Yankees announce Tampa Tarpons 2023 Coaching Staff

TAMPA, Fla. - The New York Yankees have announced the Tampa Tarpons' 2023 coaching staff, led by second year manager Rachel Balkovec.

RACHEL BALKOVEC – MANAGER

BORN: 7/5/87 in Omaha, Neb. • RESIDES: Tampa, Fla.

COACHING CAREER: Enters her second season as Tarpons manager in 2023…became the first full-time female manager in the history of affiliated baseball at the Major or Minor League levels in 2022…in her first season as manager, the Tarpons finished with a 61-67 overall record, and ended the second half, 34-28…in 2021, served as a hitting coach for the FCL Yankees, helping the team lead the FCL in runs (366), home runs (65), RBI (312), slugging (.465) and OPS (.843)…was a member of the American League coaching staff for the 2021 SiriusXM Futures Game in Denver…was one of six women in uniform with Major League teams or their affiliates in 2021…was scheduled to serve in the same role for the 2020 season, but did not coach due to the COVID-19 pandemic…served as hitting coach with the Sydney Blue Sox of the Australian Baseball League in 2020…joined the Yankees organization in November 2019 as a minor league hitting coach, becoming the first woman to be named to that role in the history of professional baseball…in 2019, was an apprentice hitting coach for the Netherlands National Baseball and Softball programs…spent three seasons with the Houston Astros organization (2016-18), serving as strength and conditioning coach for Double-A Corpus Christi in 2018 and the GCL Astros in 2017, and Latin American strength and conditioning coordinator from 2016-17…was a minor league strength and conditioning coordinator for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2014-15…was the first woman to be hired as a full-time strength and conditioning coach in affiliated baseball…began her professional baseball career as a minor lefague strength & conditioning coaching intern with the St. Louis Cardinals (2012) and Chicago White Sox (2013-14)…additional internship roles include stops with Arizona State University (2013-14), Arizona Fall League (2013) and Tigres del Licey of the Dominican Winter League (2012-13)…PERSONAL: Received her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and exercise science from the University of New Mexico (2006-09), where she was a catcher on the softball team…earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Louisiana State University (2010-11), while also serving as a graduate assistant strength & conditioning coach…earned a master’s degree in biomechanics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam in the Netherlands (2018-19)…as part of her education, conducted research in eye-tracking for hitters at Driveline Baseball, a high-tech performance training center near Seattle, Wash.

GERARDO CASADIEGO – PITCHING COACH

BORN: 12/19/80 in Barquisimeto, Venezuela • RESIDES: Cabudare, Venezuela

COACHING CAREER: Begins his first season with Tampa and his 11th in the Yankees organization…in 2022, won the Eastern League Championship with Double-A Somerset as their pitching coach…served as pitching coach for High-A Hudson Valley in 2021, where Renegades’ pitchers ranked second in the High-A East division in strikeouts (1,308 - sixth in the minors) and third in ERA (4.12)…was pitching coach for the Yankees’ former Rookie-level Pulaski affiliate from 2017-19 and was assigned to serve in the same role in 2020 before the minor league season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic…the 2017 Pulaski team led the Appalachian League with 654K and a 10.21 K/9.0IP ratio…served as the pitching coach for the DSL Yankees 1 (2014-15) and the DSL Yankees 2 (2016)…in 2016, the DSL 2 squad led the 42-team league with a 8.65 K/9.0IP ratio (568K, 590.2IP)…made his professional coaching debut in 2014, leading the DSL 1 staff to a league-high 632K…PLAYING CAREER: Played 10 minor league seasons in the Expos, Yankees, Rockies and Orioles organizations (1999-2004, ‘06-09)…went 30-42 with 33 saves and a 4.15 ERA in 297 games (30 starts)…was a 2006 FSL Mid-Season All-Star with Single-A Tampa.

RICK GUARNO – HITTING COACH

BORN: 8/16/82 in Syracuse, N.Y. • RESIDES: Jonesboro, Ark.

COACHING CAREER: Enters his second season in the Yankees organization, his first with the Tarpons…served as the hitting coach for the FCL Yankees in 2022…spent the previous four years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Arkansas State University (2018-21)…also served as a hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Tennessee at Martin from 2015-17, a recruiting coordinator at Young Harris College (Ga.) from 2013-14 and a coach with his alma mater, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, from 2011-12…PLAYING CAREER: Was selected by the Colorado Rockies in the fourth round of the 2003 First-Year Player Draft…played in six minor league seasons as a catcher in the Rockies organization from 2003-08, batting .252 (253-for-1,004) with 127R, 56 doubles, 4 triples, 15HR, 108RBI, 66BB and 9SB in 287 games…also played one season with the Calgary Vipers of the independent Golden Baseball League in 2009…PERSONAL: Was a two-year starting catcher and outfielder at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, before finishing his collegiate career at UALR…later earned his bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from UALR in 2012…graduated from Bishop Kearney H.S. in Rochester, NY.

LINO DÍAZ – DEFENSIVE COACH

BORN: 7/22/70 in Boquete, Panamá • RESIDES: Parrish, Fla.

COACHING CAREER: Enters his eighth season with the Yankees and his first with the Tarpons… in 2022, served as a defensive coach for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre…was a GCL defensive coach (FCL in 2021) for four seasons (2015-16, ‘19, ‘21)…managed short-season Single-A Staten Island in 2018…served as a defensive coach for the Yankees’ Double-A affiliate in 2017…was the manager of cultural development for the White Sox from 2013-14…spent 11 seasons (2002-12) in various roles with the Cleveland Indians, including stints as the cultural development coordinator (2002-04,‘10-12), director of Latin American operations (2007-09) and assistant farm director (2005-06)…managed the GCL Royals in 2001 and coached for the GCL Reds from 1999-2001…began his coaching career in 1998 with Triple-A Indianapolis in the Reds system…PLAYING CAREER: Was originally drafted by Kansas City in the 30th round of the 1993 First-Year Player Draft…hit .294 over five seasons in the Royals minor league system…PERSONAL: Graduated from University of Nevada-Las Vegas with a degree in international relations.

MICHEL HERNÁNDEZ – DEFENSIVE COACH

BORN: 8/12/78 in Havana, Cuba • RESIDES: Lutz, Fla.

COACHING CAREER: Enters his 11th season as a coach in the Yankees organization and seventh with Tampa…in 2020, was slated to serve as defensive coach for the GCL Yankees West before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic…made his professional coaching debut with the GCL Yankees 1 (2013-14)…spent four seasons with Single-A Tampa (2016-19), two as catching coach (2018-19) and two as bullpen coach (2016-17)…served as defensive coach for Double-A Trenton in 2015…PLAYING CAREER: Was signed by the Yankees as a non-drafted free agent in 1998…played in 45 games in parts of three seasons in the Majors with the Yankees (2003) and Tampa Bay (2008-09), combining to hit .237 with 1HR and 12RBI…in 15 minor league seasons with the Yankees, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Cleveland organizations, hit a combined .257 with 35HR and 340RBI in 997 games…also played for the Havana Industriales in Cuba…PERSONAL: Attended one year of college in Cuba after graduating from high school in 1995.

Announcing the 2023 coaching staffs for our full-season Minor League affiliates: pic.twitter.com/tuNs8PzdWL

— NYYPlayerDev (@NYYPlayerDev) February 3, 2023

JORDAN GOSZTOLA – ATHLETIC TRAINER

BORN: 12/10/1993 in South Bend, Indiana • RESIDES: Tampa, Fla.

Begins his fourth season in the the Yankees organization, first with the Tampa Tarpons...served as the athletic trainer for the GCL Yankees during the 2018-2020 seasons...interned for the GCL Yankees and extended spring training in 2017...recently worked with the football and basketball programs at IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) from 2021-2022...earned his B.S. in Athletic Training from Ball State University in 2017.

DYLAN LIDGE – STRENGTH COACH

BORN: 10/27/1994 in Arlington Heights, IL. • RESIDES: West Palm Beach, Fla.

Begins his first season in the Yankees organization as a strength and conditioning coach with the Tampa Tarpons…previously served as a strength and conditioning coach at Cressey Sports Performance…earned his bachelor's degree in kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2017 and his master's degree in kinesiology with a concentration in Biomechanics from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2021…interned with the University of Illinois at Chicago strength and conditioning department and also served as a teacher assistant.

MICHAEL PASCENTO – CLUBHOUSE MANAGER

BORN: 8/25/2000 in New Milford, Connecticut. • RESIDES: Tampa, Fla.

Begins his first season with the Yankees as a Clubhouse Manager for the Tampa Tarpons... spent the previous four years as a Clubhouse Assistant with the Phillies at their Minor League Complex... He earned his bachelor's degree in Sport Management from The University of Tampa in 2022.

BRENT DREVALAS – VIDEO & TRAVEL ASSISTANT

BORN: 8/4/1993 in Woodstock, Illinois. • RESIDES: Genoa, IL.

Enters his second season in the Yankees organization as a Video & Travel Assistant…spent the 2022 season with Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre as a Video & Travel Assistant…served as an Associate Analyst with the San Francisco Giants during the shortened 2020 season at the team's Sacramento, Calif. Alternate Site...spent the 2018 and 2019 seasons as the Baseball Operations Supervisor for the Arizona Fall League's Glendale Desert Dogs, Scottsdale Scorpions and Surprise Saguaros clubs...earned his Bachelor's degree in sports communications from Bradley University.

DEVIN CLEMENTI – ADVANCE SCOUTING ANALYST

BORN: 5/23/98 in Brooklyn, NY • RESIDES: Morganville, NJ

Begins his first season as an Advance Scouting Analyst with the Tampa Tarpons…spent the 2022 season as an Associate in the Yankees’ Quantitative Analysis department…served as a Video & Data Analyst with USA baseball in 2021…earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Admin. from Fordham University and his master’s degree in Applied Analytics from Columbia University.