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Personnel News: Hagerstown, Staten Island

Hagerstown Suns

We have personnel news to report from the Hagerstown Suns (Low A; Sally League) and the Staten Island Yankees (Short Season A; NY-Penn League). 

In Hagerstown, the Suns have named Kevin Gehl their new director of broadcasting and media relations. He will serve as lead radio play-by-play announcer for the Suns in addition to his front office role as manager of media relations and multimedia outreach.

Since 2015, Gehl has worked as a reporter and announcer for the Big Ten Network, providing live interviews and updates from ice level on BTN hockey coverage and play-by-play calls for baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, and volleyball on BTN Plus. He joins the Suns after spending 2016 as a radio broadcaster for the Lansing Lugnuts (Low A; Midwest League). To sample Gehl’s on-air work, click here.

“We are very excited to add a broadcaster with the experience that Kevin brings to Hagerstown and the South Atlantic League,” Suns general manager Travis Painter explained. “His knowledge and experience will be a great asset to our team.”

“Hagerstown has such a rich baseball history but there’s also a new energy around this Suns organization,” Gehl added. “I’m eager to take Suns radio broadcasts and media relations to the highest level as we enjoy one of the best views from a broadcast booth in all of baseball here at Municipal Stadium.”

Gehl brings a well-rounded set of broadcast skills to Hagerstown. From 2011 to 2015, he worked as a sports anchor and reporter for WLNS-TV (CBS) in Lansing, Michigan. Gehl co-hosted the award-winning Friday 5th Quarter and reported live from marquee events like the Final Four, Rose Bowl, and Carrier Classic basketball game aboard the U.S.S. Carl Vinson.

A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Gehl graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. His additional television credits include sports reporting for KOMU-TV (NBC) in central Missouri and Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area on Comcast SportsNet California. He also worked as a radio play-by-announcer for WZOQ-FM in northern Ohio and the Michigan State Spartans Radio Network.

Gehl will broadcast all Suns home games from historic Municipal Stadium on www.hagerstownsuns.com via TuneIn Radio.

In Staten Island, the Yankees have announced several additions and promotions in their front office.

Adam Lorber joins Staten Island as the team’s vice president of business development focusing on bringing new business to Richmond County Bank Ballpark, including partnerships and events. The North Caldwell, NJ, native joins the Yankees after previous stints with Madison Square Garden, Professional Bull Riders, New Jersey Nets and others. Lorber most notably spent 11 years with the Camden Riversharks, rising to President & General Manager while being named Atlantic League Executive of the Year in 2009. The long-time baseball executive attended the University of Miami (FL), graduating with a B.A. in Political Science and Pre-Law in 1996, later completing his MBA at Arcadia University in 2012.

After spending two seasons as a ticket operations intern, native Staten Islander Jesse Lopresti joins the team as one of three new seasonal ticket sales representatives. Lopresti is a recent graduate of St. John’s University in Staten Island with a B.S. in Sports Management. A certified level 3 referee, Jesse spends his free time as an assistant hockey coach at his former high school St. Joseph by the Sea.

Zach Umansky also joins Staten Island as a seasonal ticket sales representative following a stint with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats as an inside sales representative. A native of Westchester, Umansky attended Lynn University studying Sports Management and Political Science while also gaining experience with the Boston Red Sox, United States House of Representatives and Lynn University Athletics.

Long Island native Mickey Silberfeld joins the Yankees as a seasonal ticket sales representative as well. A member of his college’s baseball team, Mickey graduated from the State University of New York at Oneonta before working as an IT recruiter in Manhattan.

Serving as the team’s Marketing Manager since 2014, Ian Fontenot has been elevated to director of communications & entertainment. In his new role, the Port Barre, LA, native will oversee all public relations efforts as well as game day entertainment at Richmond County Bank Ballpark. Before joining the Yankees, Ian graduated from Louisiana State University with degrees in Mass Communication and Sport Administration while gaining experience with LSU Athletics, LSU Student Media and Vermont Lake Monsters.

A four-year veteran of Staten Island’s sales team, Steve Liss has been promoted from sales executive to ticket sales manager. In his new role, the Westchester native will assist in managing the team’s seasonal sales staff while continuing to manage season ticket accounts. Prior to joining the Yankees, Liss worked in customer and vendor relations at a subcontracting firm in Queens after graduating from the University of Buffalo with a degree in Business Administration in 2009. Most recently, Steve earned his M.S. in Sports Management from Columbia University.

After working in various areas at the ballpark, Annor Frank has been brought on as a maintenance worker. A native Staten Islander, Frank worked at the ballpark for the past four seasons, including three seasons as a seasonal grounds assistant.

The Staten Island Yankees also hired several interns at the Baseball Winter Meetings who will join the team for the 2017 season: Matt Kruth, Creative Services (Point Park University), Jasmine Holmes-Settles, Ticket Operations (Hampton University), Frank Tessier, Ticket Operations (Ithaca College), Zachary Smith, Ticket Operations (Bowling Green State University)

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