Carpenter Returns to Jacksonville to Defend Triple-A National Championship
IL Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp

Carpenter Returns to Jacksonville to Defend Triple-A National Championship

Published on February 13, 2026 under International League (IL)
Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp News Release


JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - In conjunction with the Miami Marlins, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp revealed their 2026 field staff as they seek to defend their Triple-A National Championship. Manager David Carpenter heads up several returners in 2026, including Jose Ceballos (assistant coach), Tyler Lough (athletic trainer), Sandy Krum (athletic trainer), Ryan Gaynor (video coach) and Paul Whatley (clubhouse concierge). Newcomers Jerad Eickhoff (pitching coach), Tom DeAngelis (hitting coach), Luke Terwilliger (assistant coach), Jordan Reyes (strength coach) and Jackson Shelton (PD analyst/fellow) round out Jacksonville's field staff in 2026.

In his first season in the minor leagues as a coach or manager, Carpenter guided Jacksonville in 2025 to its first championship of the Jumbo Shrimp era (2017-present) by besting Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the International League Championship Series. It was Jacksonville's first International League title since 1968. The Jumbo Shrimp followed that up by besting Las Vegas in the Triple-A National Championship, also a first for the franchise.

During the regular season, the 2025 Jumbo Shrimp finished the regular season 89-61, earning the most wins for a Jacksonville club since 1964. The club's 89 victories also tied for the fourth-most victories in a season in Jacksonville Minor League Baseball history, which dates back to 1904.

A native of Fairmont, W.Va., Carpenter pitched in 222 MLB games over six seasons from 2011-15 and 2019 with the Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays, Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals and Texas Rangers. He registered a career 3.69 ERA in the big leagues over 214.2 innings before retiring in 2020.

Carpenter played college baseball as a catcher at West Virginia University from 2004-06 before being selected by St. Louis in the 12th round of the 2006 draft. After two seasons in the minor leagues as a backstop, Carpenter served as both a pitcher and catcher in 2008 before converting to pitching full-time in 2009. After an August 2010 trade to Houston, Carpenter made his major league debut with the Astros on June 30, 2011 with a scoreless inning of relief against the Rangers.

After a pair of seasons as the pitching coach for Double-A Pensacola, Eickhoff heads to Jacksonville in 2026. Eickhoff helped the Blue Wahoos finish in the top 10 in Double-A in strikeouts (fourth, 1,308), batting average against (fourth, .222), ERA (fifth, 3.51) and runs allowed (tied for ninth, 553).

Hailing from Evansville, Ind., Eickhoff was a 15th round pick by Texas in the 2011 draft out of Olney Central College (Ill.). He enjoyed a seven-year major league career with the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Pittsburgh Pirates. In 86 big league games, including 81 starts, Eickhoff went 21-33 with a 3.89 ERA. With Philadelphia in 2016, Eickhoff ranked 4th in the National League in fewest walks per nine innings (1.92) and placed eighth in strikeouts (167).

DeAngelis joins the Marlins' organization after three years as a hitting coach in the New York Yankees' organization with the Rookie-level FCL Yankees (2023), Low-A Tampa (2024) and High-A Hudson Valley (2025). DeAngelis played collegiatally at Seton Hill University (Pa.). He began his coaching career at his alma mater in 2012 as an assistant coach before transitioning to the associate head coach role at Baldwin Wallace University (Ohio).

Ceballos returns to Jacksonville for the ninth season as either a player or coach. The 2026 season will mark his 14th campaign in Miami's system. A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Ceballos played in the Marlins' organization from 2007-13, reaching as high then-Double-A Jacksonville for a one-game stint in 2012. He began coaching with the Marlins in 2014 with Greensboro. After two seasons with the Grasshoppers, Ceballos spent the 2016 campaign as a coach with Jupiter before joining the Jumbo Shrimp's staff from 2017-19.

The 2026 campaign marks the first for Terwilliger above A-ball. The Elmira, N.Y., native was the baseball operations video manager for High-A Beloit in 2022-23 before working as a defensive coach in 2024 with the FCL Marlins and in 2025 for Low-A Jupiter. Terwilliger enjoyed a four-year career at Adelphi University (N.Y.) before earning his master's degree at St. Thomas University (Fla.). He worked several jobs before getting into coaching, including group sales coordinator for the Marlins in 2021.

The 2026 season will be Lough's second campaign with Jacksonville and third in Miami's organization after he spent 2024 with Low-A Jupiter. After graduating from Kansas State University in 2013, Lough earned his master's degree while serving as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at the University of Central Missouri from 2013-15. He broke into baseball with the independent Wichita Wingnuts from 2015-17 before working as a DME assistant and outreach athletic trainer at Mid-America Orthopedics in Wichita. Lough returned to baseball in the Boston Red Sox organization as an assistant athletic trainer in 2019 with Low-A Greenville. He was the head athletic trainer with the Rookie-level FCL Red Sox in 2021 and DSL Red Sox from 2022-23.

Krum was the Jumbo Shrimp's athletic trainer in both the 2023-24 campaigns before spending last season with Low-A Jupiter. A native of Lincolnwood, Ill., Krum's athletic training experience dates back to 1987 in the Cincinnati Reds' organization. After four years with the Reds, Krum worked in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization from 1991-2000, winning the Minor League Athletic Trainer of the Year Award in 1994 and 1998. He moved to the big leagues as the Chicago Cubs' assistant athletic trainer from 2001-04. Following his time with the Cubs, Krum worked with the men's Pro Tennis Circuit (USTA), and also earned a coveted medical team position at the 2006 Men's US Open. In 2007, he moved to NBC to work as a certified athletic trainer with the show, The Biggest Loser. He then served as the CEO of SAK Group, Inc. in Chicago from 2013-19 before joining the Marlins' organization in 2019.

Reyes begins his second season in the Marlins' organization after working as the strength & conditioning coach last year for Low-A Jupiter. He filled the same role for Triple-A Louisville in the Reds' organization in 2023, his first full-time role in Minor League Baseball. Reyes boasts wide ranging experience in both baseball and collegiate sports, including time with the Tampa Bay Rays, the University of Pittsburgh and Indiana University. He earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Auburn University and then a master's degree in sport science from the University of Pittsburgh.

Gaynor's second consecutive season with Jacksonville comes in 2026. Prior to joining the Marlins' organization, he worked in several roles throughout the professional and collegiate ranks, including time with the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, the University of California, Arkanas-Pine Bluff, George Washington University and the University of San Francisco. He graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor's degree in tourism development & management.

Shelton spent the 2025 season in the MLB Draft League as a data coordinator and coach for the Frederick Keys. A graduate of Florida Atlantic University, he also worked as a strategy intern in 2023 for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The 2026 campaign will be Whatley's second consecutive season in Jacksonville. Prior to joining the Marlins' organization, Whatley was the clubhouse manager for Triple-A Reno (Arizona Diamondbacks).

The Jumbo Shrimp begin their title defense with Opening Day at 7:05 p.m. on March 27 against the Rochester Red Wings from VyStar Ballpark. Season tickets, mini plans, and group outings for the 2026 season are on sale now. Visit www.jaxshrimp.com or call the Jumbo Shrimp at (904) 358-2846 for more information.

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International League Stories from February 13, 2026


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