Steve Soliz Appointed 13th Field Manager in Fresno Grizzlies History for 2023 Season

Fresno, CA - The Fresno Grizzlies and Colorado Rockies have announced the Fresno field staff for the 2023 season with a new man at the helm. Steve Soliz, who was the Grizzlies Bench Coach in 2022 and the Development Supervisor in 2021, will take the reins from Robinson Cancel, who led Fresno to back-to-back California League Championship appearances. Soliz becomes the 13th Field Manager in Fresno Grizzlies history. Reprising their roles for the 2023 season are Pitching Coach Mark Brewer, Hitting Coach Nic Wilson and Athletic Trainer Justin Wilson. The only change to the staff is Cesar Galvez, the new Grizzlies Bench Coach.

Steve Soliz enters his fourth season in the Colorado Rockies system and his third with the Grizzlies. Over the past two seasons, Soliz has helped develop a plethora of Colorado prospects including #1 overall Zac Veen and current Rockies shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. In 2019, Soliz managed the Short-Season club in Boise. Prior to joining the Rockies, Soliz spent 15 seasons with the Angels organization. He had most recently coached with the Major League team, serving as the catching and information coach. Before taking that role, he was the Halos bullpen catcher for eight seasons from 2003 to 2010. Soliz was originally selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 13th round of the 1993 First-Year Player Draft. He enjoyed eight professional seasons as a catcher with Cleveland (1993-99) and San Diego (2000-01). Over 473 minor league games, Soliz compiled a .236 batting average with 168 runs scored, 62 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs and 144 RBI. He was most notably a catcher in the 1998 Triple-A World Series. In the offseason, Soliz resides in San Juan Capistrano, California with his wife Heather and daughter Charlotte.

Mark Brewer enters his 10th season in the Colorado Rockies organization and his fourth as the Single-A Pitching Coach. Last season, the 2022 Grizzlies pitching staff reached new heights under Brewerʼs guidance. Notable players from Brewerʼs staff last year included prospects Gabriel Hughes, Jaden Hill and Jordy Vargas. Prior to spending time in Fresno, Brewer oversaw the arms in Asheville (2019), Hartford (2018) and Albuquerque (2017). Previously, he worked three seasons as the Tourists pitching coach from 2014 to 2016. In his first season, Asheville won the 2014 South Atlantic League Championship with a team ERA of 3.75. Before coming to Colorado, Brewer served as the pitching coach for Triple-A Buffalo in the New York Mets organization. He also has previous experience working in the systems of the Los Angeles Dodgers (1993-99, 2001-04), Texas Rangers (1999-2000), Kansas City Royals (2004-05), Pittsburgh Pirates (2008-09) and the Mets (2006-08, 2009-12). Brewer also has over 18 years of experience as a pitching coach in the Dominican Winter Leagues. He currently lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma with his wife Rosalba Reyna de Brewer and their four children: Nikki, Kasey, Andrew and Taussen.

Nic Wilson enters his fourth season with the Rockies organization and third with the Grizzlies as the Hitting Coach. Under Wilsonʼs watch, the 2022 Grizzlies batsʼ boasted one of the most prolific offenses in all of Minor League Baseball, resulting in numerous team records. Prior to Fresno, Wilson served as a volunteer assistant and hitting coach for Eastern Kentucky University in 2019, where he received his masterʼs in sports science. Before that, Wilson earned his bachelorʼs degree in political science from Georgia State University, where he was named a second-team Louisville Slugger All-American after batting .322 with 18 home runs and 52 RBI as a senior in 2014. Wilson ranked fourth in the nation that season in home runs, was a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection and a two-time national player of the week. He was selected in the 24th round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays. Wilson went on to spend the 2014 season with Rookie Level Princeton and the 2015 year with Short-Season Hudson Valley Renegades. While with Princeton, Wilson led the team in clouts. He currently resides in his hometown of Decatur, Georgia.

Justin Wilson enters his third season with both the Colorado Rockies and Fresno Grizzlies as the Athletic Trainer. Prior to joining the Rockies system, Wilson spent three years (2018-2020) with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Over the past four winters, Wilson has worked overseas in Puerto Rico for the Criollos de Caguas baseball team. They play in Liga de Béisbol Professional Roberto Clemente, which is comprised of seven teams. Wilson graduated from the School of Athletic Training in 2016 from the University of Central Florida and then was a graduate assistant at the University of West Florida. Wilson enjoys fishing and golfing in his free time.

The newest face in the Fresno dugout is Bench Coach Cesar Galvez. The former infielder spent his minor league career (seven seasons) playing in the Colorado Rockies system from 2010-2016, reaching as high as Triple-A Albuquerque. Galvez was known for his speed, swiping 116 bases, including 47 in his second professional season. After his playing days ended, Galvez joined the Rockies as a minor league coach. He was the Boise Hawks hitting coach in 2018-2019. Galvez was then promoted to manager of the Hawks in 2020 prior to the pandemic. After that, Galvez was a coach for the Hartford Yard Goats in 2021 and the ACL Rockies bench coach in 2022. Galvez is only 31 years old and was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The Fresno Grizzlies season opener is slated for Thursday, April 6th, at 6:30 p.m. in San Jose while the home opener is scheduled for Tuesday, April 11th, at 6:50 p.m. against the Stockton Ports.

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The Fresno Grizzlies are the reigning California League Northern Division Champions and a proud affiliate of the Colorado Rockies organization. The team plays at Chukchansi Park in Downtown Fresno, which is also a year-round community venue that hosts a myriad of other special events including concerts, high school sporting events, and over 100 non-profit community events annually. The 2023 season will mark the teamʼs 21st year in Downtown Fresno and 25th baseball season since their inception in 1998.