Eugene Emeralds Announce 2026 Coaching Staff

EUGENE, OR – The Eugene Emeralds have announced their coaching staff for the 2026 season. Manager Jacob Heyward will lead the team in his first season in Eugene. Hitting Coach Braxton Lee & Pitching Coach Luis Pino will also be making their debut with the Ems. Nate Keavy will be joining the staff for his first season in Eugene as the Fundamentals Coach. Joseph Holstedt also joins the Emeralds for his third season as the team's Trainer. Bo Babich returns as the Strength and Conditioning Coach. Andrew Kuehn will be back as a Player Development Associate with Danny Okada returning as the Emeralds Clubhouse Manager.

Jacob Heyward is entering his fourth year in the Giants system after a six playing career in the Giants System. Heyward played for three seasons at the University of Miami before being drafted in the 18th round of the 2016 draft by the San Francisco Giants. He played for six years and across four levels before being hired as a coach in 2023. Heyward won the 2025 ACL Coach of the Year Award after leading the team to a 42-18 record and a championship series appearance. Jacob’s brother, Jason, has played 16 years in MLB, most recently for the Padres in 2025.

Braxton Lee is heading into his third year as a coach for the Giants after a seven year professional career that included playing in eight games in MLB for the Miami Marlins. Lee was drafted in the 12th round out of the University of Mississippi by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2012 draft. Lee played in the Rays, Marlins, Mets, and Reds organization throughout his career and made it to MLB with the Marlins in 2018.

Luis Pino joins the Emeralds for his first season as the Pitching Coach in Eugene and his seventh season as a Pitching Coach in the Giants organization. He’s not unfamiliar with coaching and playing in Eugene, as he spent two seasons in the Northwest League as a player for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes in 2015 and 2017. After a six year MiLB career, Pino played for five seasons in the Mexican Pacific League for Los Mochis while also playing two years in the Mexican League.

Nate Keavy embarks on his first season as the Emeralds' Fundamentals Coach after serving in the same role for the San Jose Giants. He was promoted to the Fundamentals Coach in 2023 after serving as a Bullpen Catcher with the Giants since the summer of 2018. Keavy was a catcher for two seasons for Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles before joining the Giants staff.

Joseph Holstedt will be back in Eugene for his third season as the Emeralds Athletic Trainer. Before working in sports, Holstedt spent nearly 12 years in the US Army. Following his service, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Athletic Training from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He had spent time between the collegiate level as well as professional level before making his MiLB debut in 2024.

Bo Babich enters his first full year with the Emeralds but his second season in Eugene after joining the staff during the 2025 season. He served as the Assistant Sports Performance Coach in 2024 at the University of Wyoming. Prior to Wyoming, he was the Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Jacksonville State for two seasons. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 2020 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology and Exercise Science.

Andrew Kuehn will be back in Eugene for his third season as a Player Development Associate. Kuehn is entering his fifth season in the Giants organization.

Danny Okada will also be back for his third season as the Emeralds Clubhouse Manager. Okada was named the 2024 Northwest League Home Clubhouse Manager of the Year. He has spent multiple seasons in the Giants organization and was with the Emeralds in 2021 & 2022 as the Home Clubhouse Assistant.

Opening Day 2026 is on April 3rd against the Hillsboro Hops at 6:35 P.M. Tickets to all Emeralds home games can be found on the Emeralds website or you can call into the front office for ticket packages and single game tickets. The Emeralds can be reached via phone at 541-342-5367.