Astros Announce Skeeters 2021 Coaching Staff

(SUGAR LAND, Texas) – The Houston Astros today announced the coaching staff for the Triple-A Sugar Land Skeeters, with Mickey Storey named as the team’s manager.

Along with Storey, the Skeeters coaching staff will include pitching coach Erick Abreu, hitting coach Ben Rosenthal, development coach Sean Connole, athletic trainers John Gregorich and A.J. Smith and strength coach Hazael Wessin.

Storey, 35, enters his third year as the manager of the Astros Triple-A affiliate and first with the Skeeters. He becomes the Skeeters first-ever manager as a Triple-A affiliate and the third manager in franchise history, joining Gary Gaetti and Pete Incaviglia.

The former Major Leaguer helped lead Triple-A Round Rock to the most wins in Triple-A and the best record in the Pacific Coast League in 2019 (84-56), winners of the American Southern Division. The team went on to advance to the Pacific Coast League Finals.

Storey first began coaching in the Astros system in 2016 as a development coach for Class A Advanced Buies Creek. He received his first managerial job in 2018 with Class A Quad Cities. He led Class A Quad Cities to an 81-59 record his lone season as the manager, which was the second-best record in the Midwest League and led the team to win the Western Division.

Prior to his coaching career, Storey logged a nine-year professional career as a right-handed pitcher. He made his Major League debut in 2012 with the Astros and appeared in the Majors in 2013 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. He made a total of 29 appearances at the Major League level (all in relief), including 26 with the Astros. Storey had his best Major League season with the Astros in 2012, going 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA and striking out 34 batters through 30 ⅓ innings pitched.

The Oakland A’s selected Storey in the 31st round of the 2008 MLB Draft from Florida Atlantic University. His professional career spanned from 2008-16, appearing with the A’s (2008-11), Astros (2011-12), Blue Jays (2013-14), Los Angeles Dodgers (2015) and independent Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League (2015-16). Storey also appeared in the Mexican Pacific Winter League, the Venezuelan Winter League, Dominican Winter League and the Arizona Fall League. He amassed a total of 385 appearances at the professional level, recording a career 3.52 ERA (682.1IP) with 44 saves.

Storey finished his career at Florida Atlantic second on the school’s all-time strikeout list and tied for second in wins. He also finished top 10 in school history in strikeouts per nine innings, games started, fewest walks per nine innings and innings pitched. He was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the 22nd round of the 2007 MLB Draft out of Florida Atlantic as well.

Abreu is set to begin his eighth season with the Astros and his first as the pitching coach for the team’s Triple-A affiliate. He previously worked as a pitching coach for Class A Quad Cities (2019-20), Short-Season Tri-City (2018), Rookie League Greeneville (2017), the GCL Astros (2016) and the DSL Astros (2014-15). He’s also worked as a coach in the Dominican Winter League, most recently as the pitching coach for the Leones del Escogido for their 2020-21 season.

The right-hander from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, owns 12 seasons of professional playing experience. He’s spent time in the Minor League systems of the Astros and New York Yankees, reaching up to the Triple-A level. He’s also appeared in the Mexican League, Mexican Pacific Winter League and Dominican Winter League.

Rosenthal enters his fifth season in the Astros organization and his third as the hitting coach for the organization’s Triple-A affiliate. He joined the Astros in 2017 as the hitting coach for Class A Quad Cities helping lead the team to a Midwest League title. The following season he was named the hitting coach for Class A Advanced Buies Creek, helping guide the team to a Carolina League Championship.

Prior to joining the Astros, Rosenthal was the third base coach and hitting coach for Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, Calif. He played four years professionally as a catcher and outfielder from 2003-06, spending two seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals minor league system and the rest of the time at the independent ranks. Rosenthal also has coaching experience at the prep level, serving as head coach of Mira Mesa High School in San Diego in 2013 and the first assistant at Bishop Gorman High School (Las Vegas, Nev.) from 2011-12. He played collegiately at San Diego State University.

Connole will enter his second season with the Astros and his first as the development coach for their Triple-A affiliate. He joined the Astros prior to the 2020 season as the mental skills and development coach for Double-A Corpus Christi. He spent the previous two seasons as an assistant baseball coach for Hood College (Frederick, MD). He’s also worked as a coach for Georgetown University, Springfield College and in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League.

Gregorich is entering his eighth season with the Astros and his third with the team’s Triple-A affiliate. He’s worked as an athletic trainer for Double-A Corpus Christi (2018), Class A Advanced Buies Creek (2017), Class A Short-Season Tri-City (2015-16) and Rookie-Level Greeneville (2014). He was named the 2014 PBATS Appalachian League Athletic Trainer of the Year.

Smith enters his first season as an athletic trainer for the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate.

Wessin begins his seventh season with the Astros and second as the strength coach for the organization’s Triple-A affiliate. He’s previously worked as the Astros Latin America strength and conditioning coordinator as well as a strength and conditioning coach for Class A Advanced Buies Creek (2018) and Class A Quad Cities (2017). He also served as an assistant for the Boston Red Sox Dominican Summer League operations in 2014.

Season ticket deposits for the Skeeters’ 2021 season are currently on sale and can be purchased by visiting sugarlandskeeters.com/tickets. Information on individual tickets and other ticket plans will be made available in the near future.