Chicago Cubs Announce 2018 South Bend Coaching Staff

SOUTH BEND, IN - The Chicago Cubs today announced their minor league managers and coaching staffs for the 2018 season.
Jimmy Gonzalez begins his fifth season as a manager for the Chicago Cubs, his fourth with South Bend. Last season, Gonzalez led the Cubs to an 75-64 regular season record, which tied for third best in the Midwest League and is the second winningest manager in franchise history with 224 wins. Gonzalez made his managerial debut in 2014 with Rookie League Mesa after serving as hitting coach with the club in 2013. A former catcher, he played 14 minor league seasons after he was selected in the first round of the 1991 Draft by Houston.

Brian Lawrence returns for his third season with South Bend as the team's pitching coach, having served in the same role for the club in 2015 & 2017. In 2016, Lawrence was the pitching coach for the Eugene Emeralds and helped guide the team to their first championship since 1975 by winning the Northwest League title. The Fort Collins, Colorado native made his coaching debut in 2012 in the Independent Frontier League after the former right-hander went 50-63 with a 4.19 ERA during a six-year big league career with the Padres and Mets.
Ricardo Medina returns to South Bend as the club's hitting coach after spending 2016 with the club. He spent last season with Double-A Tennessee and has been in the Cubs system as a coach, manager or scout since 1999. Paul McAnulty joins the organization as an assistant coach after previously serving as a coach in the Angels system in 2016. Former South Bend hitting coach Jeremy Farrell has moved to the Chicago Cubs front office and is now the Minor League infield coordinator.
James Edwards begins his second season as a trainer in the Cubs organization and first with South Bend after spending last season with Eugene. Ryan Nordtvedt enters his sixth season in the organization and his second as South Bend's strength and conditioning coach.
The South Bend Cubs open the 2018 season on the road at West Michigan on Thursday, April 5 before returning to Four Winds Field for their home opener against the Whitecaps on Saturday, April 7. Group and season tickets are available by calling the South Bend Cubs Main Office at (574) 235-9988.
About the South Bend Cubs
The South Bend Cubs are the Class A minor league affiliate of the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs. Over the past 30 seasons, the team has won five Midwest League titles, most recently in 2005, and has captured 12 division titles. This year, Four Winds Field, home of the Cubs, was named Ballpark Digest's Best Single-A ballpark. In 2015, the team was named Ballpark Digest's Team of the Year and received the John H. Johnson President's Award, the highest award in minor league baseball. The team is owned and operated by Swing-Batter-Swing, LLC whose sole shareholder is Andrew T. Berlin of Chicago, Ill.