We have personnel news to report from the Indianapolis Indians (Class AAA; International League) and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Class AA; Southern League).
In Indianapolis, the Indians have announced several new front office hirings.
Patrick Westrick rejoins the front office as merchandise manager, previously serving as merchandise assistant during the 2011 season. He returns to Indianapolis after three seasons each with the Mississippi Braves (2015-18) and Albuquerque Isotopes (2012-15), plus two seasons with the Bowling Green Hot Rods (2009-10). Westrick graduated from Western Kentucky University in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism.
Sydney Glover is the organization’s new partnership activation coordinator after spending the 2018 season with the Tribe as a ticket services assistant. Prior to coming to Indianapolis, she spent one season with the St. Louis Cardinals as an intern in Busch Stadium’s Hall of Fame and Museum. Glover is a 2017 graduate of Yale University, where she also played on the varsity softball team and majored in history.
Kyle Winters joins the Indians front office as facility maintenance technician. Winters previously served as fleet manager and mechanic at Decatur Mold Tool & Engineering. He also brings experience as a diesel technician for Estes Express Lines. Winters graduated with an associate degree of applied science in diesel and truck technology in 2013.
Zach McDonald was hired as the Indians’ community relations coordinator. McDonald moves into the full-time role after serving as community relations assistant during the 2018 season. Before coming to Indianapolis, McDonald interned with the Boston Celtics, Syracuse University men’s basketball, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Syracuse Chiefs (Class AAA; International League). He graduated from Syracuse University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management.
Erica Otey joins the Indians front office as corporate sales account executive. She comes to the Tribe from iHeart Media, where she spent 6.5 years as an account executive and general sales manager. Before iHeart, she spent 4.5 years as an account executive for Radio One. Otey is a 2004 graduate of Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology.
Casey McGaw joins the Tribe as social media coordinator. Most recently, McGaw was a marketing and social media intern with the Augusta GreenJackets. She also has experience as an NHL real-time correspondent for MLB Advanced Media, a guest services social media monitor with Heinz Field and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a new media intern with the Pittsburgh Penguins. McGaw is a 2017 graduate of Point Park University with a bachelor’s degree in sports, arts and entertainment management.
Matt Lipke is the Tribe’s new graphic designer. Lipke is a 2018 graduate from the Herron School of Art + Design at IUPUI. He brings experience as a graphic design intern for the IUPUI Office of Communications and Section 127, and as an assistant media specialist for the IUPUI Division of Undergraduate Education. He was also a teaching artist for Art in the City, a summer art program for underprivileged youth hosted at Fletcher Place Community Center.
David Diehl is now a ticket sales account executive. Diehl just finished the 2018 season with the Tribe as a ticket services assistant. Prior to joining the Indians, he was a site supervisor with the YMCA of Greater Indianapolis. Diehl is a 2017 graduate of Marian University, where he was a team captain on the football team and earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education.
Josh Ball is the Tribe’s new stadium operations coordinator. Ball spent the 2018 season with the Indians as a stadium operations assistant. Before coming to Indianapolis, he served as director of ballpark operations for the 2017 season with the Southern Ohio Copperheads. Ball graduated from Ohio University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management.
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In Pensacola, the Blue Wahoos have announced the hiring of four front office staff members, adding three employees to their full-time sales department and one to their public relations staff.
New to the Wahoos front office are Vice President of Sales Alex Sides and Media and Public Relations Manager Daniel Venn. Bailie Tate and Wesley Donald have both been promoted to Group Sales Executive after working as trainees last season.
“We are thrilled to make these new additions to our staff,” Blue Wahoos President Jonathan Griffith said. “We have great talent joining the organization and they will each help us achieve our mission of improving the quality of life in our community.
Alex Sides brings over 10 years of experience in professional sports to Pensacola as the team’s new Vice President of Sales, joining the Blue Wahoos from the Miami Heat where he worked as Ticket Sales Account Manager for the past three seasons. Prior to working for the Heat, he spent six seasons in professional baseball with the New Orleans Zephyrs (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Class AA; Southern League), and the Peoria Chiefs (Low A; Midwest League) as well as a season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
A graduate of Western Illinois University, Alex holds a Bachelor in Marketing and is a native of Eureka, Ill.
Supporting Alex in the sales department will be newly promoted Group Sales Executives Bailie Tate and Wesley Donald.
Bailie joined the Blue Wahoos in 2017 as a Group Sales Intern, moving up to Group Sales Trainee during the 2018 season before earning a promotion to Group Sales Executive. From nearby Pace, Fla., she attended the University of West Florida, graduating with a degree in Marketing with a minor in Management and a Social Media Marketing specialization.
Wesley spent the 2018 season as a Box Office Trainee for the Blue Wahoos before his promotion to Group Sales Executive. Hailing from Quitman, Miss., he holds a Bachelor in Sports Studies from Mississippi State and helped host the 2017 NJCAA National Softball Championship with the Clinton Parks and Recreation Department in Clinton, Miss.
Daniel Venn spent the past two seasons as Media Relations Coordinator for Toronto Blue Jays Spring Training and the Dunedin Blue Jays (High A; Florida State League). A native of Cannon Falls, Minn., he played baseball at Gustavus Adolphus College and graduated with a degree in Social Studies Education, teaching in the United States and internationally before working in baseball.