VOL. 104, NO. 2 SEPTEMBER 4, 2018
TH E U N IVERSIT Y O F TE X AS AT EL PASO W W W.T H EPROS PEC TO RDA I LY.CO M
A search advisory committee comes together to find President Natalicio’s replacement Brianna Chavez The Prospector The University of Texas System announced a search advisory committee has been assembled to help guide the Board of Regents in selecting a new university president for The University of Texas at El Paso. The committee announced on Aug. 31, consists of 18 members, including Board of Regents Vice Chairman Paul Foster, El Paso Mayor Dee Margo and SGA President Cristian Botello. The Presidential Search Advisory Committee will meet multiple times over the next couple of months to discuss possible candidates to replace UTEP’s president and will be assisted by Russell Reynold Associates, a global search firm. They are expected to meet for the first time in the next few weeks and go before the Board of Regents with recommendations for candidates early next year. “I wanted to make sure that we as a student body have accurate representation when we choose who will lead our school and replace Dr. Natalicio,” Botello said. “I believe the students here at UTEP deserve the best possible representation and I’m going to do my best to help the committee in any way possible.” The UT System will also post a website to provide a timeline of the search process and an opportunity for members of the public to privately submit candidate nominations. Back in May, UTEP President Diana
Natalicio announced she would be retiring after 30 years as the university’s president. President Natalicio told The Prospector and other members of the media during her announcement, “I will be happy to serve as long as I need to in order to make a smooth transition.” Natalicio, who was named one of TIME Magazine’s most influential people of 2017, said she would like for her successor to continue a commitment to access to a public higher education, particularly with low income and underrepresented students. Several UTEP students agree. Sophomore environmental science major Frida Murga, and sophomore psychology major Alejandra Nevarez both hope the next UTEP president has similar values as Dr. Natalicio, especially in regards to the representation of Hispanic students. “Being an immigrant myself I know UTEP is one of the only choices for many people, so (I hope the new president) does not change the mission and values because I know a lot of people do count on those to come and get their education here,” Nevarez said. “I know she’s worked really hard to keep UTEP affordable for students who have a lower income and Hispanic families,” Murga said. According to UT System Regents’ rules and regulations, the selection criteria for the next president must relate to the needs of the individual institution. The advisory committee must submit to the Board an unbiased selection of no more than 10 recommended candidates and they must receive a majority vote of the committee. The Board then determines which candidates will be further interviewed before naming a finalist or finalists. If none of the names submitted by the committee fulfills the Board of Regents satisfactions, the Board can either select a new committee or select a president “under other procedures as in its discretion it may deem proper and appropriate,” according to the Regents’ rules.
see NATALICIO on page 3
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OPINION
September 4, 2018
Make up your mind By Javier Cortez The Prospector It’s not a good look. Losing by 20 points in the home opener against an FCS program does not bode well. You can add as many ifs, ands or buts to it. But, the only but is, that the optics on the early return from the 2018 UTEP football team is not good. So where do we go from here? And by we, I mean you, the UTEP fan base. In specific, those ranging from the die-hards who suffer year in year out watching the football program to the casual come-andgoers. What do you really want to support and why? Regardless of how the next 11 games go and what Dimel does with this program over the course of his tenure, it doesn’t change what is true: UTEP is not a football school. It’s a historically bad program. That’s not an opinion, that’s not a hot take nor is it hyperbole. It is an observational fact that has been laid out by the continuous losing seasons since the program’s inception back in 1914. I won’t mention the dour numbers behind that fact. This column is not written with the intention of hating on this program. Rather, this column calls on the UTEP fan base to make a choice. You can support this team, knowing full well that this season is probably going to get harder to watch by the week, or you can look at two options. Option A: come to grips with loving and supporting a football team that is going to lose on a yearly basis, with exception to some winning seasons from time to time. Option B: move on to something better and focus your loyalty and support somewhere else. And by move on, I don’t mean move off of UTEP athletics and the football team altogether, but you can lend your support to a well deserving program. The
STAFF Web Editor: Adrian Broaddus Layout Editor: Christian Gutierrez Copy Editor: Javier Cor tez Sports Editor: Daniel Mendez Entertainment Editor: Jake Deven Photo Editor: Gaby Velasquez Multimedia Editor: Claudia “Gigi” Flores Staff Reporters: Brianna Chavez, Isaiah Ramirez, Andrea Valdez Photographers: Claudia Hernandez, Contributors: Catherine Ramirez, Aimee Santillan, Priscilla Gomez, Melissa Mar tinezsotomayor, Eddie Velazquez
UTEP track and field and cross country program. You know the program that has 20 national championships to its name. The program that is nationally ranked year in year out. The program that produces conference champions, All-Americans, and future Olympians all the damn time. That program. And to be clear, this doesn’t have to be an eitheror situation. You don’t have to totally neglect UTEP football in favor of track and field. Just stop deluding yourself at the start of every new season. Stop asking “when are we going to get those bigtime recruits?”, “when are we going to win that big game?”, and “when are we going to finally hit the big stage?”. Guess where the big recruits are: out in Kidd Field. Guess who’s winning the big games: those bigtime recruits out in Kidd Field. Guess who’s competing on the big stage: those big-time recruits out in Kidd Field. There is a program with a rich winning tradition, star athletes and a bright future that deserves your fandom. They deserve your loyalty and you should give it to them. Granted, track and field is not the most fanfriendly sport nor is it the most appealing. It doesn’t have the visceral effect of a wide receiver going over the middle as linebacker or safety meets him at the precipice. But then again, how entertaining was it watching that 0-12 football team last season? So would it kill you to fill up the seats at Kidd Field twice a year and call on the local media to give more coverage to that program? If not, you can go back to bitching and complaining about UTEP football for six months out of the year, irrationally getting your hopes up, then getting disappointed again. My advice, as an impartial bystander: support UTEP football for what it is, and or give some of your time to a program that has earned it over the years and will continue to. Javier Cortez may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
VOL. 104, no. 2
Account Executive: Kenneth Bell Senior Designer: Itzel Lara Garcia Graphic Designer Salma Lozoya Videographer: Daniel “Curly” Mendez Video Contributor: April Guardado Advertising Coordinator: Malia Greene Administrative Secretary: Marcela Luna Accounting Specialist: Isabel Castillo Student Media & Publications Director: Veronica Gonzalez
web editor adrian broaddus, 747-7446
Attendance numbers hits new low By adrian broaddus The Prospector On Saturday, UTEP athletics debuted a new starting time for the football game—5:30— which had mixed reactions from fans. In fact, the majority of fans didn’t pour into the stadium until about midway into the first quarter, as expected. At about halftime, the Sun Bowl’s press box side was flooded in a sea of orange and blue, and it looked like an admirable crowd for a home opener. The attendance looked dense in numbers by the start of the third quarter, when Northern Arizona started to pull away for the win. I thought to myself, “maybe 18-19,000, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they said 23,000 fans.” But when I heard the final number, all I could think of was how it reflected the state of the fans across the city and how they truly feel about the team. Not only was this the first loss UTEP had against an FCS program since they lost 34-13 to Cal Poly in 2003—which was Gary Nord’s last year as head coach—but the Miners lost a bulk of their fans in attendance. The Miners final record in ‘03 was 2-11. The measley 17, 271 fans in the crowd was the lowest in attendance for a home opener since the 1976 season, where the Miners beat UT-Arlington for their only win of the season. We’re talking the ‘70s when the Miners put together one of the worst decades in program history and were a laughing stock of college football. Is history repeating itself? No, attendance numbers hitting new lows has been a long-time coming. For too long UTEP fans have been loyal, making sure to get their season tickets in advance and have supported their hometown team for years on end. They’ve patently endured hard times and basked in spurts of little (big in their eyes) victories. They’ve drank the kool-aid too many times now where the team promises reform and a new on-field
product. Saturday showed that it’s the same old story, just a different season, as they lost their 13th straight game (the longest active losing streak in FBS). Kudos to UTEP athletics for the effort, though. They helped drop the season ticket price to an affordable one of $55 this spring, which is less than $10 a ticket. They took a big step forward into promotions and marketing the team through graphic designs and social media. UTEP’s uniform department did a fantastic job in supplying the team with three new combinations for the season. The attitude from the athletics department came with so much energy and enthusiasm. But the fans were already long gone. UTEP football has long lost its fans, even before their losing streak. Fans want answers, not excuses. They want wins now, not wins in the future. Right down the street, the El Paso Chihuahuas held their final weekend homestand of the regular season and saw a sold-out crowd of 9, 559 for “Harry Potter Night.” Fans witnessed an intense 5-4 extra innings finish in Tacoma’s favor. But with the loss, El Paso was far from disparity. The Chihuahuas have already clinched their fourth divisional title in five seasons and have put together one of the best seasons in club history. The Chihuahuas’ marketing lets their numbers speak for itself. They are always within the top five attendance in Minor League Baseball and in the top five merchandise sales. Although the Miners are always in the top five in attendance among C-USA teams, their numbers are starting to fall like never before. And the Chihuahuas give the fans an in-game experience like no other. Some fans don’t even watch the game because of the off-field antics aside to the sport, like their superb food selection and hilarious in-game promotions. UTEP’s answer for an in-game promotion was two sorry fan games over a poor quality speaker. No matter. Only 17, 271 disappointed fans witnessed it anyways. It’s been 647 days and counting since the UTEP Miners football team has won a game. Adrian Broaddus may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
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The Prospector is published by the Student Media and Publications Board, 105 Union East, 500 W. University Ave. El Paso, Texas, 79968. The Prospector appears in print once per week on Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters. The newspaper is not printed during holidays and when classes are not in session. The Prospector does provide news online at www.theprospectordaily.com. The Prospector is provided to students through student fees. First copy is free. Any additional copies, if available, must be purchased for $1 through the Department of Student Media and Publications. The Prospector is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. Additional policy information may be obtained by calling The Prospector at 915-747-5161. Opinions expressed in The Prospector are not necessarily those of the university.
THEPROSPECTOR
September 4, 2018
Humanitarian Crisis at the Border Conference
gaby velasquez / The Prospector The UTEP Tomás Rivera Conference Center will host the first Teach-In Border and Immigration conference on Sept. 6
Aimée Santillán The Prospector The Hope Border Institute, in collaboration with UTEP’s Center for Inter-American and Border Studies, the Department of Political Science and the Department of Sociology, will host a teach-in border and immigration issues conference on Sept. 6 at the UTEP Tomás Rivera Conference Center. The primary goal for this conference, according to Hope Institute’s Director of Advocacy, Leadership and Research, Camilo Perez-Bustillo, is to bring awareness to current border and immigration issues, as well as to provide with community solutions, educate the public on how to deal with these issues and to press on the importance of political involvement. “The border is at an emergency situation in terms of human rights,” Perez-Bustillo said. “Due to policies given by the Trump Administration. If you look at the media, you would think that the emergency has passed, when it comes to family separation, but it hasn’t. There are families that are still separated.” The conference will include a variety of local, national and international speakers that will provide updates on these issues and give options for the community to get involved. Some of the speakers will include Professor Ryan Matlow of the Human Rights Trauma Lab at Stanford University, Blanca Navarrete of Derechos Humanos Integrales en Acción (DHIA) in Ciudad Juárez, among others, and will feature a variety of local organizations as well. The conference will also be aimed at educating university students about their community and encouraging them to get involved, according to the Chair of the Political Science Department, Dr. Charles Boehmer. “It’s a teach-in, and teach-in is a very im-
portant word with a long history,” Dr. Boehmer said. “It actually goes back to the beginnings of the peace movement, in response to the Vietnam War in 1965 and a teach-in goes around the idea of creating educational opportunities for students that are relevant to the major publications of our day, and in this case, it’s the ongoing administratively-caused crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.” There will be a variety of local organizations at the conference that could inform students about volunteering opportunities as well as providing information on issues that might be directly affecting them, according to Boehmer. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Las Americas Immigrant Advocacy Center and the Border Network for Human Rights will be some of the organizations that are going to be present at the event. UTEP’s partnership in the organization of this event is an attempt by the university to also show students the university’s support, according to Political Science Professor Dr. Irasema Coronado. “Many of our students are affected by these issues,” Dr. Coronado said. “Many of our students come from families where immigration is front and center of their family life because they might have a legal permanent residency, or they’re trying to become citizens, or they might have undocumented family members. You know, it’s a challenge, and that’s why it’s important for our students to know that we are concerned with what is going on with these policies and we want to be part of a solution.” The Humanitarian Crisis at the Border conference will be the beginning of a series of border issues talks and teach-ins that will run from Sept. 6 to Sept. 9--each event will focus on specific issues, according to Perez-Bustillo. These conferences will be free and open to the public. Aimee Santillan may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
NATALICIO from page 1 Board of Regents Chairman Sara Martinez Tucker said in a press release that the board is “eager to appoint a president who will build upon President Natalicio’s immeasurable impact on UTEP and Texas, especially in the areas of student success and research contributions.” “The last time Regents appointed a president of UT-El Paso was more than three decades ago, so we are especially grateful to the committee for assuming this critically important responsibility,” Tucker said. Students like Murga and Nevarez hope the committee selects candidates who value the decades of work that Dr. Natalicio has put into the university and border community. “I would want (the committee) to choose somebody who cares, who understands the culture here and who wants to improve our community and work for El Paso and Juarez,” Murga said. “Someone who sticks to what UTEP stands for,” Nevarez added.
I wanted to make sure that we as a student body have accurate resentation when we choose who will lead our school and replace Dr. Natalicio.
NEWS | 3 |
Here is a list of the entire Presidential Search Advisory Committee: Chair of Committee Steven Leslie, Ph.D., executive vice chancellor for Academic Affairs. Board of Regents: Vice Chairman Paul Foster, Regent Ernie Aliseda and Regent Rad Weaver. Presidents of other UT institutions: Taylor Eighmy, Ph.D., President of UT-San Antonio, and Sandra Woodley, Ph.D., president of UT-Permian Basin. UTEP dean, faculty, and staff: Charles Ambler, Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School; Edward Castañeda, Ph.D., professor of psychology; Mark Cox, MSPH, Ph.D., associate professor of biological sciences; Elena Izquierdo, Ph.D., associate professor of teacher education; and Nadia Munoz, director of military services. UT El Paso student and alumnus: Cristian Botello, UTEP student and president of the Student Government Association, and Bonnie Schulenburg, social media relations specialist at Ysleta ISD and president-elect of the UTEP alumni association. External and community members: Woody Hunt, chairman of Hunt Building Co.; Sally HurtDeitch, market CEO of The Hospitals of Providence; Renard Johnson, president of METI, Inc.; Mike Loya, CEO and president of Vitol, Inc.; and Dee Margo, mayor of the City of El Paso. Brianna Chavez may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
w w w . t h e p r o s p e c t o r d a i ly . c o m
@UTEP_Prospector The Prospector Daily
- Christian Botello UTEP Student Government Association President
@UTEP_Prospector UTEP Prospector
| 4 | NEWS
September 4, 2018
THEPROSPECTOR
entertainment
September 4, 2018 Editor jake deven, 747-7446
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Boxha Coffee House + Wine Bar owned and operated by UTEP Student
sergio munoz / The Prospector Boxha Coffee House’s menu includes a variety of organic ingridients for sandwhiches, bowls and pastries.
by catherine ramirez The Prospector Located near the UTEP campus at the corner of Mesa St. and Boston Ave., Boxha Coffee House + Wine Bar welcomes all with its tasty menu and ancient theme, making it more than just a coffee house. Boxha Coffee House + Wine Bar opened its doors in May 2018, and is locally owned and operated by UTEP International Business student, Pedro Valdez. “I wanted to create a business that had meaning, unlike a major chain, and I decided on a local restaurant,” the 21-year-old said. Valdez created a café with a relaxed ambiance for customers to enjoy while trying organic dishes and coffee beverages. “We want to make sure our customers feel good eating our food knowing it’s fresh and organic,” Valdez said. “Our food not only looks good, but it tastes good and the food benefits you.” Boxha’s food menu includes a variety of pastries, large acai bowls, and hearty sandwiches—like a Chipotle BLT and salads. Valdez recommends trying Boxha’s citrus salad with salmon. The coffee house also sells cheese boards and tapas, also known as appetizers, which can be paired with specific wines suggested by Boxha staff. However, Boxha has currently put their wine selling to a halt as they renovate the bar space. “We are working on making a small bar
in our kitchen, it’s going to include beer, wine and all sorts of liquor,” Valdez said. “We plan on selling a variety of wine, from cheap wine to the expensive kind.” Valdez said there is not a specific date when the selling of alcohol will resume but assures it will be very soon. In the meantime, Boxha has a variation of other beverages to try. Named after the ancient Mayan word for “coffee,” Boxha’s drink menu incorporates popular coffee drinks such as their House Blend Signature Drip, lattes, cappuccinos, espressos and much more. Valdez settled on the archaic word for his business following his idea to fuse an ancient Mexican culture with a contemporary movement for the coffee shop’s theme. “Not only does the name and theme represent where I come from, Mexico, but it also represents who I am as a person,” Valdez said. “It was a personal touch I added.” Boxha is located in a building that was a house in the early 1900s and still possesses its original wood floors. The rooms are painted a bright white and are decorated with a touch of rustic décor tying in Boxha’s timeworn and modern theme together. “The atmosphere here is very chill,” said Boxha employee and former UTEP student, Arely Perez. “If I was not working here I’d probably come here to study because it’s very peaceful.” Valdez wanted to create a space where anyone from anywhere can go and feel comfortable and welcomed.
sergio munoz / The Prospector Sophomore International Business student Pedro Valdez tries to maintain a relaxed atmosphere in his new café. Boxha plans to host a hand full of musical events in the near future, and Valdez invites all UTEP musicians to apply to play their music at the coffee house. Artists are also welcome to submit their work to have displayed at the coffee house. “We are open to hosting musicians and artists that create art,” Valdez said. “Artists can email us pictures of their work so we can hang.” Artists or musicians that would like to participate can email Valdez at info@boxhainc.com for more information. Boxha Coffee House + Wine Bar is open
Monday through Saturday at 11:00 a.m. — just in time for Brunch. UTEP and EPCC students and staff can receive ten percent off their total if they take in their student or staff ID. For more information or updates on Boxha Coffee House + Wine Bar follow them on Facebook and Instagram @BoxhaCoffeeHouse or contact them by phone at (915) 600-5324. Catherine Ramirez may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
| 6 | ENTERTAINMENT S e p t e m b e r
THEPROSPECTOR
4, 2018
Local filmmaker talks the release of his new movie Borderland by claudia Flores The Prospector
photo courtesy of imdb
Borderland follows the story of a young woman who finds herself in debt to one of the most dangerous cartels.
Breaking into the film industry is a hard task to accomplish, but the challenges didn’t stop 32-year-old filmmaker Andrew Jara from releasing his new film Borderland in more than 100 different countries. Born and raised in El Paso, Jara discovered at a very young age that storytelling and film was a career he wanted to pursue. “I went to NMSU for film and I just loved it,” Jara said. “I actually started at UTEP. I did my basics and when I was there all the classes were theory-related so we didn’t get actual practice. UTEP had one class that was going to be a practice class and they canceled two weeks before the semester started and I switched to NMSU.” After graduating from college, Jara made a film called The Last Ones, since then he’s been doing film on and off. According to Jara, it’s been six years since the last time he directed a film. “We did The Last Ones when I got out of college, which was six years ago. I didn’t do anything after that. I went to LA for a while
and worked at KFOX for three years because I wanted to fund a movie that I’m working on right now,” Jara said. Jara used his hometown as a location to shoot the film. From houses to Scenic Drive, to some local bars such as Blackbird and the downtown area to expose El Paso as much as possible. “Borderland is very much a dark thriller, but we wanted to add as much of our culture and just have fun with the different characters,” Jara said. For Jara, working with local actors and artists is another way to push the boundaries and showcase some El Paso talent in his work. Pablo Antonio Medina, 32, is a martial arts coach that brings to life one of the leading characters in the cartel thriller. Medina, who’s been friends with Jara for many years now, said it was Jara who introduced him to acting ten years ago. “Working on a project that is so close to home is that in a way it’s easy in a way, nowadays people tend to idolize the bad guys even though it is not the right choice,” Medina said. “The market is flooded with so much information, the interesting and unique part about
it and the best thing is putting your own twist, ideas, and flavor to things.” After six years, a company finally decided to buy Jara’s film Borderland, giving him the chance to expose his work with different video on demand companies, such as Amazon Prime, Vimeo, and Roku. “For video on demand on Amazon the film will be in 67 countries and they’ll put it on Roku, which is for Europe and Asia,” Jara said. “They’re also working on the Spanish version of it to get it on the Spanish market, so in the end, it should be in 150 countries.” Jara has also previously attended international film festivals, such as the Swedish International Festival, and the Latino Cinema de las Americas in Dallas. He said that one of his goals is for people to watch the film and the money comes second. “It feels good to go out there and promote the film, you feel like a celebrity and as soon as they watch the film, even if they don’t like it, it’s always great to see their reaction,” Jara said. Claudia Flores may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
Sports
September 4, 2018 Editor daniel mendez, 747-7446
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UTEP looks to bounce back against UNLV By Isaiah Ramirez The Prospector
Gaby Velasquez / The Prospector Senior cornerback Nik Needham celebrates with lineback A.J. Hotchkins during the Miners home opening loss to NAU
The UTEP Miners football team will battle against the UNLV Rebels Sept. 8 in Las Vegas, at Sam Boyd Stadium. Looking ahead at this confrontation between these two winless teams there are some key points to analyze if the Miners want to snap their 13-game losing streak. Consistency within the Offense The Miners only delivered 32-yards of total offense in the second half after putting up a respectable 197 yards in the first half against Northern Arizona. If the Miners want to defeat the Running Rebels, who held the No. 15 USC Trojans to only 19 points through three quarters, the offense must find a healthy balance in the pass and run game. In the season opener Kai Locksley, who took over the game after two unsuccessful drives by Ryan Metz, went 13-for-26 with 120 passing yards. Locksley also had to carry the load running the ball as he was the leading rusher for the Miners with 50 yards on 18 carries. Junior Quadriz Wadley, who was the starting running back, had eight carries for 43 yards and the lone touchdown for UTEP. The Miners must capitalize on offensive possessions. They controlled the time of possession against Northern Arizona with 34 minutes and only managed to put up 10 points. UTEP was scoreless in the second half against the Lumberjacks. Stop the Run game of the Rebels As fitting as it sounds the Running Rebels rushed for 308 yards against USC this past Saturday. Senior running back Lexington Thomas rushed for 136 yards on 14 car-
ries averaging 9.4 yards a carry. Dual-threat quarterback Armani Rogers had 82 yards on the evening averaging 4.6 yards a carry. Last season, Thomas rushed for 1,336 yards to go along with 17 touchdowns for UNLV. Against Northern Arizona, UTEP held the Lumberjacks to 107 yards rushing but did allow two rushing touchdowns. The Miners must halt the momentum of what seems to be a UNLV team that likes to run the ball. Make UNLV uncomfortable passing UNLV’s sophomore quarterback Armani Rogers went 12-for-27 and threw for 97 yards against USC. If the Miners can create pressure and lock down UNLV on defense their chances of coming out of Sin City with a win increases. The leading receiver for the Rebels, Kendal Keys, had just one reception for 37 yards on the night. In 2017 Keys had 27 receptions for 260 yards and in 2015 had 43 receptions for 515 yards on the season. The Miners allowed 211 receiving yards against Northern Arizona, with fifth-year senior wide receiver Emanuel Butler accounting for 138 receiving yards. UTEP has talent on defense, especially at the cornerback position in senior Kalon Beverly, who had six tackles and one interception against Northern Arizona. Miner linebacker A.J. Hotchkins, made his UTEP debut last week and could be a factor on defense, he led all Miners with 13 tackles. Isaiah Ramirez may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
Three things to know in the Chihuahuas playoff push
By Adrian Broaddus The Prospector
As the Chihuahuas clinched their fourth Pacific Coast League Southern Division title in five seasons, El Paso continues to build upon their best record in club history. Sitting at 82-56 and 26 games over .500, marking their best record since their inception in 2014, manager Rod Barajas and his club is looking to make a strong playoff run this postseason. Here are three things to know in the Chihuahuas playoff push:
Call-up’s don’t change anything About two weeks ago, highly regarded prospect and second baseman Luis Urias finally got his call to the majors to spend what looks like the rest of the season with the Padres. Urias, who is ranked as the No. 4 prospect in San Diego’s organization and the No. 22 prospect in all of baseball, had a breakthrough stint in August that made his value rise. Although his .296/.398/.447 batting splits doesn’t jump off the page, he finished his time in El Paso with 45 extrabase hits and an isolated power (ISO) of .151. ISO is a formula that measures the raw power of a batter, the formulas final result
measures how many extra bases a player averages per bat. Some may think that losing Urias is a detriment to the Chihuahuas playoff run, but they are actually deep with talent at each position on the field. A Chihuahua veteran like Carlos Asuaje has managed second base consistently for the club, but Barajas can move an athletic fielder like Dusty Coleman to second, if necessary. Bottom line, the dogs have depth at almost every position, so replacing a player like Urias is possible. Should another prospect be called up to San Diego in the final month, there would be a formidable replace-
ment for that player as well. Pitching prospects have lived up to the hype When minor league pitching duo Logan Allen and Cal Quantrill were called up to Triple-A from Double-A, some critics suggested it was a premature call-up. Boy were they wrong. Both pitchers have exceeded expectations in El Paso and each will be vital to the Chihuahuas’ playoff push down the line. Allen, who is ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the Padres organization and No. 85 overall
see Dogs on page 8
| 8 | SPORTS S e p t e m b e r
THEPROSPECTOR
4, 2018
Dogs from page 7
File poto / The Prospector El Paso Chihuahuas will play their regular season series finale on Sept. 5-6, at Southwest University Park.
in baseball, has put up a 4-0 record in five games, with a superb 1.63 ERA through 27.2 innings. He has totaled 26 strikeouts for El Paso and has a 1.23.WHIP. Allen, a left-handed pitcher, will be a Padres pitcher come 2019, and at just 21-years-old, his ceiling is high. Quantrill, on the other hand, is an interesting prospect for the Padres organization. He was the eighth overall player drafted in the 2016 MLB Draft and is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the organization. What makes him special is his ability to increase his pitching velocity as the game goes on, similar to that of future Hall of Fame pitcher Justin Verlander of the Houston Astros. He was an average player with the San Antonio Missions, posting a 6-5 record that by any means should not have been worthy to be called up to Triple-A. However, since his call-up to El Paso, Quantrill has dropped his ERA by almost two points and has a 2-1 record in five games with a 3.81 ERA. His WHIP is promising at 1.46, striking out 19 batters. The jump that Quantrill has made from Double-A to Triple-A in itself is noteworthy enough. Veteran leadership has helped younger players There’s a bit of an age gap among El Paso players, but the up-and-coming prospects and the veterans have meshed well in the final stretch of the season. Upon acquiring catcher Francisco Mejia from the Indians organization (No. 3 prospect in Padres organization, No. 15 in MLB), El Paso has found stability on offense. Mejia
is batting an exceptional .301/.341/.540 with 34 hits in 29 games with El Paso. At 22 years old, Mejia could be playing his final month with the Dogs and can be a Padre as soon as 2019. Infielder Ty France, 24, has emerged as a diamond in the rough for the Chihuahuas and has 17 RBIs in just 23 games. Even shortstop Javy Guerra, who had a sub-.200 batting average before the All-Star break, has boosted it up to .225 and has been more consistent for El Paso. Veteran talent like outfielders Forrestt Allday, Shane Peterson, Brett Nicholas and Dusty Coleman, and infielders Carlos Asuaje and Austin Craig have used their experience to help bring El Paso’s team batting average to a consistent .267. El Paso is third in the PCL in doubles with 285 and fifth in home runs and RBIs with 141 and 689 respectively. If the bats stay as consistent as they’ve been, El Paso has a strong chance to make a strong push for a PCL title in September. Adrian Broaddus may be reached at theprospector1@gmail.com.
Baltimore
Memorial Gym. Borderland Invitational Randolph. Sept. 8 11 a.m.
and
Sept. 9 at 1 p.m
The Prospector is committed to accuracy. If you think we have made an error of fact, e-mail the editor at theprospector1@gmail.com