Aaron Sutton named first Mussels manager

FORT MYERS, Fla. - The Minnesota Twins announced Friday that Aaron Sutton will be the first manager of the newly rebranded Fort Myers Mighty Mussels. 
This is Sutton's first stint in professional baseball. He spent the last four years as head coach at Montana State University Billings, earning 2019 GNAC Coach of the Year Honors after guiding the Yellowjackets to the league's regular and postseason titles, and their first ever berth in the NCAA Division II West Region Championships.
Sutton replaces Toby Gardenhire, who led the Fort Myers Miracle to a First Half South Division Championship and a 74-59 overall record in 2019. Gardenhire was promoted to manage Triple-A Rochester this season.  
Joining Sutton on the coaching staff are hitting coaches Nate Rasmussen and Brian Meyer, pitching coaches Virgil Vazquez and Carlos Hernandez, athletic trainer Ben Myers, and strength and conditioning coach Chuck Bradway.
Rasmussen served as a hitting coach for the GCL Twins in 2019. This is his second season in the Twins organization. Meyer spent the last three seasons at Butler University after a five-year stint at Tulane University.
Vazquez spent 2019 as the pitching coach with Class-A Cedar Rapids and begins his sixth season as a coach in the Twins organization. He ended his playing career with the Twins in Double-A New Britain and Triple-A Rochester in 2013 and 2014. He also spent parts of two seasons in the majors with Detroit (2007) and Pittsburgh (2009). Hernandez enters his third season in the organization. He served as a pitching coach with the GCL Twins last year and pitched for the Houston Astros from 2001-04.
Myers and Bradway are each returning for their second season in Fort Myers.
Mighty Mussels Opening Night is Thursday, April 9 against the St. Lucie Mets at Hammond Stadium. Season ticket and group packages are on sale now. Call 239-768-4210 for more information.