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Best Individual Performances of the 2018 Roswell Invaders Season
The 2018 Roswell Invaders put together another outstanding summer at Joe Bauman Stadium, finishing the regular season 41-19. Roswell featured one of the most explosive offenses in the Pecos League, with Brian Portelli, Logan Coughlin, Louis Martini, Nolan Hoff, Austin Maltby and Gavin Lavallee helping power a lineup that repeatedly produced double-digit run totals.
The Invaders also received important pitching performances from John Saviano, Carson Corff, Ryne Underwood, Lance Fairchild and others. Roswell won games with huge offensive explosions, dominant pitching performances and late-inning rallies. These were some of the best individual performances and standout efforts of the 2018 Roswell Invaders season.
Brian Portelli — The Centerpiece of a Powerful Roswell Offense
Brian Portelli put together an extraordinary offensive season for Roswell in 2018.
Portelli hit .423 while collecting 102 hits, 19 doubles and 32 home runs. He drove in 114 runs and scored 91 times, giving Roswell a tremendous power threat in the middle of its lineup.
The 32-home-run season made Portelli one of the most dangerous power hitters in the Pecos League and his 114 RBIs reflected how frequently he delivered with runners on base.
Roswell's many high-scoring games during 2018 were fueled by a lineup built around Portelli's exceptional combination of average and power.
Logan Coughlin was another major part of Roswell's powerful 2018 lineup.
Coughlin hit .343 with 82 hits, 14 doubles, a triple and 14 home runs. He scored 68 times and drove in 61 runs while providing another dangerous bat around Portelli in the Roswell order.
His combination of power and run production helped make the Invaders exceptionally difficult to pitch around. Opposing teams could not simply avoid one hitter because Roswell had dangerous bats throughout the lineup.
Louis Martini provided a different kind of offensive pressure for the Invaders.
Martini hit .348 with 80 hits, 15 doubles and 12 home runs while scoring 76 runs. He also drew an incredible 64 walks, giving him an on-base percentage above .500.
Martini's ability to reach base consistently was especially valuable in a lineup filled with power hitters. When Martini reached base, Roswell frequently had Portelli, Coughlin and the rest of its offense waiting behind him.
He also stole 12 bases, adding another dimension to one of the league's most productive offenses.
Ryne Underwood — Winning Pitcher against White Sands
Ryne Underwood earned an important victory against the White Sands Pupfish in one of Roswell's early-season games.
With Roswell and White Sands locked in a high-scoring contest, Underwood was credited with the victory and helped the Invaders secure another win during the opening portion of the season.
Lance Fairchild finished the game and was credited with the save.
Lance Fairchild — Closes the Door against White Sands
Lance Fairchild gave Roswell an experienced arm at the back of the pitching staff.
Fairchild recorded the save in Roswell's early-season victory over White Sands, finishing the game after Ryne Underwood earned the win.
Fairchild entered 2018 with previous experience with Roswell as well as higher-level independent baseball experience with Sioux Falls, making him one of the more experienced pitchers on the Invaders staff.
Nolan Hoff — Consistency throughout the 2018 Season
Nolan Hoff put together an excellent season in the Roswell infield.
Hoff hit .332 and collected 76 hits, including 12 doubles and three triples. He scored 67 runs and drove in 39 while drawing 53 walks.
His ability to reach base made him another important part of Roswell's offense, and his performance earned him a starting spot in the 2018 Pecos League All-Star Game.
Hoff could play multiple infield positions and provided the Invaders with a combination of offense and versatility throughout the summer.
Austin Maltby — 13 Home Runs from the Catching Position
Austin Maltby supplied impressive power from behind the plate for Roswell.
Maltby hit .331 with 49 hits in 148 at-bats. Fifteen of those hits were doubles and another 13 left the ballpark, giving him exceptional extra-base power for a catcher.
He drove in 41 runs and posted a .696 slugging percentage. With Portelli, Coughlin, Martini and Maltby all capable of hitting the ball out of the park, there were few comfortable spots for opposing pitchers in the Roswell lineup.
Gavin Lavallee — Another Big Bat in the Middle of the Order
Gavin Lavallee continued his Roswell career with another productive season in 2018.
Lavallee hit .329 with 47 hits, seven doubles, two triples and seven home runs. He drove in 39 runs and gave the Invaders another hitter capable of changing a game with one swing.
Lavallee's versatility allowed Roswell to use him at third base, in the outfield and at first base during his time with the club.
Jordan Garr — Productive Season in the Roswell Lineup
Jordan Garr gave Roswell another productive bat during the 2018 season.
Garr hit .327 with 49 hits, nine doubles and five home runs. He scored 40 times and drove in 33 runs.
His production further demonstrated the depth of the Invaders offense. Roswell wasn't dependent on one or two hitters; productive at-bats could come from almost anywhere in the batting order.
One of the greatest offensive nights of Roswell's 2018 season came on June 21 at Joe Bauman Stadium when the Invaders overwhelmed the White Sands Pupfish 26-1.
Roswell's lineup relentlessly put runners on base and turned the game into one of the biggest victories of the entire season. A lineup featuring Brian Portelli, Logan Coughlin, Louis Martini, Nolan Hoff and Austin Maltby was capable of creating enormous innings, and this game was the clearest example.
Scoring 26 while allowing only one run made it one of Roswell's most complete performances of the year.
Roswell's offensive firepower was on full display against the Garden City Wind on June 7 when the Invaders scored 19 runs at Joe Bauman Stadium.
The Invaders defeated Garden City 19-11 in a game featuring 30 combined runs. Roswell's deep lineup continued applying pressure throughout the game and eventually overwhelmed the Wind pitching staff.
On June 11, Roswell's offense erupted again in an 18-6 victory over White Sands.
The 12-run victory was another showcase for a lineup filled with hitters capable of reaching base and driving the baseball. It also continued an early-season stretch in which Roswell regularly scored in double figures.
Perhaps the most overwhelming team performance of Roswell's entire season came July 5 against White Sands.
The Invaders scored 24 runs while shutting out the Pupfish, producing the remarkable final score of 24-0.
For a team to score 24 runs is impressive by itself. Combining that offensive explosion with a shutout made the game one of the most dominant performances of Roswell's 2018 season.
Three nights later, Roswell and Ruidoso combined for 32 runs in one of the wildest games of the summer.
The Invaders emerged with a 17-15 victory at Joe Bauman Stadium. Games like this highlighted Roswell's ability to continue scoring even when its opponent was having a huge offensive night of its own.
Roswell Scores 15 while Holding Garden City to One Run
On July 21, the Invaders combined their high-powered offense with outstanding pitching in a 15-1 victory over Garden City.
Unlike some of Roswell's high-scoring shootouts, this game was completely controlled by the Invaders. Roswell scored 15 while the pitching staff limited the Wind to a single run.
John Saviano — Emerging Arm in the Roswell Rotation
John Saviano began his professional career with Roswell in 2018 and became an important part of the Invaders pitching staff.
The right-hander gave Roswell another starting option during a season in which the club won 41 games. Saviano would return to the Invaders in 2019 and develop into one of the team's leading pitchers.
Carson Corff — Left-Handed Starter for a 41-Win Club
Carson Corff gave Roswell a valuable left-handed option on the mound during 2018.
Corff was a rookie with the Invaders that season and became part of a pitching staff that supported one of the most productive offenses in the Pecos League.
Like Saviano, Corff would return to Roswell and become an important part of the club beyond the 2018 season.
Roswell Finishes July with Another Strong Home Victory
On July 27, Roswell defeated White Sands 6-4 at Joe Bauman Stadium.
By this point in the season the Invaders had already demonstrated that they could win 26-1, 24-0 and 22-11. A closer 6-4 victory showed another side of the club: the ability to protect a lead and win a competitive late-season game.
Brian Portelli deserves special recognition when looking back at Roswell's 2018 season.
His numbers were extraordinary: a .423 batting average, 102 hits, 32 home runs, 114 RBIs and 91 runs scored.
Portelli also posted a .900 slugging percentage. Nearly every time he came to the plate, opposing pitchers faced the possibility of an extra-base hit or home run.
His combination of batting average, power and run production made his 2018 campaign one of the signature offensive seasons in Roswell Invaders history.
Louis Martini was an ideal offensive complement to Roswell's power hitters.
Martini's .348 average was impressive, but his 64 walks made him particularly difficult to retire. His .502 on-base percentage meant he reached base in more than half of his plate appearances.
He scored 76 runs, hit 12 home runs and stole 12 bases. His combination of patience, power and speed gave the Invaders a multidimensional offensive weapon.
Roswell's biggest individual seasons help explain how the Invaders were able to score so many runs in 2018.
Brian Portelli hit .423 with 32 home runs and 114 RBIs. Logan Coughlin hit .343 with 14 home runs and 61 RBIs. Louis Martini hit .348 with 12 home runs and reached base at a .502 clip.
That depth allowed Roswell to keep pressure on opposing pitching staffs from the first inning through the ninth.
A Season Filled with Huge Performances
The 2018 Roswell Invaders finished 41-19 and produced some extraordinary baseball at Joe Bauman Stadium.
Brian Portelli's 32-home-run, 114-RBI season was the centerpiece of the offense. Logan Coughlin added 14 home runs, Louis Martini reached base at a remarkable rate, Austin Maltby supplied 13 home runs from behind the plate and Nolan Hoff emerged as an All-Star infielder.
Gavin Lavallee and Jordan Garr provided additional production, giving Roswell one of the deepest batting orders in the league.
The final scores illustrate just how explosive the Invaders could be. Roswell beat Garden City 19-11, White Sands 18-6, White Sands 26-1, White Sands 24-0, Ruidoso 22-11 and Garden City 15-1. The Invaders also won tight games, including a 4-3 victory over Alpine, a 5-4 victory over Ruidoso and a 7-6 victory over Garden City.
From Portelli's historic power numbers to Martini's ability to reach base, Coughlin's extra-base production, Maltby's power from behind the plate and the pitching performances that helped Roswell win 41 games, the 2018 season remains one of the strongest offensive seasons in Roswell Invaders history.
