Nick Bartosz

Sawyer Gipson-Long. Photo by Smax Photography — Jay Boatwright.

Etowah Graduate Makes the Minors

BY NICK BARTOSZ

At an early age, Sawyer Gipson-Long was faced with the decision of which sport he wanted to play. He was inspired to give baseball a try, due to his mother’s passion for the game. Once he began playing baseball at Hobgood Park, it did not take long for him to fall in love with the sport, and look for his next opportunity.

Sawyer attended Etowah High School, graduating in 2016, and was part of the baseball and swim teams, all while being recognized for academic awards. He thrived at baseball and found his true passion in competing on the pitcher’s mound. He dominated his senior year, earning a spot on the Georgia High School Association All-State First Team, the U.S. Army Reserve Scholar-Athlete Award, and being named 7A Cherokee County Pitcher of the Year. His combination of academic and athletic abilities drew interest from multiple schools, and, after careful thought, he decided to attend Mercer University, to play baseball and pursue a degree in chemical commerce.

During his freshman season, he went 1-1 in 11 appearances. In his sophomore season, he went 4-0 in 19 appearances. In his final season, as a junior, Sawyer led the Bears with 83 innings in 23 appearances and 14 starts, while posting an 8-4 record. He was averaging 10.73 strikeouts per nine innings and went 2-0 in 13 innings to lead the school to a Southern Conference tournament title. Due to his great success, the Minnesota Twins drafted him in the sixth round, with the 179th pick in the 2019 Major League Baseball draft. Sawyer accepted the offer, but made it a priority to complete his senior year at Mercer and his degree.

He officially signed with the Twins organization on June 23, 2019, and was assigned to the Florida Complex League Twins, a rookie-level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, the next day. Shortly after, in July, he was assigned to the Elizabethton Twins, also a rookie-level affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Since then, Sawyer has been making the most of his opportunities to move up in the Twins’ organization.

In May 2021, Sawyer was assigned to the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, a Low-A minor league affiliate, and, in August 2021, he moved up to the Cedar Rapids Kernels, a High-A minor league affiliate, where he currently is playing. After a very strong season and offseason in 2021, he has been invited by the Twins to early spring training in 2022. From the fields at Hobgood to the High-A minor leagues, Sawyer continues to climb the ladder and pursue his passion.

Nick Bartosz is a senior at the University of Georgia. He is majoring in sports management and has an interest in sports communications.