Giants set 2024 Flying Squirrels coaching staff

RICHMOND, Va. – The San Francisco Giants have tabbed Dennis Pelfrey to return to manage the Richmond Flying Squirrels for a third season in 2024, the team announced on Friday. Pitching coach Paul Oseguera, hitting coach Cory Elasik and fundamentals coach Lipso Nava will also return to Richmond in 2024.

Joining the returning members of the staff are athletic trainer Tim Vigue and strength & conditioning coach Michelle Kuda.

Pelfrey took over as Richmond’s manager in 2022 and has led the club to back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time in franchise history. In his first season, the Flying Squirrels clinched the Southwest Division’s first-half title to reach the postseason for the first time in eight years. Last year, Richmond closed out a second-half division crown and posted the second-best regular-season record in franchise history. Eleven players from Richmond’s 2022 and 2023 rosters have already reached the majors with the San Francisco Giants.

“I’m excited to come back to Richmond for the 2024 season,” Pelfrey said. “It has been an incredible two years so far. The atmosphere created by the fans and the front office is second-to-none in Minor League Baseball. With almost all of our coaching staff returning and an exciting group of Giants prospects coming, hopefully we can bring a championship to RVA.”

Prior to his time in Richmond, Pelfrey led the High-A Eugene Emeralds to the Northwest League championship in 2021.

Pelfrey currently ranks second on the Flying Squirrels’ all-time managerial wins list with 140.

As a player, Pelfrey spent six seasons playing professionally in the Frontier, Texas-Louisiana and Central Leagues. He began his professional coaching career in 2011 with the Gary SouthShore RailCats in Indiana. He landed his first managerial position with the Florence Freedom of the Frontier League in 2015, leading the team to the postseason in four of his six seasons. Pelfrey joined the Giants organization in 2020.

Oseguera will return for his third season as Richmond’s pitching coach. In 2023, Flying Squirrels pitchers set a franchise record with a .236 opponents’ batting average. In 2022, Richmond’s pitching staff set a team record with 1,367 strikeouts, the fourth-most for a team in Eastern League history. He previously served as the pitching coach for the Low-A San Jose Giants in 2021, helping lead the team to its league championship that year. As a player, Oseguera was selected in the 16^th round of the 2006 MLB Draft by the Giants out of UCLA and went on to pitch 11 professional seasons. He is a native of La Jolla, Calif.

Elasik will reprise his role as the Flying Squirrels’ hitting coach for a second season. Last year, the Richmond offense set franchise records for runs scored (658), RBIs (604), walks (552) and games scoring 10+ runs (16). He previously served as the hitting coach for Eugene in back-to-back championship seasons in 2021 and 2022. Before joining the Giants organization, Elasik was the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator for St. Johns River State College in Florida from 2015-2020. He is a native of Starke, Fla.

Nava will continue his third stint on the Richmond coaching staff. He was the Flying Squirrels’ hitting coach in 2017 and the team’s fundamentals coach in 2019 before returning in 2023. This year marks Nava’s 17^th season with the Giants organization. Prior to returning to Richmond, he managed San Jose in 2022. An infielder in his playing days, Nava’s 17-year professional career included stops in the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs organizations as well as time spent playing in independent leagues, Mexico, Venezuela and Taiwan. Nava is a native of Maracaibo, Venezuela.

Vogue will join Richmond as the team’s athletic trainer in 2024, his sixth season with the Giants organization. He spent the last three years with Eugene. Prior to joining the Giants, Vogue was the head athletic trainer for Florida International University. He also served as an athletic trainer for USA Baseball from 2016-2018.

In her third season with the Giants organization, Kuda will head to Richmond for her first season as the Flying Squirrels’ strength & conditioning coach. Last year, she held the same role with San Jose after spending 2022 working with one of the Giants’ clubs in the Arizona Complex League. Kuda resides in Charleston, R.I.

Additional new members of Richmond’s staff in 2024 include associate analyst Toni Martin, technology associate Nick Solitario, clubhouse manager Kee Stewart and performance nutrition associate Lauren Dessaure.

The Flying Squirrels return to action on Tuesday, April 9 at The Diamond to take on the Akron RubberDucks, Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. Opening Night group packages are on sale now at SquirrelsBaseball.com, by phone at 804-359-3866 or in person at the Flying Squirrels ticket office.