For Immediate Release

 

Jay Sawatski named Hog Nation's 2006 Minor League Player of the Year

 

HogNation.net announced that Jay Sawatski has been named the 2006 Minor League Player of the Year, an honor given each year to the former Razorback player that accomplishes the most in minor league baseball. Former winners include Scott Roehl, Cliff Lee and Eric Hinske among others.

Jay started the season in spring training with the Twins, where he was 0-1 with 1 save and a 13.50 ERA in 2 appearances (2.0 innings). He was assigned to the New Britain Rock Cats (AA) to start the season. Midway through the season Jay was briefly sent down to the Twins high A club, the Fort Myers Miracle, to get more innings and work as a starter. He was brought back to New Britain after only two starts at Fort Myers.

In August Jay was assigned to the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League by the Minnesota Twins.

At New Britain, Jay was 4-2 with a 2.87 ERA in 44 games. He had 69 strikeouts and 22 walks in 75.1 innings. At Fort Myers he was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA in 2 games started. He had 5 strikeouts and 2 walks.

The 2006 season saw Jay pitch his 100th minor league game, his 100th minor league inning, and get his 100th minor league strikeout.

Jay was named the Hogs in the Minors Player of the Week 7 times this season.

He played for the University of Arkansas in 2003 and 2004 after two seasons at Arkansas-Fort Smith. In his career at Arkansas he was 13-6 with a 3.39 ERA and had 10 saves. He had 128 strikeouts and 37 walks in 148.1 innings. While at Arkansas he made two trips to the NCAA tournament and was part of the 2004 Arkansas College World Series team. In route to Omaha, Jay saved both games of the Super Regional against Florida State.

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