Trinidad was capable of producing so many enormous offensive games.
There simply wasn't an easy place for opposing pitchers to escape the lineup.
Trinidad Scores 36 Runs in One Game
The offensive high point of the season came on June 10 at Central Park.
Trinidad scored 36 runs.
The Triggers won 36-6 in one of the most lopsided games on their schedule and one of the largest offensive performances in franchise history.
The game came only one day after Trinidad had scored 27 runs in a 27-13 victory.
That meant the Triggers scored 63 runs in two consecutive games.
It was an almost unbelievable offensive stretch, even by Pecos League standards.
Trinidad followed those games with victories of 12-3, 13-2 and 10-4.
Over a five-game stretch beginning June 9, the Triggers scored 98 runs.
Opposing pitching staffs had virtually no answers.
A Dominant June Winning Streak
Trinidad's strongest sustained stretch came later in June.
After losing consecutive games on June 15 and June 16, the Triggers responded with a 9-2 victory on June 17.
That victory started a remarkable run.
Trinidad won 17-16 on June 18. The following day, the Triggers swept two games by scores of 14-6 and 14-7. They won 7-4 on June 20, 14-9 on June 21, 8-0 on June 22, 14-5 on June 23 and 12-11 on June 24.
The streak continued on the road with an 18-5 victory on June 25 and an 8-7 win on June 26.
By the time Trinidad finally lost 11-9 on June 27, the Triggers had won ten consecutive games.
It was one of the defining stretches of the 2018 season.
Trinidad wasn't simply winning. The Triggers were winning blowouts, one-run games, high-scoring shootouts and low-scoring pitching games.
That versatility separated the team from one-dimensional offensive clubs.
Joseph Broderick Delivers an Undefeated Season
While Trinidad's offense attracted attention with its enormous run totals, Joseph Broderick quietly put together one of the finest pitching seasons on the roster.
Broderick made 11 starts and finished 8-0.
He threw a team-high 74.1 innings and completed one game while posting a 3.87 ERA. Broderick allowed 67 hits and struck out 74 hitters.
In the offensive environment surrounding the 2018 Pecos League, a 3.87 ERA was outstanding.
More importantly, Broderick never lost.
Every time Trinidad gave him the baseball, the Triggers had an opportunity to win. His combination of durability, strikeouts and run prevention gave Trinidad exactly the type of starting pitcher needed to complement its powerful lineup.
Broderick's 8-0 record became one of the signature individual accomplishments of the season.
Matt Stuart Also Goes 8-0
Remarkably, Broderick wasn't the only Trinidad pitcher to finish the regular season without a loss.
Matt Stuart also went 8-0.
Stuart appeared in 20 games, making four starts, and threw 44.1 innings. He finished with a 4.87 ERA and also recorded a save.
The combination of Broderick and Stuart gave Trinidad 16 pitching victories without a single loss between them.
That type of production was a major reason the Triggers were able to reach 45 victories.
Trinidad's offense could provide plenty of run support, but Broderick and Stuart repeatedly converted that support into wins.
Sean Callahan Provides Another Dependable Starter
Sean Callahan gave Trinidad another reliable option.
Callahan appeared in eight games, making five starts, and finished 3-2 with a 4.42 ERA. He threw 38.2 innings and struck out 36 hitters while completing one game.
Jacob Cobb-Adams went 4-1 while making seven starts and throwing 46.2 innings. Taylor Bridges added four victories in 11 starts, while Jose Orta also provided eight starts.
The pitching staff wasn't perfect, and like virtually every Pecos League team Trinidad experienced games where preventing runs became difficult.
But the Triggers had enough quality pitching at the top of the staff to make their offense extremely difficult to beat.
Thomas Nelson and the Bullpen
Thomas Nelson was outstanding in a smaller sample.
Nelson appeared in seven games and posted a 2-1 record with a 2.07 ERA across 17.1 innings. He also recorded a save.
Cody Strayer returned and again provided valuable innings out of the bullpen, appearing in 17 games and finishing 3-1.
David Gates, who had been so dominant as Trinidad's closer in 2017, returned and recorded four saves in 2018.
Joba Ferrell even contributed on the mound in addition to being one of the team's best hitters. Ferrell appeared in 12 games as a pitcher and finished 1-0 with a 4.90 ERA across 22 innings.
That versatility made him one of the most valuable players on the roster.
The Triggers Continue Winning in July
Trinidad entered July firmly established as one of the league's strongest teams.
The month began with several difficult road games, but the Triggers quickly regained momentum.
After a 14-9 loss on July 3, Trinidad won four consecutive games. The Triggers defeated their opponents 16-3, 9-7, 16-1 and 18-5.
Later in the month came another extraordinary offensive performance.
On July 14, Trinidad won 30-3.
For the second time during the season, the Triggers had reached 30 runs in a single game.
That 30-run performance joined the 36-6 victory in June and the 27-13 win as evidence of just how explosive the Trinidad offense could become.
Few teams in the league had the ability to produce runs at that level.
July Also Tests the Triggers
The final weeks of the regular season weren't easy.
Trinidad experienced several difficult stretches, including consecutive losses of 18-10, 11-5 and 10-9 from July 19 through July 21.
The Triggers responded immediately with a 9-8 victory on July 22.
After suffering a 19-2 loss on July 24, Trinidad again bounced back, winning 8-7, 5-3, 5-2 and 6-3 over the next several recorded games.
Those results demonstrated something important about the team.
Trinidad didn't allow individual bad games to become prolonged collapses.
A team capable of losing 19-2 could return the following day and win a one-run game. That resilience helped the Triggers accumulate 45 victories during a demanding Pecos League schedule.
Winning in Every Possible Way
The 2018 schedule showed the many different ways Trinidad could win.
There were overwhelming victories such as 36-6, 30-3, 27-13, 23-6, 21-6 and 20-7.
There were also tight games.
Trinidad won 4-3 on May 29, 8-7 on June 3, 9-8 on June 8, 17-16 on June 18, 12-11 on June 24, 8-7 on June 26, 9-8 on July 22 and 8-7 on July 25.
Those one-run victories were just as important as the blowouts.
The offensive explosions demonstrated Trinidad's talent.
The close victories demonstrated its ability to finish games.
Central Park Remains One of the Pecos League's Most Entertaining Ballparks
By the summer of 2018, Trinidad Central Park had become synonymous with high-scoring Pecos League baseball.
Fans attending Triggers games rarely knew exactly what they were going to see.
A game could become a 4-3 pitching battle or turn into a 36-6 offensive explosion. A comfortable lead could disappear quickly, and a team trailing by several runs was never completely out of the game.
That unpredictability became part of the appeal of Triggers baseball.
Trinidad had also developed a recognizable identity within the league. Central Park was different from the larger professional stadiums used in markets such as Tucson. Fans were close to the field, players were accessible and the atmosphere retained the intimate character that had defined the franchise since 2012.
Seven seasons into its existence, the Triggers remained unmistakably connected to Trinidad.
A Deep and Productive Roster
The statistics from 2018 demonstrate that Trinidad's success wasn't built around a single superstar.
Ferrell led the team with 16 home runs and 95 RBIs.
Eureste led the club with 103 hits and 80 runs.
Fudge drove in 77 runs and drew 57 walks.
Henry had nine home runs and 63 RBIs. Butcher drove in 50. Arocho scored 66 runs. Stoll collected 85 hits. Ramirez produced six home runs in only 70 at-bats.
On the mound, Broderick and Stuart both went 8-0. Callahan posted a 4.42 ERA. Nelson recorded a 2.07 ERA. Cobb-Adams won four games.
There were contributors throughout the roster.
That depth allowed Trinidad to survive the constant roster changes, travel demands and pitching challenges that defined a Pecos League season.
Another Major Season in Trinidad Triggers History
The 2018 season further strengthened Trinidad's reputation as one of the Pecos League's enduring organizations.
The franchise had now existed for seven seasons and had experienced almost everything independent baseball could offer.
The Triggers had been a new expansion team. They had been featured on national television. They had sent players into affiliated baseball. They had won a division. They had played for the Pecos League championship. They had survived managerial changes and complete roster turnover.
And they continued winning.
The 2018 team added 45 victories to that history.
It also produced some of the most extraordinary offensive performances ever seen from a Trinidad team. Scoring 36 runs in one game and 30 in another was remarkable even within the high-scoring environment of the Pecos League.
The Triggers scored 63 runs on June 9 and June 10 alone.
But the season shouldn't be remembered exclusively for offense.
Joseph Broderick and Matt Stuart both going 8-0 provided the pitching foundation necessary for Trinidad to become more than simply an entertaining team. They helped make the Triggers a winning team.
The Winning Tradition Continues
When professional baseball first arrived in Trinidad in 2012, nobody could know exactly how long the experiment would last.
By 2018, the answer was becoming clear.
The Trinidad Triggers weren't going anywhere.
Central Park had become one of the established homes of the Pecos League, and the Triggers had developed a history that extended far beyond the television series that first brought national attention to the organization.
The 2018 team represented another generation of Trinidad players creating its own chapter.
Joba Ferrell drove in 95 runs and hit 16 home runs. Matt Eureste collected 103 hits and scored 80 times. Kenneth Fudge remained one of the team's most productive hitters. Joseph Broderick and Matt Stuart combined to go 16-0.
Together, they helped Trinidad win 45 games.
The roster was different from the one that had reached the championship series in 2016. It was different from the team featured on television in 2013. Almost everything surrounding the baseball operation had evolved since the inaugural season.
One thing hadn't changed.
The Trinidad Triggers continued to win baseball games at Central Park.
The 2018 season was another example of why Trinidad had become one of the most established and recognizable franchises in the Pecos League.
2018 Trinidad Triggers
Regular Season Record: 45-21
Home Field: Trinidad Central Park
Team Hit Leader: Matt Eureste - 103 Hits
Team Runs Leader: Matt Eureste - 80 Runs
Home Run Leader: Joba Ferrell - 16 HR
RBI Leader: Joba Ferrell - 95 RBI
Joba Ferrell: 85 Hits, 17 Doubles, 3 Triples, 16 HR, 95 RBI, 29 SB
Kenneth Fudge: 71 Hits, 21 Doubles, 9 HR, 77 RBI, 57 BB
Tim Henry: 79 Hits, 15 Doubles, 9 HR, 63 RBI
Pitching Wins Leaders: Joseph Broderick and Matt Stuart - 8 Wins Each
Joseph Broderick: 8-0, 3.87 ERA, 74.1 IP, 74 SO
Matt Stuart: 8-0, 4.87 ERA
Thomas Nelson: 2-1, 2.07 ERA
Saves Leader: David Gates - 4 Saves
Largest Offensive Output: 36 Runs on June 10
Other Major Offensive Game: 30 Runs on July 14
Longest Recorded Winning Streak: 10 Games, June 17 through June 26
