Jake Ottensmeier Powers Alton River Dragons With Historic 2026 Campaign

ALTON - The Alton River Dragons closed their season Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, with a 15-5 win over Springfield at Gordon Moore Park, finishing a year marked by notable individual performances from Jake Ottensmeier of Eastern Illinois and several team single-season achievements.

Ottensmeier turned in one of the best individual seasons in team history. He finished with 46 hits, eighth on the team’s single-season list, and a .338 batting average, third on the team’s single-season list. His 20 steals ranked fourth on the team’s single-season list. He also paced the River Dragons with 14 multi-hit games and had five games of three or more hits, including the team’s first five-hit game since 2024.

The River Dragons ended the season on Saturday one day after a 5-1 loss to the O’Fallon Hoots on Friday, July 31, 2026, in a game shortened after a rain delay in the bottom of the sixth inning. Alton’s only run came when Adam Hanan scored on a single by Bryce Duszak.

Starting pitcher Landon Sitze pitched five full innings and allowed four hits. Relief pitcher Charlie Berry threw a scoreless top of the sixth.

Other River Dragons also moved into the team’s single-season record lists. Mac Floyd of Manhattan hit seven home runs, tying Erik Broekemeier ’24 for third on the team’s single-season list. Hayden Wilson of Columbia College pitched 48.1 innings, good for the fourth-most on the team’s single-season list.

Floyd and Ottensmeier led the team with six multi-RBI games each. Ottensmeier and Berry, of Truman State, each had three games with three or more RBIs.

As a team, the River Dragons played 11 error-free games in the field. They hit a home run in 18 games, including 14 of their 20 games after the All-Star break.

Although Alton finished last across the league, it won the season series against Springfield by taking two of three games. The River Dragons also went 4-6 against East Conference opponents: Danville, Decatur and Springfield.

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