2024 Carolina Mudcats Coaching Staff

Nick Stanley is in his first season with the Mudcats and his first season as a manager in the Brewers organization. Overall, Stanley is in his seventh season in the Milwaukee system having previously worked as bench coach of Double-A Biloxi in 2023, hitting coach with High-A Wisconsin from 2021 through 2022, hitting coach with Rookie level Rocky Mountain in 2019 and hitting coach for the Dominican Summer League's DSL Indians/Brewers co-op team in 2018. He was additionally scheduled to manage the AZL Brewers Gold during the COVID-19 pandemic canceled season in 2020. Stanley has also accumulated numerous years of coaching experience in New Zealand at various levels.

Before joining the Brewers, Stanley played two seasons in the Houston Astros system from 2009 through 2010 with the Rookie level Tri-City ValleyCats of the New York-Penn League. The Astros originally selected him in the 25th round of the 2009 MLB June Amateur Draft from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla. Carolina’s new skipper played collegiately at Florida Southern in 2009, NC State in 2008 and South Florida State College from 2006 through 2007. Stanley is originally from St. Petersburg, Fla. and attended Seminole High School in Seminole, Fla.

Michael O’Neal is in his second season as pitching coach of the Mudcats and his fifth overall season as a coach in the Milwaukee system. He previously worked as a coach with Double-A Biloxi in 2022, a development coach with High-A Wisconsin in 2021 and was originally assigned to Carolina as a development coach ahead of the canceled 2020 season. O'Neal additionally spent the 2023-24 off-season as the pitching coach of the Australian Baseball League's Brisbane Bandits. The Columbus, Ga. native was also previously an assistant coach at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville (2019-2020) and has also worked as a pitching trainer for Driveline Baseball.

O’Neal is a former Mudcats player having pitched for the then-Atlanta Braves affiliated Mudcats during the 2016 season. He later played with Double-A Mississippi that same season (2016) and has additionally pitched in the Frontier League (2014 Florence, 2015 Gateway), American Association (2017 Fargo-Morehead) and Canadian-American Association (2017 Rockland). He pitched collegiately at Auburn in 2013 and 2014. O’Neal attended Pacelli High School in Columbus, Ga.

Austin Turner is in his first year as hitting coach of the Mudcats. Overall, the Huntsville, AL native is in his third season as a hitting coach in the Brewers system having spent the 2022 and 2023 season with the DSL Brewers 1 and DSL Brewers Gold respectively. Before joining the Brewers, Turner was the hitting coach for the Coastal Plain League’s Wilmington Sharks in 2021 and an assistant coach at John A. Logan College (IL) from 2020 through 2022, and Alabama A&M from 2018-2020. Turner played collegiately at Alabama A&M (2014-16). Turner attended Ardmore High School in Ardmore, AL.

Liu Rodríguez is a returnee to Carolina having previously spent the 2021 season as a coach with the Mudcats. He worked the last two seasons as a coach with both Triple-A Nashville in 2023 and High-A Wisconsin in 2022.

As a player, Rodríguez spent five seasons in the Chicago White Sox farm system before appearing in 39 Major League games with the “South Siders” in 1999. In all, Rodríguez spent seven seasons in the minors including two seasons with Triple-A Charlotte (2000-01), one with Double-A Birmingham (1999), one with High-A Winston Salem (1998), two with Single-A Hickory (1996-97) and one with the GCL White Sox (1995). Rodríguez also played several seasons in the Atlantic League (2006 Newark, 2009 Southern Maryland, 2009-2012 York) and two in the Golden Baseball League (2008-09 St. George). He also played several seasons in the Italian Baseball League (2003 Grosseto, 2004 Rimini, 2013 Godo), Mexican League (2002 Saltillo/Tabasco, 2004 Tijuana, 2005 Cancun) and Venezuelan Winter League (2006-07 Zulia, 2007-08 Zulia/La Guaira, 2008-09 La Guaira) in his professional career.

Stevie Blackburn-Lazalde MAT, ATC enters her first season as an athletic trainer with the Mudcats. The 2024 season is her third in the Brewers organization as she spent the last two seasons with Milwaukee’s Dominican Summer League teams, the DSL Brewers 2 in 2022 and DSL Brewers Gold in 2023.

Midge Peterson is in her first season with the Mudcats and the Milwaukee farm system. Midge’s previous experience was in hockey where she worked two seasons in the Western Hockey League. Midge graduated from the University of Montana with her Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Science and Master’s Degree in Athletic Training in 2020.

Jonah Mergen begins his eighth straight year with the Mudcats and 14th overall in the Milwaukee organization. A native of McFarland, WI, Mergen has also worked with the Greeneville Astros and in the strength and conditioning departments at NC State University, UW-La Crosse and the National Strength and Conditioning Association World Headquarters. He first graduated from St. Ambrose University with a dual degree in exercise science and Spanish in 2007, before receiving his master’s from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in human performance in 2009.

Michael Reiskind is in his first season with the Mudcats and Milwaukee farm system. A native of Fort Lauderdale Florida, Reiskind has also worked in the Strength and Conditioning Department at Appalachian State University and Eastern Mennonite University. He first graduated from the University of Lynchburg with a degree in Exercise Science in 2021, before receiving his Masters Degree from Appalachian State University in Exercise Science in 2023.