Clean Sweep: Dobnak and Wallner Take International League's Weekly Honors

ST. PAUL, MN (June 17, 2024) - The St. Paul Saints came out of Louisville with their fourth six-game sweep in franchise history, but that was not their only sweep this week. They also swept the International League weekly awards for June 11-16, as Randy Dobnak and Matt Wallner were named the International League Pitcher and Player of the Week, respectively, the league announced Monday. They are the Saints’ first weekly award winners in 2024.

Dobnak put forth his best start of the season on June 15, spinning 6.0 shutout innings, allowing just two hits, walking one and tying the franchise record with a career-high 10 strikeouts. It is the fourth time this season a Saints starter has punched out 10 batters, joining David Festa, who did so on April 30, May 11 and June 14. Festa and Dobnak became the first Saints teammates in franchise history to throw consecutive starts with 10 strikeouts and the third Triple-A pair to do so this season (Syracuse’s Christian Scott and Dom Hamel on April 10-11 and Gwinnett’s Bryce Elder and Hurston Waldrep on June 1-2). Dobank also became the first Saints pitcher to throw 100 pitches this year, joining Andrew Albers and Mario Sanchez as the only Saints’ pitchers in franchise history to eclipse 100 pitches in a start.

The start was also the right-hander’s third quality start of the season and the second of his last three starts. In June, Dobnak is 2-1 with a 2.93 ERA, allowing five earned runs over 15.1 innings, walking six while striking out 19, holding opponents to a .186 batting average.

On the season Dobnak is 5-5 with a 4.55 ERA in 14 games (12 starts). In 63.1 innings pitched he’s walked 28 and struck out 70 while opponents are hitting .256 against him. He is currently sixth in the league in strikeouts.

Dobnak is the fifth Saints pitcher in franchise history to earn the league's weekly honors since 2022, joining Griffin Jax (May 24-30, 2021), Chi Chi Gonzalez (May 9-15, 2022), Dereck Rodríguez (August 1-7, 2022) and Ariel Jurado (September 12-18, 2022).

Wallner hit a league-best .519 across six games in Louisville, going 14-27 with two doubles, pacing the league with both five home runs and 11 RBI. He also led the league in hits, slugging percentage (1.148), OPS (1.700), total bases (31) and runs (11). Wallner collected at least one hit in all six games, now riding a season-best, seven-game hit streak with multiple hits in each of the last four games, including a pair of four-hit nights.

Over the month of June, Wallner leads the league in hits (23), home runs (9), extra-base hits (13), slugging percentage (.931), OPS (1.384), RBI (19) and total bases (54).

On the season Wallner is hitting .250 with 16 homers and 43 RBI in 52 games. In 200 at bats he’s scored 35 runs, has 10 doubles, one triple and is slashing .250/.332/.550 with an .882 OPS. He is tied for the league lead in home runs.

The Forest Lake, MN native is the first player in franchise history to win multiple Player of the Week accolades, previously taking home the award on June 5, 2023. Wallner is the sixth winner in franchise history, joining Drew Maggi (June 28-July 4, 2021), Alex Kirilloff (May 30-June 5, 2022) Chris Williams (June 13-18) and Anthony Prato (July 25-30, 2023).