Coaching Staff

JOE AYRAULT - MANAGER
Joe Ayrault is in his second straight season as manager of the Carolina Mudcats and his seventh overall as skipper of Milwaukee's Class-A Advanced affiliate. He previously managed the Florida State League's Brevard County Manatees (Milwaukee's previous Class-A Advanced affiliate) from 2012 through 2016 and compiled a 297-379 (.439) record.

Ayrault began his managerial career in 2007 in the Cincinnati Reds organization where he led the Sarasota Reds to the Florida State League playoffs and an 81-59 record. He went on to manage in the Reds' system from 2007 through 2009 before joining the Brewers in 2010 as skipper of the Helena Brewers, Milwaukee's Rookie Level and Pioneer League affiliate. Ayrault earned Pioneer League Co-Manager of the Year honors in 2010 while leading Helena to a 41-34 record and the Pioneer League championship in his first season at the helm. A former catcher, Ayrault was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the fifth round of the 1990 amateur draft and went on to spend his entire playing career (1990 - 1997) in the Atlanta organization.

BOB MILACKI - PITCHING COACH
Bob Milacki, 53, is new to the Brewers system and enters his first year as Carolina's pitching coach. He most recently served the last three years as pitching coach of the Triple-A Syracuse Chiefs (2015-2017) in the Washington Nationals organization. He began his coaching career in 2001 when he worked as pitching coach of the Class-A Hickory Crawdads in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization. He served in the same role with Double-A Altoona in 2002, before returning to Class-A Hickory for the 2003 and 2004 seasons. Milacki then moved on to Class-A Advanced Lynchburg from 2005 through 2008, making the upcoming 2018 season a reunion of sorts as he returns for his second Carolina League run. Milacki later served as a pitching coach in the Philadelphia Phillies system from 2009 through 2014 (Class-A Lakewood 2009, Double-A Reading 2010-2012, Class-A Advanced Clearwater 2013-2014) before joining the Nationals' system in 2015.

Milacki was a second-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles in 1983 and pitched professionally from 1984 through 2000. His major league debut came in 1988 and, overall, he appeared in 143 major-league games while pitching for Baltimore, Cleveland, Kansas City and Seattle. He went 39-47 and pitched to a 4.38 ERA over parts of eight major-league seasons. On July 13, 1991, Milacki threw the first six innings of a combined no-hitter for the Orioles in a 2-0 win versus the Oakland Athletics.

BOBBY BELL - HITTING COACH

Bobby Bell, 54, is new to the Brewers organization and enters 2018 in his first season as the hitting coach for the Carolina Mudcats. Bell most recently worked as a private hitting instructor, but previously coached in the Miami Marlins organization from 2009 through 2013. While with the Marlins, Bell served as hitting coach for Low-A Greensboro in 2009, High-A Jupiter in 2010 and the GCL Marlins from 2011 through 2013.

Prior to joining the Marlins organization, Bell spent four years as a hitting coach in the both the Frontier and Northern Leagues. As a player, Bell was signed as a non-drafted free agent with the California Angels in 1986 out of Mesa State College in Colorado. Played as a catcher and third baseman for Palm Springs (1986-1988) and Quad Cities (1986, 1998) over three minor league seasons. At Mesa State College, he was a two time All-American, while earning All-District and All-Conference honors.

EDWIN MAYSONET - COACH
Edwin Maysonet, 36, enters his second straight season with the Mudcats and his third year overall as a coach in the Milwaukee system after retiring as a player following the 2015 season. He was originally drafted by the Houston Astros in 2003 and first reached the Major Leagues in 2008. He played with the Astros from 2008 through 2009 and later appeared in 30 games with the Brewers in 2012.

JEFF BODENHAMER - ATHLETIC TRAINER
Jeff Bodenhamer, 43, is in his second year with the Mudcats and his third straight as a team athletic trainer in the Brewers system. He previously spent 11 seasons in the Texas Rangers organization, including three seasons in the Carolina League with Myrtle Beach. While with Class-A Hickory in 2010, Bodenhamer was selected as the South Atlantic League Athletic Trainer of the Year by the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS). Prior to joining the Texas farm system, Bodenhamer worked as the trainer for the Gulf Coast League Braves from 2003 through 2004. In 2008, he was also appointed head trainer at Newberry (NC) College, where he previously held the position of assistant trainer from 2000 through 2007. In 2000, he was the trainer for the Clemson University baseball team that reached the College World Series. He graduated in 1998 from Greensboro (NC) College, where he received a B.S. in physical education.

JONAH MERGEN - STRENGTH & CONDITIONING SPECIALIST
Jonah Mergen, 33, begins his second straight year with the Mudcats and eighth season in the Milwaukee organization, all of which with the club's Class-A Advanced club. Mergen has also worked in the strength and conditioning departments at NC State University, the UW-La Crosse and the National Strength and Conditioning Association World Headquarters. He graduated from St. Ambrose University with a dual degree in exercise science and Spanish in 2007. He received his master's from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse in human performance in 2009.