2015 'Dads Coaching Staff Announced
Hickory, NC - The Texas Rangers, Major League parent club of the Hickory Crawdads, have announced the 2015 coaching staff for the 'Dads, with four of the five field staff members returning from Hickory's 80-win 2014 squad.
Headlining the group is manager Corey Ragsdale, who will be in his third year at the helm of the Crawdads. Joining him will be third year strength & conditioning coach Wade Lamont, along with second year pitching coach Oscar Marin and athletic trainer Sean Fields. The only new member of the staff is hitting coach Josue Perez, who served in the same capacity with the Crawdads in 2012.
Ragsdale, 32, returns to Hickory after leading the 'Dads to an 80-59 overall record in 2013, marking just the fifth time in franchise history that the team reached the 80-win plateau. Ragsdale will begin the 2015 season with 156 career wins in his two seasons with the Crawdads, 72 behind Bill Richardson's franchise record. The Jonesboro, Arkansas native will be in his seventh season in the Rangers organization, spending three as a player from 2007-09 before beginning his coaching career in 2011. The 2015 season will be Ragsdale's 5th total with the Crawdads, including a stint as a relief pitcher in 2009 and an infield coach in 2011. Ragsdale made his managerial debut with the Arizona League Rangers (Rookie) in 2012, guiding the team to the AZL Championship. "Rags" was originally selected by the New York Mets in the 2nd Round of the 2001 Draft and spent seven seasons as an infielder in the organization before coming to the Rangers.
Marin, who will turn 32 on December 5th, begins his second season as the Crawdads pitching coach and his fifth year as a pitching coach in the Rangers system. Under Marin's leadership, the 2014 'Dads pitching staff finished 4th in the South Atlantic League in strikeouts (1,124) and complete games (3), while placing 7th in the 14-team league in ERA (3.76) and shutouts (8). The Los Angeles native served in the same capacity for the short-season Spokane Indians in 2013, with his staff leading the Northwest League in strikeouts (681), while ranking second in ERA (3.28). Marin served as the pitching coach for the AZL Rangers from 2011-12, while also spending the 2012 offseason as a pitching coach for Ponce in the Puerto Rican Winter League. Marin pitched for the Los Angeles Valley College Monarchs from 2001-02 before playing for the University of Arkansas-Little Rock from 2003-04.
Perez, 37, begins his 10th season with the Rangers organization and his second as the Crawdads hitting coach after serving in the same position with the team in 2012. Perez was the hitting coach for the High-A Myrtle Beach Pelicans from 2013-14, with his team leading the Carolina League in runs scored (683), home runs (111), triples (48), slugging percentage (.404), and RBI (627) last season. A native of Havana, Cuba, Perez spent three seasons with short-season Spokane from 2009-11 and was also the hitting coach for the rookie league Rangers in 2008. He originally joined Texas as a manager for the Dominican Summer League Rangers from 2006-07. Perez was signed by the Dodgers as a non-drafted free agent in 1998 and was named the ninth-best prospect in the Phillies system in 1999. He finished his playing career in 2005 in the Texas minor league system.
Fields, 30, is back in Hickory for his second season as the athletic trainer with the Crawdads and his sixth year in the Rangers organization overall. Fields served as the head trainer in short-season Spokane from 2012-13, with the AZL Rangers in 2011, and as a member of the Rangers Dominican Summer League team in 2010 after joining the organization as an intern in the DSL in 2009. The Texas native completed his undergraduate work at Texas Tech University prior to earning his masters degree from Stephen F. Austin State University.
Lamont, 30, returns to the Crawdads for his third season as the team's strength and conditioning coach, and his fourth year overall with the Rangers. He served in the same capacity for the AZL Rangers in 2012. Lamont was selected in the 29th round of the 2007 draft by the Detroit Tigers and spent three seasons in the Tigers farm system. The Omaha, Nebraska native batted .320 with 11 home runs and 47 RBI as a junior at Flagler (FL) College prior to being drafted. His father, Gene, is currently the third base coach for the Detroit Tigers.
For more information on the Crawdads 2015 schedule and coaching staff, visit the 'Dads website at www.hickorycrawdads.com or call the Front Office at (828) 322-3000.
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