Peoria Chiefs Announce 2021 Coaching Staff

Peoria, Ill. - The Peoria Chiefs, along with the St. Louis Cardinals, have announced that Chris Swauger will serve as manager of the Chiefs for the 2021 season. Swauger is joined by Pitching Coach Rick Harig and Hitting Coach Joey Hawkins. Alex Wolfinger (Athletic Trainer) and Jacqueline Gover (Strength & Conditioning Coach) will also be joining the Chiefs staff.

Chris Swauger

Swauger, 34, returns for his second stint with the Chiefs, having served as manager for two seasons (2017-18), leading the team to two playoff berths, including a trip to the Midwest League Championship Finals in 2018. During his time in Peoria, the fifth-year manager amassed a win-loss record of 145-133. In total, Swauger boasts a 211-200 record, having spent the first two seasons as a manager with the Johnson City Cardinals (TN).

Prior to joining the coaching ranks, the Odessa, Fla. native played seven seasons, all in the Cardinals organization, after being drafted in the 26th round of the 2008 draft out of The Citadel. In all, Swauger appeared in 613 Minor League games, batting .277 with 62 home runs and 319 RBI.

Rick Harig

Harig comes to Peoria for his first season with the Chiefs, although 2020 had been slated to be his first in Central Illinois. The native of Boulder, Colo. brings more than 30 years of coaching experience at the amateur and professional levels, having earned more than 1,300 wins and nine state championships as an American Legion and high school coach.

Before the cancellation of the 2020 season, Harig spent two seasons as the pitching coach in Johnson City, coaching the team to the fewest walks in the Appalachian League, allowing just under three total per game (2.87). Harig has also worked part-time for the San Diego Padres player development department in the mid-2000s and was a regional scout for various MLB teams for 15 years.

Joey Hawkins

The 2021 season will be the first year in Peoria for Hawkins, a native of Oshawa, On, Canada, and his second (excluding 2020) as a coach for the Cardinals. In 2019, Hawkins served as the hitting coach for the Gulf Coast League Cardinals.

Prior to joining the Cardinals, the 27-year-old was a hitting coach/recruiter for St. Louis University in 2018 and Jefferson College (MO) in 2017. As a player, Hawkins suited up primarily for Johnson City over the course of two years (2015-16).

Alex Wolfinger

Wolfinger is also gearing up for his first stint in Peoria, after spending the 2019 season with the Palm Beach Cardinals (FL) and the 2018 season (his first in the Cardinals organization) in Johnson City (TN).

Jacqueline Gover

Gover joins the Chiefs for her first season as the Strength and Conditioning coach and comes with a wealth of experience, having served as the Graduate Assistant Athletic Performance Coach at Southern Illinois University, Strength and Conditioning Intern at the University of Maryland College Park, and Assistant Coach at USA Field Hockey.

Season Ticket Information

Season Tickets and Flex Plans are on sale now! Place your deposit and lock in your spot for the return of baseball in 2021. Individuals who place their deposits by January 29, 2021, will receive a 2020 bobblehead of their choice.

For more information, please contact Jason Mott at [email protected] or Kenton Smith at [email protected]

The Peoria Chiefs are locally owned and operated and play their games at Dozer Park. The Chiefs are a committed community asset and premier entertainment venue for families and individuals in Central Illinois.