Former Tiger seeks baseball dream in Roswell

TRENT EVINS, a 2006 graduate of La Grande High School, will report to spring training for the Roswell Invaders, an independent team in the Pecos League. NMHU Athletics

Evins latches on with Roswell Invaders of the Pecos League 

Trent Evins has a very important couple of weeks ahead of him.

Evins, a 2006 graduate of La Grande High School, will report to spring training for the Roswell Invaders, an independent baseball team that is part of the Pecos League, headquartered in Houston, Texas. 

Evins will report April 29 with 30 other players, and according to Pecos League commissioner, Andrew Dunn, Evins will participate in “a free for all for two weeks.”

After that the club will decide on which 22 guys to keep.

Evins graduated from New Mexico-Highlands University, a Division II school, in 2011.

He finished the 2010 season with an 8-1 overall record and a 4.10 ERA. In 2010 Evins struck out 47 batters in 68 innings pitched.

Cowboy made all-RMAC 

He was named to the All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference second team as a pitcher as well as the RMAC All-Academic first team in the 2010 season.

In 2011, he went 4-7 in 13 starts while posting a 5.62 ERA.

Evins struck out 72 in 81 2/3 innings.

Evins got the Roswell opportunity after participating at the Indy Pro Showcase in Houston April 17-18.

It was there that he caught the eye of Dunn.

“We’ve had success with New Mexico pitchers in the past. We’re a New Mexico-based league so we like to give those guys a chance,” Dunn said.

The Pecos League is made up of six teams.

Including the Invaders, the Alpine Cowboys, Trinidad Triggers, White Sands Pupfish, Santa Fe Fuego and the Las Cruces Vaqueros also compete in the league.

League famous

The league is known for its elevation and small ball parks, with the average elevation sitting at 4,870 feet, according to its website.

“Since I played my college ball in New Mexico, I know how to pitch at elevation,” Evins said.

“I figured out how to pitch to aluminum bats, now I just have to adjust to wood bats.”

Evins’ experience pitching at elevation is what made him appealing to Dunn.

“He’s (Evins) already pitched at 6,000 feet. Up in Oregon you’re pitching at 500 feet above sea level, but it’s different here,” Dunn said.

“My job is to find players, but I think he has good odds of making it.”

Evins has a fastball that averages between 88-90 miles per hour and tops out around 94.

But he also has an array of pitches that he can mix up.

“I like to keep hitters off balance. But I’m not afraid to use my fastball. You have to trust you’re No. 1 pitch.”

Pitch selection aside, it will come down to Evins’ performance at the end of the day.

“I know I’ll have to work my way into the rotation. They say that a guy loses his job every hour. 

“If you’re not producing, they don’t want you,” Evins said.

As for his expectations?

“I’m just going to go out there and throw strikes.”

Evins will stay with a host family provided by the team during his time in Roswell.

The Invaders are scheduled to open the season May 10 against Alpine.

The Invaders won the regular season and postseason title last year.

The regular season is made up of 70 games, with the playoffs coming to an end by Aug. 15.

According to its website, the Pecos League has promoted 63 players to higher independent and affiliated teams in the summer of 2011 and off season of 2011-2012.