2026 Trinidad Triggers Season Recap - A Great Season Ends in Wild Card Heartbreak Against Tucson
The 2026 Trinidad Triggers season was one of the strongest seasons the franchise had produced in recent years. After a difficult 2025 season, Trinidad returned to Central Park with a talented roster, a powerful offense and a pitching staff capable of giving the team an opportunity to win every night. The Triggers established themselves as a legitimate contender in the Mountain Division, returned to the Pecos League playoffs and produced several of the most impressive offensive performances of the entire season. Although the year ultimately ended with a disappointing Wild Card series loss to the Tucson Saguaros, 2026 represented a major step forward for the organization and brought winning baseball back to Trinidad.
The Triggers showed almost immediately that the 2026 season was going to be different. Trinidad opened the year with an 8-4 victory and followed with wins of 5-4, 4-1 and 12-11. Instead of spending the opening weeks trying to recover from a poor start, the Triggers quickly established themselves as a team capable of competing with anyone on the schedule. They could survive close games, overcome deficits and use their powerful offense to turn games around quickly.
The early schedule wasn't without adversity, but Trinidad consistently responded when things went wrong. A dramatic 12-11 extra-inning victory over Alpine became an early example of the character of the team. Trinidad built a lead, watched Alpine fight back and then found a way to win in 10 innings. Chris Viamonte drove in three runs, while Wyatt Morgan collected three hits and scored three times. It was exactly the type of close game the Triggers needed to learn how to win if they were going to become a postseason team.
Wyatt Morgan became one of the central figures in Trinidad's success. Morgan played 53 games and collected 93 hits in 223 at-bats, finishing with a .417 batting average. He scored 75 runs, hit 18 doubles and nine home runs and drove in 64 runs. Morgan also stole 23 bases while striking out only 21 times. His combination of average, power, speed and consistency made him one of the most complete offensive players on the roster and gave Trinidad a hitter capable of impacting a game in almost every possible way.
Jeremiah Cabuyban supplied tremendous power in the middle of the lineup. Cabuyban played 49 games and collected 75 hits while hitting .364. He blasted 21 home runs, drove in 85 runs and scored 72 times while adding 15 doubles. Twenty-one home runs and 85 RBIs in only 49 games represented extraordinary production and gave the Triggers one of the most dangerous middle-of-the-order hitters in the Pecos League.
Brody Rasmussen made an enormous impact despite appearing in only 26 games. Rasmussen collected 57 hits in 117 at-bats for an incredible .487 batting average. He hit 10 doubles, one triple and 15 home runs while driving in 59 runs and scoring 45 times. His combination of average and power added another dimension to a Trinidad lineup that was already extremely difficult for opposing pitchers to navigate.
Chris Viamonte returned after his strong 2025 season and again became one of Trinidad's most dependable offensive players. Viamonte played 49 games, collected 55 hits and scored 63 runs while driving in 45. He also drew 46 walks, continuing the patient approach that had made him such a valuable hitter the previous season. Viamonte didn't need to hit home runs to change games. His ability to work counts, reach base and create scoring opportunities provided an important complement to Trinidad's power hitters.
Michael Acosta was another major contributor, hitting .372 in 46 games with 51 hits, eight home runs and 44 RBIs. Kelii Price hit .354 with 52 hits, 13 doubles and 25 stolen bases, while Will Hudler hit .382 with 52 hits, five home runs and 34 RBIs. Keaton Fisher added a .361 batting average, and Brice Cagle hit .352 while providing production from the catching position. The result was a Trinidad lineup without many easy outs. The Triggers had players who could hit for average, players who could hit for power and players who could create havoc on the bases.
The pitching staff also featured one of the best individual performances Trinidad had received in years. Brian Pirone emerged as the ace of the rotation and finished the regular season with a perfect 6-0 record and a 2.26 ERA. Pirone made nine starts, threw 55.2 innings, completed one game and struck out 61 hitters while allowing only 35 hits. In the offensive environment of the Pecos League, having a starting pitcher capable of consistently controlling games gave Trinidad an enormous advantage.
Tyler Bates became another important member of the staff, finishing 2-1 with a 2.33 ERA over 27 innings. Jonathan Ramallo struck out 30 hitters in only 15 innings, while Peyton Medeiros went 4-0 and provided 46 innings. Andrew Limbaugh finished 5-2 and became an important part of the rotation before eventually delivering the most memorable pitching performance of Trinidad's postseason.
When Trinidad's pitching and offense came together, the results could be overwhelming. One of the most impressive examples came in a 23-0 victory over Blackwell. Pirone threw a complete-game shutout, allowing only two hits and one walk while striking out six. At the plate, Rasmussen and Cabuyban each drove in eight runs. Rasmussen hit two home runs, while Cabuyban went 5-for-5 with two home runs and two doubles.
The Triggers continued pounding opposing pitching throughout the summer. Trinidad recorded victories of 13-4 and 12-4 before producing another major statement against Tucson on June 29. The Triggers crushed the Saguaros 21-4 as Morgan went 4-for-6 with two home runs, four runs scored and four RBIs. Acosta also homered twice and drove in five runs, Rasmussen homered and drove in four and Cabuyban added three RBIs.
The victory over Tucson would become particularly interesting later in the season because the Saguaros would eventually become Trinidad's postseason opponent. The Triggers had demonstrated that they were capable of not only beating Tucson but completely overwhelming them when everything was working.
July brought the most explosive offensive performance of Trinidad's season. On July 2, the Triggers scored an incredible 41 runs in a 41-10 victory. Trinidad followed that performance with victories of 21-14 and 18-4. Over those three victories alone, the Triggers scored 80 runs. Even by Pecos League standards, the offensive production was extraordinary.
The Triggers continued producing huge numbers as the summer progressed. Trinidad recorded a 15-5 victory, a 24-2 win and later another 24-run performance in a 24-8 victory over Blackwell. In that game, Bryce Hayman went 3-for-6 with a home run, a double and eight RBIs. Viamonte collected four hits and homered, Rasmussen homered and doubled, Acosta doubled twice and drove in three and Cabuyban also homered and doubled. Trinidad scored 18 runs over the final two innings alone.
The 2026 Triggers weren't simply a team capable of winning blowouts. They also demonstrated the ability to survive close games. Trinidad won games by scores of 4-3, 9-8 and 11-10 during July, repeatedly finding ways to get the final out or push across the deciding run. Those victories were important because postseason baseball would eventually require Trinidad to win games where one run could determine the entire season.
There were difficult moments as well. Trinidad suffered several close losses, including 6-5, 15-14 and a 3-2 walk-off defeat against Alpine after carrying a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the eighth. Other road losses followed late in July as the Triggers attempted to position themselves for the postseason. Even during those stretches, however, Trinidad rarely went quietly.
One of the wildest examples came when Trinidad played Santa Fe to an extraordinary 26-26 tie. The two teams combined for 52 runs and 45 hits. Trinidad had fallen behind 15-4 early in the game before fighting all the way back. It was another demonstration of the mentality that had defined the Triggers throughout the summer. No matter how large the deficit became, the offense gave Trinidad reason to believe the game could still be won.
By the end of the regular season, Trinidad had done enough to return to the Pecos League postseason. After missing the playoffs in 2025, the Triggers had again established themselves as one of the stronger teams in the Mountain Division. Central Park would host postseason baseball, and Trinidad would have an opportunity to turn an already successful season into a championship run.
The Wild Card opponent was the Tucson Saguaros, a team Trinidad knew very well and had already defeated decisively during the regular season. The opening game of the series could hardly have gone better for the Triggers. Andrew Limbaugh delivered the pitching performance of the season, throwing a complete-game four-hit shutout as Trinidad dominated Tucson 14-0. Limbaugh allowed only four singles and one walk over nine innings while striking out eight.
While Limbaugh controlled Tucson's lineup, the Trinidad offense immediately went to work. Bryce Hayman opened the bottom of the first inning with a solo home run, and Brice Cagle later delivered a bases-clearing single. The Triggers scored four times in the first inning, added three more in the second and never allowed Tucson back into the game.
Morgan delivered another outstanding performance in the playoff opener, going 3-for-3 with a double, four RBIs, four runs scored, two walks and four stolen bases. Hayman scored four times, Hudler drove in three, Cagle drove in three and Rasmussen collected three hits. Trinidad had completely controlled the opening game of the series and walked away with a 14-0 victory.
After the season Trinidad had put together and after opening the playoffs with a 14-run victory backed by a complete-game shutout, everything appeared to be moving in the Triggers' direction. Trinidad needed only one more victory to eliminate Tucson and advance.
But postseason baseball can change quickly.
The second game became a completely different contest. Trinidad and Tucson battled through a close game before the Saguaros eventually took a 6-3 lead. The Triggers refused to quit. Brice Cagle and Viamonte opened the bottom of the ninth with singles, and Keaton Fisher drove both runners home to cut Tucson's advantage to 6-5.
Suddenly, Trinidad was one run away from tying the game and potentially completing the series victory. Tucson reliever Adan Vega retired the next three hitters, however, preserving the 6-5 victory and forcing a deciding game.
A series that had started with Trinidad winning 14-0 was suddenly tied.
Everything came down to one final game at Central Park.
The deciding game became another back-and-forth battle. Tucson scored first, but Trinidad answered. Brody Rasmussen homered in the third inning to put the Triggers ahead 2-1 before Tucson eventually moved back in front 3-2.
Trinidad then delivered a four-run fourth inning. Viamonte, Hayman, Morgan and Cabuyban each drove in runs as the Triggers surged ahead 6-3. With a three-run lead in the deciding game, Trinidad appeared to have regained control of the series.
The Triggers were positioned to advance.
Tucson again refused to disappear. Connor Kiefer hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning to cut Trinidad's lead to 6-5. The game remained there until the eighth, when the Saguaros produced the rally that ultimately ended the Triggers' season.
Kiefer singled, stole second and scored on a Sloan Laird single to tie the game 6-6. Tucson eventually loaded the bases and drew consecutive run-scoring walks to move ahead 8-6. For the second consecutive game, the Saguaros had taken control late.
Trinidad still had one final opportunity in the ninth. Rasmussen walked and Morgan singled, bringing the tying run aboard. Once again, the Triggers were one big hit away from changing the entire series. Tucson managed to record the final three outs, however, and the Saguaros won 8-6.
The Trinidad Triggers' season was over.
It was an especially difficult ending because Trinidad had controlled significant portions of the series. The Triggers won the opening game 14-0. They came within one run of completing a ninth-inning comeback in the second game. In the deciding game, they built a 6-3 lead and appeared positioned to advance before Tucson rallied.
A series that began with Trinidad looking dominant ended with Tucson winning the final two games and advancing out of the Wild Card Round.
The postseason disappointment should not overshadow what the Triggers accomplished during the summer. The 2026 season represented a major step forward for the franchise. Trinidad returned to the playoffs and fielded one of its most productive offensive groups in years. Morgan hit .417 with 93 hits and 75 runs. Cabuyban blasted 21 home runs and drove in 85. Rasmussen hit .487 with 15 home runs in only 26 games. Acosta hit .372, Hudler hit .382, Fisher hit .361 and Price hit .354.
The Triggers also had legitimate pitching performances to build around. Pirone went 6-0 with a 2.26 ERA. Bates finished with a 2.33 ERA. Medeiros went 4-0. Limbaugh won five regular-season games and then delivered a complete-game shutout in the postseason opener.
There were unforgettable offensive performances throughout the summer. Trinidad scored 41 runs in one game, 24 runs on multiple occasions and 23 runs in a shutout victory. The Triggers beat Tucson 21-4 during the regular season and then shut out the Saguaros 14-0 when the playoffs began.
More importantly, Central Park again became the home of a contender. Trinidad wasn't simply completing another Pecos League schedule. The Triggers were playing meaningful baseball throughout the summer and entered the postseason with a legitimate opportunity to advance.
The history of the Trinidad Triggers has included championship races, playoff heartbreak, high-powered offensive teams and some of the most unusual games in Pecos League history. The 2026 team fit comfortably into that tradition. It was explosive, unpredictable and capable of beating anyone on the schedule.
For Trinidad fans, the ending will always create questions about what might have been. The Triggers had already demonstrated they could dominate Tucson. They had beaten the Saguaros 21-4 during the regular season. They won the first playoff game 14-0. They came within one run of completing a ninth-inning comeback in Game Two. Then they led the deciding game 6-3.
But Tucson found a way to survive.
That is the unforgiving nature of postseason baseball. A great regular season guarantees an opportunity, not an ending. Trinidad had the team to make a run, but the Saguaros won the final two games and ended the Triggers' season.
The disappointment of the Wild Card loss was real, but so was the progress. After a difficult 2025 season, Trinidad returned in 2026 with one of its strongest clubs in recent years. The Triggers won games, scored runs in extraordinary numbers, produced outstanding individual performances and returned to the Pecos League postseason.
The Wild Card series against Tucson captured much of what made the 2026 Triggers so exciting. Trinidad could dominate a game behind outstanding pitching and overwhelming offense, as it did in the 14-0 opener. The Triggers could battle until the final out, as they did in the 6-5 second game. They could also explode for a big inning under pressure, as they did when they scored four times to take a 6-3 lead in the deciding game.
What they couldn't do was finish the series.
Tucson won the final two games and advanced.
For the Triggers, that ending did not erase everything that came before it. The 2026 season restored Trinidad as a serious Pecos League contender. The offense was among the most dangerous in the league, the roster featured several outstanding individual seasons, the pitching staff had a legitimate ace and Central Park hosted playoff baseball once again.
The Triggers wanted the season to continue much longer. They wanted another playoff series and an opportunity to compete for a Pecos League championship. Instead, one of their best seasons in recent years ended in the Wild Card Round after they had won the opening game of the series.
That ending was painful because the possibilities had seemed so real.
