Crawdads Finalize 2015 Field Staff

Francisco Matos & Chad Comer round out 'Dads coaches

By Aaron Cox

February 11, 2015

Hickory, NC - The Hickory Crawdads 2015 Field Staff has been finalized, with the Texas Rangers announcing that Francisco Matos will join the 'Dads as the new hitting coach while Chad Comer will serve as the team's new 4^th coach.

Matos replaces Josue Perez as the Crawdads hitting coach, with Perez becoming the Rangers minor league hitting coordinator. Matos and Comer will join returning 'Dads manager Corey Ragsdale along with incumbent pitching coach Oscar Marin, strength & conditioning coach Wade Lamont, and athletic trainer Sean Fields.

Matos, 45, spent the last eight seasons as a hitting coach in the Los Angeles Angels system, with the past four years spent with Triple-A Salt Lake City. Prior to his time in Salt Lake, Matos was the hitting coach for Double-A Arkansas from 2009-2011, Single-A Rancho Cucamonga in 2008, and short-season Orem in 2007. Matos' playing career began in 1987 when he was signed as a free agent by the Oakland Athletics. He spent the next eight seasons in the A's organization, including playing 14 games in the major leagues in 1994. Matos went on to spend time with the Pittsburg, New York (Yankees), Montreal, Baltimore, and Seattle systems from 1995-2000 before finishing his career playing in the Mexican League and various independent leagues from 2001-2004. A native of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Matos currently lives in Huntsville, AL with his wife Susan.

Comer, 26, joins the Rangers organization as a first-year coach after playing in the Atlanta Braves system in 2011 and 2012. A 29^th round selection by the Braves in the 2011 Draft out of the University of Texas at Arlington, Comer played as a catcher in both the Gulf Coast League and Appalachian League in 2011, before spending his final season with the Class-A Lynchburg Hillcats in 2012.

The Crawdads open their regular season on Thursday, April 9^th as a part of a weeklong, 7-game home stand at L.P. Frans Stadium. Ticket Books and "Five Pack of Fun" mini plans are on sale now, with single game tickets going on sale March 14^th.

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