EDWARDSVILLE — Senior outfielder and pitcher Alex Pilger said he believed Alton High School’s baseball team was a difficult opponent when it was performing well, as the Redbirds completed the 2026 season with a 17-16 overall record and a 6-6 mark in the Southwestern Conference.
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Pilger, who played for Alton under head coach Scott Harper, spoke during the season about the team’s progress despite earlier losses and said his focus remained on helping the Redbirds succeed.
Alex is an Auto Butler Male Athlete of the Month.
“I always just tried to do my job,” Pilger said, “helping everyone come along together to win ball games, and do what we need to do.”
Coach Harper said this past season, as he did in the 2025 campaign, he counted on players like Pilger, who had experience, to help guide the team on the field. He also commended Pilger for his playing efforts for the Redbirds.
Pilger’s goals and ambitions centered on the team and doing what he could to help.
He also said the Redbirds’ spirit and morale remained good throughout the season under Harper, and he enjoyed playing for the coach and the other assistant coaches.
Pilger said he also enjoyed the season with the other Redbirds players on the Alton squad and will miss them in the future.
