We have personnel news to report from the Visalia Rawhide (High A; California League), Frederick Keys (High A; Carolina League), and Hagerstown Suns (Low A; Sally League).
In Visalia, the Rawhide have named Danny Angel the director of broadcasting and media relations, and announced four staff promotions.
Angel has called games for the Norfolk Tides, Potomac Nationals, Aberdeen IronBirds, Laredo Broncos, Edenton Steamers, the California Winter League, and San Francisco State University. He was named Broadcaster of the Year in the summer collegiate Coastal Plains League in 2012 and 2013. He is the nephew of Joe Angel, who is the Voice of the Baltimore Orioles, and has also called Major League Baseball games for the San Francisco Giants, New York Yankees, and Florida Marlins.
Angel will call all 70 of Visalia’s home games, as well as select road games in Bakersfield. (All broadcasts will be streamed live at RawhideBaseball.com and Milb.com.) He also will head the club’s media relations efforts, assist in corporate and ticket sales, and oversee the team’s website and social media platforms.
The Sonoma native succeeds Donny Baarns, who is leaving the club at the end of the month to join the Omaha StormChasers’ broadcast team.
“I’m very excited to join the Rawhide for the 2016 campaign and beyond,” Angel said. “I could tell right away during the interview process that the Visalia organization has a great front office crew that works hard, but also likes to have fun. Being from California and having worked in Minor League Baseball for seven previous seasons, I already knew that the Rawhide have a proven track record of success, and I look forward to being a part of that tradition.”
“We’re excited to welcome Danny to our Rawhide family,” said General Manager Jennifer Pendergraft. “His diverse skills and experience stood out to us from the beginning of our search, and we know he’ll be a great asset to our club and our community!”
Additionally, the ball club announced four other staff member promotions for the 2016 season:
–Jill Webb (who enters her 3rd season with the Rawhide) becomes the club’s Director of Sales & Promotions
–Matt Cooper (2nd season) is the new Director of Ballpark Operations
–Jon Bueno (3rd season) becomes Manager of Community Partnerships
–Heather Dominguez (3rd season) advances to Manager of Ticketing
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In Frederick, the Keys have added DeForest Garcia as the promotions manager, and Derek Trueblood as the head groundskeeper.
Garcia, 23, comes to the Keys from the Erie Bayhawks of the NBA Development League. There, he served as the team’s Entertainment Manager and spearheaded the team’s community relations efforts. Additionally, he served as the club’s graphic design coordinator and oversaw nightly promotions and the in-game experience.
No stranger to the Carolina League, Garcia joined the Bayhawks after working in marketing and creative services with the Wilmington Blue Rocks. He has also worked in the Ontario Hockey League and in indoor football. Originally from Amarillo, Texas, Garcia graduated from Texas Tech University in 2014 with a degree in public relations and sports management.
Trueblood, 28, stays within the Orioles organization after spending three seasons as the Assistant Groundskeeper for the Norfolk Tides. Prior to joining the O’s Triple-A affiliate, he worked for the Norfolk Sheriff’s Office as a sheriff’s deputy. A Virginia native, Trueblood attended Virginia Wesleyan College and played catcher on the school’s baseball team.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome DeForest and Derek to the Keys family,” said Keys General Manager Dave Ziedelis. “Both have done outstanding work since arriving, and we look forward to their continued contributions as we kickoff the 2016 season.”
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In Hagerstown, the Suns have revealed four front office appointments that were made over the offseason. Each staff member hails from Hagerstown or the surrounding area.
Isabel Paterson, better known as Izzy, grew up right outside of D.C. in Rockville, MD interning and working at the National Library of Medicine at NIH in Bethesda. Eventually, she found her way to Shepherdstown to attend Shepherd University for a BFA in Graphic Design. At college, Izzy was very active in the newspaper and all advertising on campus. During her senior year of college, Izzy moved to Hagerstown and commuted until she graduated in December. From there, she quickly started working with the Hagerstown Suns as their in-house graphic designer.
Shane Ganley returns for his 2nd year as the Group Sales Manager. Shane grew up in Smithsburg, MD and graduated from Smithsburg High School in 2009. He received a Sport Management Degree while attended Lynchburg College in Virginia. Shane interned with the Old Dominion Athletic Conference before joining the Suns.
Ross Combs is the new Sales Executive with the Hagerstown Suns. Ross is a local from Bunker Hill, WV and grew up going to Hagerstown Suns games. Ross still has his local ties with the community his mother Tina Combs is the President and CEO of the Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce in Berkeley County, WV. Ross is no stranger to Minor League baseball. He has interned with three different MiLB teams the Richmond Flying Squirrels, Burlington Royals, and the Tri-City ValleyCats. Ross is excited to work with his home town team, and improve the fan experience at the ballpark.
Jordan Nicewarner is the new Broadcasting and Media Relations Coordinator for the Hagerstown Suns. Jordan grew up just 3 miles from Municipal Stadium and has worked for the Suns, off and on, since he was 12 years old. Jordan is a South Hagerstown High School graduate of 2011 and attended the Broadcasting Institute of Maryland where he received a degree in radio broadcasting. Jordan will be joined by his father, Scott, in the booth for all Suns home games this season.
Photo of Danny Angel courtesy of Visalia Rawhide.