AURORA -- Pitching is how Hudson Alpert has made his name in Colorado prep baseball, but injury has produced a metamorphosis.
Since he arrived on varsity as a freshman with the Regis Jesuit program, Alpert — now in the early stages of his senior season — has been the bedrock off a pitching staff that has been the catalyst of back-to-back Class 5A state runner-up finishes to rival Cherry Creek.
While the transformation hasn’t completely been his choice as he is not able to pitch until fully cleared medically, the Vanderbilt pledge has blossomed into one of the best all-around baseball players in Colorado for a team that again has championship aspirations.
“It stinks that I can’t be on the mound, but I’m trying to make the most of it,” Alpert said from Cary, S.C., where the Raiders — ranked No. 2 in the Colorado High School Activities Association’s preseason 5A coaches poll — were playing in the National High School Invitational. “I’m trying to develop into an all-around guy and see the game from all different positions and angles.
“Obviously, I’d like to be out there pitching, but right now I want to do anything I can to stay involved in the game, rather than just sit on the bench waiting to recover.”
Alpert is one of many Colorado high school stars whose seasons are underway.
The regular-season concludes April 29 for Class 1A but extends to May 12 for Classes 5A through 2A. The 1A postseason includes districts, then regionals, and the state championships scheduled for May 14. For the other classes, the state tournament is played over two weekend, May 22-23 and May 29-30.
For Regis Jesuit coach Matt Darr, it is clearly beneficial to to have Alpert in the lineup, whether he is pitching or not.
The first three games of the season against Colorado teams were demonstrable proof of that, as Alpert’s bat was one of the hottest when Regis Jesuit — which Darr said has the makings of perhaps the best all-around offense he’s had — piled up 37 runs in wins over Fossil Ridge (15-5), Fort Collins (6-0) and Mullen (16-0). In that stretch, Alpert went a blistering 9-for-12 with three doubles, a home run and five RBIs, while he scored five runs in addition to more than capably playing second base defensively.
Alpert has clearly made big strides at the plate from his freshman season, when he hit .250 (albeit in just 20 at-bats), while he checked in with a .333 batting average as a sophomore and .320 as a junior.
“When you take pitching away, this is Hudson's only opportunity to contribute,” Darr said. “I think we may look back on this as a blessing because it made him a better player. Obviously, he’s not going to hit at Vanderbilt, but right now, he’s definitely become more of a complete player.”
Without Alpert in the rotation, Regis Jesuit’s pitching has still been outstanding.
Mikey Kroll — a postseason hero for the Raiders last season when he threw a complete game against Grandview in the semifinals — has shown big-game readiness, while fellow juniors Cade Filleman and Ryan Neumann make for a potent group of starting arms. Another junior, Ezra Christ, had a strong start in the game against Fort Collins, while senior Beau Huckemeyer and junior Brady Wright already have wins in the early season.
Alpert has liked what he’s seen from the group as a whole.
“With our schedule and lots of games early, there’s a ton of guys who are getting their opportunity,” Alpert said. “I’m seeing a lot of guys who want to compete. It’s not all about velo with our guys, it’s who gets outs.”
Even with that depth, there is nothing like what can be contributed by Alpert when he is right.
Getting the ball in just about every big start possible, Alpert has built a career record of 18-6 with a 1.99 ERA in 31 appearances that cover 137 innings, in which he has struck out 135 hitters.
Alpert’s last stint on the mound for Regis Jesuit came on the first weekend of last season’s 5A Championship Series when he had to come out after 3 2/3 innings of the Raiders' win over Arvada West. He was unavailable for the final weekend, when his team fell to the Bruins with the state championship on the line.
The discomfort Alpert experienced in his elbow turned out to be damage to the Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) and eventually required him to get “Tommy John Lite” surgery, a stability repair which has a significantly shorter recovery period than traditional Tommy John operations, which often could sideline pitchers from a year to 18 months.
He attacked his rehab and was encouraged by support from some future Vanderbilt teammates, which made a big difference for him. Now it appears Alpert’s wait to pitch again looks like it will end in mid-April.
“Mentally, it was hard for sure, but I took the more positive approach,” Alpert said. “I had a ton of voices and advice that helped along the way. My arm feels good.”
Darr said he had mentally prepared himself for the worst-case scenario of not having Alpert on the mound this season, but he’s been very pleased to hear that it would be possible.
“It would be great to have him earlier, but he should have time to get a significant amount of innings,” Darr said. “Ultimately, the playoffs are when we need him the most.”
Alpert hopes to end the season by helping Regis Jesuit secure the elusive state championship before he moves on to Vanderbilt, with his ultimate goal of a 10-year career in Major League Baseball.