Former Sonoma State Seawolf Scott Alexander took his spot in the visitor's bullpen in right field as a part of the Los Angeles Dodgers' 25-man roster on Oct. 23 for the World Series. It marks the first time a former Seawolf has made a World Series roster for any major league team.
"It makes you kind of speechless and proud of Scotty for how hard he worked to get there," said Seawolves' head coach John Goelz. "You have to believe in yourself and never quit and he did that. Obviously, we're all pulling for him and excited to see him do well."
Alexander, who played one season at Sonoma State (2010) before being drafted by Kansas City with the 179th overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, spent time at the major league level in each of the last four years, pitching to a 7-5 record with a 3.15 ERA in 160 innings of work.
After being acquired by the Dodgers in a three-team swap this past offseason, the Windsor native has appeared in 73 games—the most of any Dodger pitcher in 2018—going 2-1 with a 3.68 ERA, picking up three saves along the way.
A junior in 2010, Alexander earned an All-CCAA Honorable Mention in his only season with SSU, sporting a record of 3-6 with a 4.50 ERA. His 70 strikeouts were a team-high and his mark of holding opponents to a batting average of .209 was, at the time, the fourth-best in school history.
"He was a starter on our staff and a big member of our program and team," said Goelz. "He was an extreme talent but he was still a work in progress. He wasn't as polished as he is now and that's a tribute to him just continuing to grind."
Alexander got his first taste of playoff baseball in the NLDS, pitching an inning of scoreless relief against the Braves on October 7, but after advancing to the Championship Series he found himself replaced on the roster by Julio Urias.
"Obviously I didn't see it coming," Alexander said on Oct. 22 of being left off the NLCS roster. "It was definitely a lot to take. It was disappointing. But my whole thing was I didn't want to be a distraction. I wanted to support my teammates, support all the guys in the bullpen and support Julio."
The 29-year-old's patience paid off on Oct. 23 when the Dodgers released their World Series roster with Alexander one of the 12 pitchers named to it.
"Success always has a thousand fathers, and it's just nice to be part of his path," said Goelz.
"It's inspirational to the players in our program and gives hope to those who have the same dream."