Lobo alum Garver called up to majors

University of New Mexico baseball alum Mitch Garver got the call he’s been waiting his entire baseball career for as the Albuquerque native was called up to the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.

The catcher, who has also seen time in the outfield and at first base this season for Triple-A Rochester, was hitting .291 with 17 home runs, 29 doubles and 45 RBI in 88 games for the Red Wings this season.

Garver is the 10th Lobo to reach the majors and the fifth to play in the MLB in the last six seasons, joining Jordan Pacheco (2011-16), Bobby LaFromboise (2013-15), Matt Young (2011-12) and Daniel Ray Herrera (2008-11).

Garver is one of the most decorated players in UNM baseball history and capped it by being drafted by the Twins in the ninth round of the 2013 MLB Draft. He’s in the Lobo all-time top 10 in games played (ninth), hits (sixth), RBI (ninth), doubles (fifth), total bases (10th) and putouts (fourth). He also owns the sixth-longest hitting streak in Lobo history (26 games) 

Arguably his most impressive feat as a Lobo was his durability. Despite playing one of the most physically demanding positions on the field, he started a Lobo-record 181 consecutive games which spanned from his freshman season in 2010 to his senior year in 2013.

Garver was a two-time All-American along with being named first-team all-conference twice and,academic all-conference four times. He helped the Lobos win three Mountain West regular season titles (2011-13) and two Mountain West Tournament titles (2011-12).