Shelley Duncan will take the reigns as Field Manager for the Rawhide. Duncan has served for two previous years as a Manager in the Diamondbacks organization, having spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons at the helm of the D-backs Short-Season A affiliate in Hillsboro. Duncan led the Hops to a 42-33 overall record in 2016, and a resurgent 24-13 mark in the second half of the season that culminated in the club’s third consecutive trip to the Northwest League postseason.

Duncan, 37, played in parts of seven major league seasons for the Yankees, Indians, and Rays, and enjoyed a 14 year career overall. A second round draft pick in the 2001 MLB draft, he made his big league debut in 2007 and retired following the 2014 season.

Familiar faces will also be returning to Visalia in 2017, as Pitching Coach Jeff Bajenaru and Hitting Coach Vince Harrison will serve as top instructors once again. This will be Bajenaru’s second season in Visalia, and his seventh in the Diamondbacks organization overall. He previously worked as the Pitching Coach in short-season Missoula for two seasons, where he helped guide the Osprey to a Pioneer League championship in 2015. A native of Pomona, California, Bajenaru was a 36th round selection by the Chicago White Sox in the 1999 draft. He made Major League appearances with the White Sox in 2004 and 2005, and also came up briefly with the D-backs in 2006.

Harrison will work in his second season with the Rawhide, and is entering his fourth year as an instructor in the D-backs organization. He has also served as a coach for Missoula, the Kane County Tigers, and the West Virginia Power. The 36-year-old Lexington, Kentucky, native spent parts of nine seasons in the Minor and Independent Leagues. He is the older brother of Josh Harrison (a 2014 All-Star with the Pittsburgh Pirates), and is the nephew of 2-time World Series champion John Shelby.

Eddie Oropesa joins Visalia as the Bench Coach for 2017. A former pitcher hailing from Cuba, Oropesa spent four years at the Major League level with the Phillies, D-backs, and Padres as part of a 16 year professional career that spanned visits to the Mexican League, Independent baseball, and Minor League stops with seven organizations. Oropesa spent the 2016 season as a bench coach with the AA Mobile Bay Bears and worked in 2012 and 2013 as a Coach/Interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers All-Star Yasiel Puig.

Chris Schepel, and Mike Locastro will round out the Rawhide Coaching Staff in 2017 as the Trainer and Strength and Conditioning Coach respectively. Both will be in their first year with Visalia.

The Rawhide will seek a fifth consecutive playoff appearance in 2017 after advancing to the California League Finals last year.

“We look forward to welcoming Shelley as the Manager of the Rawhide and to continuing the recent success we’ve seen on the field,” said club General Manager Jennifer Pendergraft. “We’re excited for the rest of great staff that has been put together as well. We’re proud to be celebrating our 11th season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have been a great partner to both the Rawhide and to the Visalia Community.

2017 marks the 71st year of baseball in Visalia at Recreation Ballpark. The Rawhide will open their season on April 4th, and will host their home opener on April 13th against the Inland Empire 66ers. For tickets and more information, visit Rawhidebaseball.com or call 559-732-4433.

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Head Coach JR House returns this season following last year’s 84-56 record, the best in the California League. The former major league catcher found coaching a natural fit for him and looks forward to another successful year in Visalia.

“There’s a little familiarity, so I can go right into it and pick up here where I left off,” he said.
The team has a lot more Latin flavor this year, House said, including returning player Domingo Leyba, who the D-Back organization picked up in December, 2014 from the Detroit Tigers. The 20-year-old second baseman is an early run leader for the team.

There are a few other returning players, but for the most part, it is a young team, House said.

“It is their first time at this level,” he said, “but I am familiar with most of them.”

House has worked with many of the players either in other divisions or forms of training, including this year’s spring training.

“There is a lot of chemistry in the clubhouse,” he added.

And the team is off to a good start, earning many come-from-behind wins, putting many numbers up in the winning column and few in the loss category.

“You never have to recover from a good start,” House said. “These guys are very comfortable being comebackers – now, if we can just get runs off their starters.”

To date, the Rawhide have only played Bakersfield, San Jose and Stockton. They begin play in Rancho Cucamonga Thursday, and play Modesto at home starting on Tuesday, April 26.

Three of last year’s players are now with Big League teams, he said. Some of this year’s team could be called up through the ranks this year, or by next season.

“We try to help influence for that direction,” he said.

That is the position of the minor leagues.

“We have a lot of talent,” he added.

Included in that talent are many pitchers on staff. Not everyone is a starter, but at this level coaches try to help them develop more pitches, providing more potential and talent. Starters should have at least three pitches, House said, many in the bullpen only currently have two.

This year’s starters thus far include first-year starter Ethan Elias, returning pitchers Lucas Irvine, Miller Diaz and Blake Perry, and new to the team this year, Josh Taylor.

Coach House returns with three new coaches accompanying him this year. The addition of a fourth coach for all affiliated teams is new. The coaching staff includes former D-Back and Chicago Cubs pitcher Jeff Bajenaru as pitching coach, Vince Harrison as batting coach and bench coach Javier Colina. All worked with D-back affiliated teams last year.

Having a fourth coach is a great addition, House said, especially with Colina, a native of Venezuela, who is a great role model and has developed a great bond with the Latin players, House said.

“The great thing about Visalia is that the community takes in all of the players,” House said.

And some of the staff as well, as House again this year is living with a host family.

“The affiliates here have really done a good job of preparing for us,” House said, with new carpeting and fresh paint in the clubhouse. “They do a good job.”

But one thing about Visalia, while comfortable so far, the temperatures are bound to heat up.
“Then we back down on the work load,” House said.

Batting practice may take place under the cover in the cages, instead of on the field, and the time spent there may be cut down to conserve energy. But, it all depends on where the team is at and who needs to put in work.

The Rawhide open at home against the Modesto Nuts on Tuesday, April 26 at 6pm. For tickets and more information, see rawhidebaseball.com or call 732-4433.

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