Jupiter Hammerheads Release 2023 Coaching Staff
The Jupiter Hammerheads will have a new manager leading the charge in 2023 as Nelson Prada takes over for the upcoming Florida State League season. Prada is no stranger to the Florida State League, having both played and managed in the circuit. Jupiter’s newest skipper played 41 games with the
The Jupiter Hammerheads will have a new manager leading the charge in 2023 as Nelson Prada takes over for the upcoming Florida State League season.
Prada is no stranger to the Florida State League, having both played and managed in the circuit. Jupiter’s newest skipper played 41 games with the Fort Myers Miracle as a 22-year-old catcher in 1998. Prada then returned to the FSL, serving as the manager for the Clearwater Threshers in 2014.
Prada began his coaching career with the Minnesota Twins organization, the same franchise that he played for from 1995 to 1998. Prada first served as the hitting coach for the GCL Twins in 2005 before being promoted to manager for the 2006 and 2007 seasons. From 2008 to 2012, Prada managed in Wisconsin with the now Marlins High-A affiliate Beloit. In his final season with the then Beloit Snappers, the team finished with a 77-63 record before losing in the playoffs.
After coaching in the Minnesota Twins organization for nearly a decade, the Venezuelan native moved on to the Philadelphia Phillies farm system. Following his one-year stop with Clearwater, he moved up north to coach in the South Atlantic League with the Lakewood BlueClaws for three seasons. In 2019, Prada was promoted to the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils and was tabbed to continue with that team until the 2020 season was cancelled.
In 2021, Prada joined the Marlins organization and became the hitting coach for the DSL Marlins before being promoted to manager last season.
Beyond affiliated baseball, Prada also managed the Spanish national team in the 2021 European Championship. Spain went undefeated in their group and eventually earned third place in the international tournament. Prada also had a role with the national team during the 2022 World Baseball qualifiers that took place in Regensburg, Germany.
Former Jupiter manager Angel Espada will continue to work within the Marlins organization next season but will now serve as one of the Minor League Player Performance Coordinators for the Fish.
Joining Prada’s coaching staff will be some familiar faces to the Jupiter community. The Hammerheads will have the same pitching, hitting, and defensive coaches for 2023 as Glen Dishman, Ty Hawkins, and Nate Mikolas will continue developing the next wave of Marlins.
Glenn Dishman will once again serve as the Pitching Coach. The Maryland native joined the Hammerheads and Marlins organization last season. Prior to the Hammerheads, Dishman coached in the MLB Draft League for the Frederick Keys in their inaugural season. The former MLB pitcher also has coaching experience within the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers farm systems.
Before coaching, Dishman pitched professionally for 11 seasons after signing with the San Diego Padres out of Texas Christian University (TCU). The southpaw appeared in 33 total games for the Padres, Phillies, and Detroit Tigers after making his big-league debut in 1995.
Ty Hawkins will be back for his third season with Jupiter and will continue to serve as the club’s Hitting Coach. The Old Dominion graduate spent over 20 years coaching within the New York Yankees organization before joining the Marlins in 2021. Before coaching in affiliated baseball, Hawkins coached college baseball with Vanderbilt University and the University of Illinois.
Nate Mikolas will return as the Defensive Coach for his second season with the Hammerheads. Before joining Jupiter, Mikolas worked in the same role with the FCL Marlins. The former outfielder was a third-round draft pick by the New York Yankees and played from 2012-2016 within their farm system.
Another familiar face joining the field staff will be Athletic Trainer Sandy Krum. This will be Krum’s 25th season in baseball and third with the Hammerheads. Before joining the Marlins organization, Krum worked in the big-leagues with the Cincinnati Reds (1986-1989), Pittsburgh Pirates (1990-2000), and Chicago Cubs (2001-2004). Since working in baseball, Krum has been a two-time recipient of the Athletic Trainer of the Year award.
Outside of baseball, Krum was also the Athletic Trainer on numerous NBC and CBS television shows, including The Biggest Loser, The Amazing Race, American Gladiators, and Losing it with Jillian Michaels among others. The Chicago native graduated with his Athletic Training degree from Ohio University in 1986 and is a licensed, certified athletic trainer of the National Athletic Trainers Association.
Two new faces round out the 2023 staff as Jeremiah Cothiere steps in as the Strength and Conditioning Coach and Ben Witten joins as the Video Manager. Cothiere is no stranger to the area growing up in Boynton Beach and as a former player for the Palm Beach Atlantic University baseball team.
The Hammerheads and Prada will kick-off the 2023 campaign as the visiting team at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on April 6th versus the Palm Beach Cardinals. Prada’s home debut will come the following week when Jupiter hosts the St. Lucie Mets. Tickets and the full Jupiter schedule can be found here.