Jirschele Returns to Knights, Full Staff Announced

(UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) -- Justin Jirschele, who managed the Charlotte Knights for the 2023 season, will return to manage the Knights for the upcoming 2024 campaign. Last season, Jirschele, 33, became the 24th manager in Knights franchise history. Jirschele’s second season as manager of the Knights begins with the team’s 2024 season opener on Friday, March 29 in Memphis, TN against the Memphis Redbirds (Triple-A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals). The Knights will open the 10th season of baseball at Truist Field on Tuesday, April 2 against the Norfolk Tides (Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles) at 7:04 p.m.

Joining Jirschele in Charlotte for the 2024 season will be returnees Cameron Seitzer (hitting coach), Hyeon Kim (athletic trainer) and George Timke (performance coach). Additionally, the Knights will welcome newcomers, R.C. Lichtenstein (pitching coach) and Pat Listach (bench coach). Both Lichtenstein and Listach are also newcomers to the Chicago White Sox organization.

A native of Clintonville, WI, Jirschele enters his eighth season in Chicago’s organization. Last season, he became the third former Knights player to go on to manage the team joining both Joel Skinner and Nick Capra. Skinner, the all-time winningest manager in franchise history, played for the Knights in 1994 and managed the club for four seasons from 2012-2015. Capra played for the Knights in 1995 and managed the team for three seasons from 2002-2004.

The Knights posted a 53-96 overall record in Jirschele’s first season in 2023. Prior to joining Charlotte, Jirschele guided the Double-A Birmingham Barons to a 62-56 record in 2021, falling just a half game shy of clinching a postseason berth. In two seasons with the Barons (2021-22), he posted 123 wins. Prior to his time with Birmingham, Jirschele managed Winston-Salem (2019) and Kannapolis (2017-18). He led Kannapolis to playoff appearances in each of his two seasons as manager. He made his coaching debut in 2016 as the hitting coach at Kannapolis.

As a player, Jirschele appeared in 184 games in the White Sox system from 2012-15, batting .277 (172-for-622). As an infielder, he appeared in 16 games with the Knights over parts of two seasons (14 in 2014 and two in 2015). A product of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Jirschele is a two-time Midwest Region Gold Glove winner and a two-time First-Team All-WIAC selection. His dad, Mike, has spent 32 seasons in the Kansas City Royals organization. Mike was Kansas City’s third base coach during the team’s 2015 World Series Championship-winning season.

Seitzer, a native of Overland Park, KS, enters his sixth season with the White Sox organization and second with Charlotte in 2023. The 34-year-old spent the 2022 season with Kannapolis as the team’s hitting coach. Previously, he spent one season as the hitting coach at Double-A Birmingham (2021) and one in the same capacity at Great Falls (2019). As a player, he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 11th round of the 2011 MLB June Amateur Draft. The University of Oklahoma product played eight seasons in the minors from 2011-18 and combined to hit .270 (636-for-2359). His final two playing seasons were spent in the White Sox organization (2017-18). His father, Kevin, played 12 major league seasons combined with Kansas City, Milwaukee, Cleveland and Oakland.

Listach, 56, enters his first season in Chicago’s system. As a player, Listach, appeared in 503 games at the major league level over parts of six seasons from 1992-97. Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth round of the 1988 MLB June Amateur Draft, Listach batted .290 with a team-high 54 stolen bases during his rookie season with Milwaukee in 1992. For his strong efforts that year, Listach was named the 1992 American League Rookie of the Year. He became the first Brewers player to swipe 50 bases in a single season. His 54 stolen bases ranked second in the American League that year behind Cleveland’s Kenny Lofton. In 2014, Listach was inducted into the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor. After his playing days, Listach has continued his baseball career as a major league and minor league manager and coach. Most recently, Listach served as bench coach for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies) in 2023.

Lichtenstein, a product of the University of Illinois at Chicago, embarks on his first season with the Charlotte Knights and first in Chicago’s system. Most recently, Lichtenstein spent last season as the pitching coach for the Bowling Green Hot Rods (High-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays). The 55-year-old originally began his tenure as a coach in Tampa Bay’s system in 2005 working as the pitching coach for the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays (Single-A affiliate). From 2005 through the 2023 season, Lichtenstein was a coach in Tampa Bay’s system at several levels, spanning 19 years. Before joining the Rays, he spent five seasons as a coach in Milwaukee’s minor league system (1998-2003). In addition to his long coaching career, Lichtenstein has also appeared in the 1992 movie The Babe starring John Goodman. Lichtenstein played pitcher Charlie Root who gave up Ruth’s “called shot” in the 1932 World Series.

Kim, 38, enters his seventh season in the White Sox system and second with Charlotte. He spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons with Double-A Birmingham in the same capacity. Before that, he spent one season with Winston-Salem (2019) and one season with Advanced Rookie Great Falls (2018). Born in Tokyo, Japan, Kim is a product of Troy University (B.S. in Athletic Training). He also earned a degree from Auburn University-Montgomery (M.Ed. in Exercise Science).

Timke, a native of Suffern, NY, enters his 12th season in Chicago’s system and second in Charlotte. Before joining the Knights, the California University of Pennsylvania product spent the past two seasons as the performance coach with the Birmingham Barons (2021 and 2022). Before that, Timke spent five years in the same capacity with High-A Winston-Salem (2016-20) and two with Kannapolis (2014-15). He made his organizational debut in 2013 with Great Falls (Advanced-Rookie). Before joining Chicago’s organization, Timke spent four seasons in the Kansas City organization as a strength and conditioning coach (2009-12).

2024 Charlotte Knights Field Staff:
Manager: Justin Jirschele
Pitching Coach: R.C. Lichtenstein
Hitting Coach: Cameron Seitzer
Bench Coach: Pat Listach
Athletic Trainer: Hyeon Kim
Performance Coach: George Timke

Season membership plans, as well as partial-season plans for the upcoming 2024 season, are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.charlotteknights.com, by phone at 704-274-8282, or in person at the Truist Field Ticket Office located at 324 S. Mint Street. Single-game tickets for the 2024 campaign will go on sale to the public on Monday, February 19.