ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Mitch Garver has reached another milestone in his professional career. In mid-December the Minnesota Twins invited him to their major-league camp for spring training. He is one of 18 players in the Twins minor league system to be invited, and one of four catchers.
The announcement is just the latest professional honor for the greatest catcher in Lobo historym in his brief professional career. After the 2014 season he was named the Hitter of the Year in the Twins system after spending the year playing for Cedar Rapids in the Midwest League. He was the only player on the team named to the league’s post-season All-Star team.
In 176 career minor league games Garver is hitting .280 (177-for-632) with 81 runs scored, 44 doubles, 18 home runs, 109 RBIs and nearly as many walks as strikeouts (80-to-96).
During his career as a Lobo, Garver hit .351 and started 181 consecutive games to set a new school record. He ranks ninth all-time in program history in games played (211), ninth in at bats (809), 10th in runs (175), sixth in hits (284), eighth in RBIs (167), fifth in doubles (66), ninth in total bases (426), and in 2013 he posted the sixth longest hitting streak in UNM history (26 games). He was a two-time Co-Mountain West Player of the Year with teammate DJ Peterson, a two-time All-American, and a two-time finalist and runner-up for the Johnny Bench Award. He helped lead the Lobos to three Mountain West titles and four NCAA regionals, which were the first for UNM in 50 years.
Pitchers and catchers report to the Twins spring training facility in Fort Myers, Fla., on Feb. 22.