2019 Rome Braves Field Staff Announced

Rome, GA - The 2019 Rome Braves field staff has been announced and Matt Tuiasosopo has been named as the team's field manager. Tuiasosopo played in the major leagues (OF/INF) for the Seattle Mariners (2008-2010), Detroit Tigers (2013), and Atlanta Braves (2016). He signed a professional baseball contract after graduating from Woodinville High School (Woodinville, WA). Although he chose baseball, Tuiasosopo had a solid high school football career and was selected to play in the 2004 Army All-American Bowl. Before signing as a professional baseball player, he signed a letter of intent to play football at the University of Washington. In 2018, Tuiasosopo retired as a player after a season with the New Britain Bees of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. Rome will be his first managerial assignment in the Braves organization.
Returning to the Rome staff is hitting coach Bobby Moore, who will serve his seventh season with the team and his 23rd with the Braves' farm system. Moore is in his second stint in Rome after serving as the hitting coach from 2003-2010. Kanekoa Texeira will serve as Rome's pitching coach after having the same role in Danville in 2018. Texeira played with six organizations over a ten-year professional career that included 49 appearances at the major league level during the 2010-2011 seasons.
Wigberto (Wiggy) Nevarez returns to Rome in 2019 but this time as a coach. He played on the 2016 South Atlantic League Championship team as well as the Danville Braves, Gulf Coast League Braves, Melbourne, Australia Aces, and the Florida Fire Frogs. Eric Hrycko joins the Rome club from the Gulf Coast League Braves as trainer, his second season in the organization and Ryan Meehan will serve as the strength and conditioning coach.
Rome opens the 2019 campaign on the road in Kannapolis on April 4th before returning home to begin a seven-game home stand against Greenville on April 11th.