There will be continuity when the Jamestown Jammers (short season A; NY-Penn League) move to Morgantown for the 2015 season, as Matthew Drayer and John Pogorzelski reprise their roles with the new team.
New Morgantown GM Drayer, 37, has spent the past 17 seasons in professional baseball, including 11 as the general manager of the Jammers. Pogorzelski, 28, has spent six of his seven seasons in baseball working alongside Drayer in Jamestown; he’ll be assistant GM and sales manager in Jamestown.
“You need a great team to succeed in baseball and Matthew and John have done a tremendous job bringing the Rich Baseball’s exciting and family-friendly approach to minor league baseball,” said Jon Dandes, president of Rich Baseball Operations, owner of the new Morgantown team. “With their experience and dedication to provide the absolute best-quality ballpark experience, we’re confident Matt and John will successfully lead this new franchise.”
Drayer is a 2000 graduate of West Virginia University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in sports management. He began his career in the sports industry by serving as the Director of Hockey Operations for the WVU hockey program while in school. He was appointed general manager of the Jammers prior to the 2004 season. In his role, Drayer will oversee all aspects of the team’s front office and will serve as the main contact with the major league affiliate, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Pogorzelski is a 2009 graduate of Fredonia State University in New York with a degree in sports management. As sales manager, he will oversee all group sales, game day management and the on-field promotions in 2015.
The new Morgantown team will share a new ballpark with the West Virginia University baseball team. Today sees the end of voting on a moniker for the team.
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