Hillsboro Hops Announce 2013 Coaching Staff

Hillsboro, OR (Jan. 24, 2013) - The Class A Short-Season Hillsboro Hops announced their 2013 coaching staff today. The Hops will be led by Manager Audo Vicente, who has managed in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization for five seasons.

Vicente will be joined by former Cy Young Award winner and 13-year MLB vet Doug Drabek as the club's pitching coach. J.R. House, who played parts of five seasons with the Pirates, Astros and Orioles will begin his second season as hitting coach following a promotion from Rookie Missoula.

Hillsboro native and former Colorado Rockies catcher Ben Petrick will serve on the Hops coaching staff as Consultant for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Petrick will assist the young men playing for the Hops in acclimating to life as a professional baseball player.

The Hillsboro Hops will play their first season in Oregon after moving from Yakima, Washington. The Yakima Bears went 36-40 overall last season and 21-17 in the first half, clinching a first-half playoff berth, the first in club history.

The Hops will begin their 38-game regular season on Friday, June 14th with a three-game series against the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in Salem. The Hops will make their home debut in their new state-of-the-art stadium in Hillsboro on Monday, June 17th when they play host to Eugene Emeralds for a three-game series. For a complete 2013 Hillsboro Hops schedule, click here.

Hillsboro Hops season tickets are ON SALE NOW by calling 503.640.0887 or by going online here.

About Hillsboro Hops:
The Hillsboro Hops are the Single-A baseball affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball. The team's season runs from mid-June to early September. The franchise relocated to Hillsboro in 2012 and will begin play in 2013 in a new state-of-the-art 4,500 seat stadium. The Hops are part of the 55-year old Northwest League, which includes teams in Boise, Eugene, Salem-Keizer, Tri-Cities, Spokane, Everett and Vancouver BC. Major League stars who rose to prominence via the Northwest League include Ken Griffey Jr., Felix Hernandez, Edgar Martinez, Reggie Jackson, Ozzie Smith, Rickey Henderson and Tony Gwynn. Follow the Hops on Facebook and on Twitter.

HILLSBORO HOPS COACHING STAFF BIOS:

AUDO VICENTE - MANAGER
♦ In his ninth season in the organization and third managing the Short-Season club - Is the first manager of the Hillsboro Hops franchise, which previously was the Yakima Bears.
♦ Managed the Bears in 2011-12 and in 2012, guided them to their first first-half playoff berth to return to postseason play for the first time since 2010.
♦ Managed Single-A Visalia in 2010, Rookie-Advanced Missoula 2008-09 and Dominican Summer League Boca Chica from 2006-07.
♦ Served as the Boca Chica's infield instructor in 2005.
♦ As a player in 1998, hit .261 with 3 doubles, a triple and 12 stolen bases for the D-backs' Arizona Summer League club and Triple-A Tucson.

DOUG DRABEK - PITCHING COACH
♦ In his fourth campaign with the D-backs and second with the Short-Season club.
♦ Served as pitching coach for Single-A Advanced Visalia from 2011-12 and Short-Season Yakima in 2010.
♦ 1990 NL Cy Young Award winner and 1994 NL All-Star - Won 155 games and posted a 3.73 ERA during a 13-year Major League career for the Yankees (1986), Pirates (1987-92), Astros (1993-96), White Sox (1997) and Orioles (1998) - Won 1990 NL Cy Young Award with 22 wins and a 2.76 ERA - Member of NL East champion Pirates from 1990-92.
♦ Has two sons that have played baseball professionally - Kyle is currently with the Blue Jays, having been acquired in the Roy Halladay trade on Dec. 16, 2009, and pitched in the Philadelphia Phillies system from 2006-08 after being drafted in the first-round (18th overall) of the 2006 First-Year Player Draft - Justin played in the Independent Leagues from 2006-08.

J.R. HOUSE - HITTING COACH
♦ In his second season with the D-backs and first with Hillsboro.
♦ Served as the hitting coach for Rookie Missoula in 2012.
♦ Over parts of 5 big league seasons with the Pirates, Astros and Orioles, batted .167 (10-for-60) with 3 doubles, 3 home runs and 4 RBI in 32 games.
♦ During a 12-year Minor League career, hit .300 (1,257-for-4,188) with 272 doubles, 10 triples, 140 home runs and 680 RBI in 1,140 career games.
♦ Prior to the 2005 season, left professional baseball to play college football as a quarterback at West Virginia University.
♦Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth-round of the 1999 First-Year Player draft.