Lowery To Return to FredNats as Manager for Third Season in 2024

FREDERICKSBURG, VA - Jake Lowery will return to the Fredericksburg Nationals as Manager for the third season in a row in 2024, the Washington Nationals announced Friday.

Lowery, 33, has a record of 141-118 in his two seasons as Manager in Fredericksburg, which is the first full-season Managerial assignment of his career. In both of his seasons at the helm of the FredNats, his team led the Carolina League in runs scored, and the 2022 squad captured a second half championship in the Carolina League North Division.

“I’m thrilled to be coming back to Fredericksburg as the skipper for a third season," Lowery said. "The city, the great front office staff, the friendly stadium staff and ownership make it the type of place you love to come to work. We’re looking forward to ANOTHER spectacular season at Virginia Credit Union Stadium in front of some of the most passionate fans in MiLB. Go Freddie’s!”

Lowery was the Nationals' fourth round draft pick in 2011 out of James Madison, where he won the Johnny Bench award as the nation's top collegiate catcher. He was inducted into the James Madison Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023. Lowery reached the Triple-A level in his eight-year Minor League career before transitioning to coaching in 2021 as the Manager of the FCL Nationals.

All but one member of the FredNats' 2023 coaching staff will be returning to join Lowery on the staff in 2024, with the lone newcomer being Hitting Coach Mike Habas. Delwyn Young, the team's Hitting Coach the last two seasons, will serve in the same role with the High-A Wilmington Blue Rocks.

Pitching Coach Justin Lord, Development Coach Carmelo Jaime, Strength & Conditioning Coach Nathan Sier, Performance Analyst Josh Freligh, and Athletic Trainer Jacob Meyer all will return to their respective roles on the coaching staff in Fredericksburg in 2024.

Lord, 44, will begin his fourth season coaching in the Washington organization. He was scheduled to be the FredNats' Pitching Coach in the team's 2020 inaugural season that was ultimately canceled due to Covid, and ended up serving as the Pitching Coach for the Double-A Harrisburg Senators before coming to Fredericksburg in 2023. The Alabama native and Florida State alum pitched six seasons professionally before transitioning to coaching, spending time in the Baltimore organization prior to joining the Nationals.

Habas, 33, begins his first season in the Washington organization after spending the last four seasons coaching in the Milwaukee Brewers organization. He was the hitting coach for the ACL Brewers the last two seasons, and was an Assistant Coach for the independent Gary SouthShore RailCats prior to his time with Milwaukee. While coaching with Gary, he was also the Head Coach at Prairie State College, a Junior College in the Chicago area. He began his playing career in Junior College before transferring to Division II powerhouse North Greenville in Tigerville, S.C., playing two seasons for the Crusaders.

Jaime, 38, was Detroit’s 24th round selection in the 2008 Draft out of Miami Dade College. The Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic native reached Double-A in his three-year minor league career, and has served as the first base coach and infield coach with the FredNats the past two seasons, roles he will continue in 2024.

Sier begins his second year with the FredNats and Nationals as a whole in 2024 after previous stops at Macomb Community College (Michigan), and 2SP Sports. Freligh will remain in the Performance Analyst role that was created in 2023 after previous stops with the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. Meyer begins his seventh season with Washington and second in Fredericksburg after he spent his first five seasons with the Nationals at the Spring Training facility in West Palm Beach, FL.

The FredNats open the 2024 campaign at Virginia Credit Union Stadium on Friday, April 5 at 7:05 p.m. against the Delmarva Shorebirds. Visit FredNats.com for ticket information.

The Fredericksburg Nationals are the Carolina League affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They play their home games at the state-of-the-art Virginia Credit Union Stadium, located at 42 Jackie Robinson Way next to the Fredericksburg Expo & Convention Center in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Stay up to date with the team online at www.frednats.com and follow the Fredericksburg Nationals on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @FXBGNats.