SeaWolves Announce 2025 Field Staff
February 3, 2025 - Eastern League (EL)
Erie SeaWolves News Release
(Erie, PA) - The back-to-back Eastern League Champion Erie SeaWolves, in conjunction with their parent club the Detroit Tigers, today announce the team's 2025 field staff.
Andrew Graham returns to lead the SeaWolves in 2025. Graham previously managed the club in 2018. He has spent the past five seasons as the manager for the Single-A Lakeland Flying Tigers. This will be Graham's 14th season as a manager in the Tigers system and his 16th overall as an instructor in the organization. He began his coaching career with the Gulf Coast League Tigers in 2009-10 while also serving as the organization's Minor League catching coordinator in 2010. His managerial career spans stops in Short-Season Connecticut (2011-13) Single-A West Michigan (2014-16), Lakeland (2017, 2019-24) and Erie.
In 2024, Graham led Lakeland to an overall record of 80-50, a second-half title, and a playoff berth. The Flying Tigers swept Clearwater in the first round of the Florida State League playoffs to advance to the FSL Championship Series, where they lost to Palm Beach in three games.
Graham's staff will include Pitching Coach Dan Ricabal, Hitting Coach CJ Wamsley, athletic trainer Bryce Hietpas, and Strength and conditioning Coach Paul Synenkyj.
FIELD STAFF BIOS
ANDREW GRAHAM - MANAGER
Andrew Graham returns to Erie in 2025, his 16th season as an instructor in the Tigers organization and 14th as a manager. In 2018, he led the SeaWolves to a 63-77 record. He is one of two former SeaWolves players who have returned to manage the team.
He began his coaching career with the Gulf Coast League Tigers in 2009-10. He also served as the organization's Minor League catching coordinator in 2010. His managerial career spans stints in Short-Season Connecticut (2011-13) Single-A West Michigan (2014-16), Lakeland (2017, 2019-24), and Erie (2018).
Graham, a native of Sydney, Australia, was the Tigers 19th round selection in the 2003 June draft. The former catcher spent six seasons as a player in the Tigers minor league system, including playing in 20 games with the SeaWolves in 2006. Graham saw action with Australia during the World Baseball Classic in 2006 and 2009. He coached for Australia in the 2017 World Baseball Classic and is currently the team's third base/bench coach.
DAN RICABAL - PITCHING COACH
Dan Ricabal returns to Erie for his second stint as the SeaWolves pitching coach. Ricabal served as the Erie pitching coach in 2022 and has spent the last two seasons as the pitching coach for High-A West Michigan. Under Ricabal in 2022, the Southwest Division Champion SeaWolves were second in the Eastern League in both ERA and strikeouts. In 2024, his Whitecaps pitching staff boasted the second-best team ERA in the Midwest League.
Ricabal began his coaching career in 2000 when he served as pitching coach at College of the Canyons. He spent 2001 at Cal State Fullerton as an administrative assistant before moving on to UC Santa Barbara to be the Gauchos pitching coach for three seasons. Ricabal then made the jump to professional baseball in 2006, serving as a pitching coach at various levels of the Los Angeles Angels organization for seven seasons. He returned to college baseball in 2012 and spent the next 10 seasons as an assistant coach with Loyola Marymount (2012-2016), Long Beach State (2017-2019) and Fullerton (2020-21).
Ricabal was drafted out of high school by the Seattle Mariners in the 1990 MLB Draft before playing collegiately at Cal State Fullerton. He was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as a Minor League free agent in 1994 and spent six seasons in the Minor Leagues between the Dodgers and San Francisco Giants organizations. He made it as high as Double-A with both organizations before concluding his playing career in 1999.
CJ WAMSLEY - HITTING COACH
CJ Wamsley enters his fifth season with the Tigers and second with the SeaWolves. Prior to joining Erie in 2024, he spent the previous two seasons with Single-A West Michigan in the same role. In 2021, he served as the developmental coach with Triple-A Toledo.
Prior to joining the Tigers, he was an assistant coach at Ohio University for five seasons (2015-19). This followed a three-year stint with Troy University, where he worked with the club's catchers, outfielders, and hitters. His Division I coaching career began at Morehead State University, where he was an assistant coach.
Wamsley was a four-year letterwinner in baseball at Western Kentucky University. Over his 68-game college career, he batted .299/.379/.421.
SeaWolves Managerial History
Scott Little Pittsburgh Pirates 1995 34-41 .453
Whitey Richardson Pittsburgh Pirates 1996 30-46 .395
Marty Brown Pittsburgh Pirates 1997 50-26 .657
Tracy Woodson Pittsburgh Pirates 1998 26-50 .347
Garry Templeton Anaheim Angels 1999 81-61 .570
Don Wakamatsu Anaheim Angels 2000 46-96 .324
Luis Pujols Detroit Tigers 2001 84-58 .592
Kevin Bradshaw Detroit Tigers 2002-03 124-159 .438
Rick Sweet Detroit Tigers 2004 80-62 .563
Duffy Dyer Detroit Tigers 2005-06 123-160 .434
Matt Walbeck Detroit Tigers 2007 81-59 .561
Tom Brookens Detroit Tigers 2008-09 139-144 .491
Phil Nevin Detroit Tigers 2010 66-76 .465
Chris Cron Detroit Tigers 2011-13 200-225 .470
Lance Parrish Detroit Tigers 2014-17 262-303 .463
Andrew Graham Detroit Tigers 2018 63-77 .450
Mike Rabelo Detroit Tigers 2019 77-61 .558
Arnie Beyeler Detroit Tigers 2021 64-55 .538
Gabe Alvarez Detroit Tigers 2022-24 232-178 .565
SeaWolves Ticket Memberships, Paw Pack flexible ticket books, group and hospitality outings are now available for the 2025 season by visiting SeaWolves.com or by calling 814-456-1300.
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