JOLIET, IL – In the great Joliet tradition of “getting the band back together,” the Joliet Slammers coaching staff have done that… and then added in exciting ways. Coming off a successful 2022 season, the Slammers are welcoming back their distinguished core coaching staff while adding in areas they believe will contribute to making Joliet a hub of baseball development.
Returning for 2023 is Field Manager and former MLB Pitcher Daniel Schlereth, who led the team to a 49-47 record in his inaugural season as the Slammers skipper. Bench Coach Matt Shepardson returns for his third season, with the added mantle of Director of Baseball Operations. Also returning for his third season is Pitching Coach Wes Anderson, whose pitching staff ranked third overall in 2022 while allowing a league-low 746 hits over the course of the season.
“We pride ourselves on being a team that is close-knit, where we heavily emphasize character and culture,” said manager Schlereth. “This off-season we wanted to add the right mix of people with a skillset that is driven toward player development both on and off the field. Overall, we want to give our players every opportunity to succeed. We are a player-first organization and have brought in people who will have an immediate impact on what we do and who we are. I believe we have nailed the target with the new additions to our staff.”
Eric Minshall will join the Slammers as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations. With over 25 years of coaching experience, he will be an integral part of the Slammers Advance Scouting team, serve as an analytics resource, assist with player procurement and as an advisor to the coaching staff for 2023.
Prior to joining the Slammers, Minshall served as Pitching Coach at Miami University Hamilton in Hamilton, Ohio where he helped lead the Harriers to 170 wins and three straight Ohio Regional Campus Conference titles before spending the 2019 season as the pitching coach for the Bristol Pirates, a rookie-level affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Appalachian League. Since then, Minshall has joined the Frontier League as pitching coach for the Southern Illinois Miners (‘21) and the Florence Y’alls (‘22).
Brice Davis will join the Slammers as Hitting Coach for the 2023 season. He began his coaching career under renowned coach Matt Cherry in 2017. Since then, he has led top ten ranked offenses at Indiana Wesleyan University, set franchise records in the Western Canadian League, and served as Hitting Coach for the 2021 Frontier League Champion Schaumburg Boomers.
Davis owns and operates Davis Baseball, training baseball players in the Chicagoland area and beyond. He has certifications in OBU, K-Vest, Driveline Hitting Foundations, and has past partnership with Blast Motion.
The Joliet Slammers are located in downtown Joliet, IL at Duly Health and Care Field. They are members of the Frontier League, the largest MLB Partner League.
The Joliet Slammers will celebrate their home opener this season on Friday, May 12, 2023. With multiple ticket packages now on sale, you don’t want to wait to act. To see the full 2023 Promotional Schedule, ticket packages, and more visit www.jolietslammers.com or call 815-722-2287 today. Single game tickets to go on sale in April.
###
The Joliet Slammers play at Duly Health and Care Field in downtown Joliet, Illinois, and are members of the professional, independent Frontier League. The Frontier League is entering its 30th season of play in 2022. It is the largest MLB Partner League with 16 teams spanning from the Mississippi River to the East Coast. Visit the Slammers online at www.jolietslammers.com or call the ticket office at 815-722-2287 for more information! Don’t forget to “Like” the Slammers on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jolietslammers or follow them on Twitter at @jolietslammers!
