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CalL1 Visalia Rawhide

Rawhide Announce 2016 Coaching Staff

January 5, 2016 - California League (CalL1)
Visalia Rawhide News Release


VISALIA - Reigning California League Manager of the Year J.R. House will return to Visalia in 2016, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced today.

Arizona also sends former Major League pitcher Jeff Bajenaru to Tulare County as the team's Pitching Coach, while veteran professional Vince Harrison takes over as Hitting Coach. Javier Colina will be the first Rawhide Bench Coach. House, 36, played in parts of 5 Major League seasons for the Pirates, Astros, and Orioles, and enjoyed 12 professional seasons overall; he made his Big League debut in 2003, and retired after the 2011 season.

House led the Rawhide to an 86-54 regular season record in 2015, and won both halves in the North Division. The club's First Half crown was their first since 1990. Lauded for his energy and ability to bring the best out of his team, House was named the League's top manager, marking the 7th time a Visalia skipper has claimed the award. This will be his 3rd managerial season overall. He originally hails from Charleston, West Virginia.

Bajenaru, 37, makes his Visalia debut as Pitching Coach in 2016. Bajenaru is from Pomona, California, and was a 36th round selection by the Chicago White Sox in 1999. He made Major League appearances with the White Sox in 2004 & 2005, and also came up briefly with the D-backs in 2006. He spent last year at short-season Missoula, where he helped guide the Osprey to a Pioneer League championship, and begins his 6th coaching year in the D-backs farm system.

Harrison also begins his 1st season as Rawhide Hitting Coach, and his 3rd in the D-backs organization. The 36-year-old Lexington, Kentucky native spent parts of 9 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.

Colina, 36, enters his 1st year in Visalia as well. He spent last season in Hillsboro, and is in his 3rd with the Diamondbacks. Colina played in parts of 14 minor league campaigns, and logged over 5,000 professional at-bats. The Rawhide will seek a 4th consecutive playoff appearance in 2016, after advancing to at least the League semi-finals each of the past 3 seasons.

"J.R. was a fantastic leader of our on-field team in 2015, and we look forward to having him back," said club General Manager Jennifer Pendergraft. "We're excited about the rest of this great staff as well, and we're also proud to celebrate our 10th season with the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have been a great partner to the ballclub and the Visalia community."

The Rawhide begin their 2016 season at Bakersfield on Thursday, April 7th ; they'll open their home schedule on Thursday, April 14th against the Blaze. For ticket information, call (559) 732-4433 ext. 1.

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