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Benes, Parrow Join 2015 Danbury Westerners Coaching Staff

January 12, 2015 - New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL)
Danbury Westerners News Release


DANBURY, CT (January 12): After a comprehensive search, the Danbury Westerners are pleased to announce Richie Benes as the new hitting coach and Josh Parrow as the new pitching coach for the 2015 season. Both coaches will bring an abundant amount of prior coaching experience to the Westerners, the longest tenured team in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

"I am very impressed with the credentials that Richie and Josh possess, and I am sure they will both be strong contributors for this season and hopefully several more," said Westerners President Paul Schaffer. "Richie has exceptional experience working with hitters, and Josh's familiarity with the NECBL and his successes at the University of Bridgeport will tremendously benefit our program."

Benes comes to the Westerners with almost two decades of experience in professional baseball. Drafted out of high school in the 23rd round of the 1996 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft as a shortstop, Benes spent three years in the Kansas City Royals organization. After signing as a free agent in the independent league in 1999, Benes spent a decade playing baseball internationally. Benes began his coaching career as a private trainer in the Westchester, NY area. In 2015 Benes will begin his third season as the hitting coach for Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY. Benes cites New York Mets hitting coach Kevin Long and Tampa Bay Rays strength and conditioning coordinator Kevin Barr among his most prominent coaching influences.

A coach with experience in the NECBL, Parrow brings with him a familiarity of the league as well as his own pitching expertise. Parrow pitched for the University of Bridgeport Purple Knights for two seasons while excelling on the field and in the classroom. Starting in the 2011 season, Parrow has served as the pitching coach for the Purple Knights. Among Parrow's accolades include an appearance in the East Coast Conference Championship game for the third straight season, and Coach of the Year in the West Haven Twilight League. Last season, Parrow served as the pitching coach for the North Adams SteepleCats in the NECBL, providing him experience working with pitchers in the league. He resides in Bridgeport.

Both coaches will provide new perspective and knowledge to their respective roles on the Westerners. As the season approaches, they will continue to prepare to work with high-level baseball talent on the field.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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