CRAWDADS 2019 SCHEDULE: http://www.milb.com/schedule/index.jsp?sid=t448
HobbsDailyReport.com
HICKORY – Matt Hagen will return as manager of the Hickory Crawdads for 2019, as announced by the Texas Rangers.
Hagen was with the Crawdads, a Class A affiliate of the Rangers, as a coach in 2016 before taking over as manager.
The Rangers also have announced the coaching staff in Hickory will include Jose Jaimes as pitching coach, Jared Goedert as hitting coach, Josh Johnson as a coach and Bronson Santillan as athletic trainer.
The Crawdads open their season at L.P. Frans Stadium on April 11 against the Kannapolis Intimidators.
For more information about the Crawdads, including promotions, ticket books, and group outings visit www.hickorycrawdads.com or contact the front office at (828) 322-3000.
HAGEN
MATT HEGAN, MANAGER
Hagen, 37, made his coaching debut in 2017 with Spokane (Wash.) and his team won a second-half division title. He spent 12 years as a player – five in the minor leagues and seven in independent leagues and hit .264.
MORE ON HEGAN: http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=456130#/career/R/hitting/2006/ALL
JAIMES
JOSE JAIMES, PITCHING COACH
Jaimes returns to Hickory for his fourth year as pitching coach and his 19th year in the Texas organization.
A former minor league player in the Rangers system,
Jaimes started coaching in 2008 when he was a player-pitching coach in the Arizona League.
Jaimes worked four years as pitching coach with the DSL Rangers and was pitching coach in 2013 with the AZL Rangers and with Spokane (starting in 2014).
He was originally signed by Texas as a non-drafted free agent in 2001 and went 12-8 with an ERA of 4.93 during six seasons in the minor leagues.
JARED GOEDERT, HITTING COACH
Goedert joins the Crawdads staff for his fourth season as a hitting instructor for Texas. He was Spokane’s hitting coach in 2017 and previously worked on the coaching staffs of the AZL Rangers and Spokane.
Goedert played nine seasons for teams in the Cleveland (2006-12), Pittsburgh (2013) and Toronto (2014) organizations.
Selected in the ninth round by Cleveland in the 2006 amateur draft after playing college baseball at Kansas State, he was a South Atlantic League all-star in 2007 when he had an organization-high 27 home runs.
JOSH JOHNSON, COACH
Johnson begins his first season as a member of the Rangers organization. He was a coach for the San Diego Padres last season, working primarily with infielders.
Johnson spent 2016 and 2017 in the Washington Nationals organization as the manager of the GCL Nationals.
Prior to his coaching career, Johnson was selected in the third round of the 2004 draft by the Kansas City Royals. He played six seasons with the Royals (2004-2009) before joining the Nationals organization, where he played another six seasons (2010-2015).
BRONSON SANTILLIAN, ATHLETIC TRAINER
Santillan enters his third season as a trainer in the Texas farm system and first year with the Crawdads. He is a California native.
Santillan served as athletic trainer with the AZL Rangers and Spokane over the previous two seasons. He was an assistant athletic trainer for the GCL Rays and High-A Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2016 for the Tampa Bay Rays organization.
He earned a master of science in athletic training from Texas A&M and worked with the baseball, football and women’s soccer teams while in college.