Delmarva Shorebirds Announce 2023 Coaching Staff

Salisbury, MD -- The Delmarva Shorebirds, in conjunction with the Baltimore Orioles, are thrilled to announce the 2023 field staff to lead Shorebirds for the 27th season of ‘Birds baseball on Delmarva. Returning to the helm for a second season is Manager Felipe Rojas, Jr. joined by Adam Bleday, Josh Bunselmeyer, Daniel Fajardo, Collin Murray, Julio Ibarra, and Chris Frosch.

Felipe Rojas, Jr. embarks on his second year as manager of the Delmarva Shorebirds in 2023 after becoming the 17th manager in Delmarva Shorebirds history last season. In 2022, the Shorebirds experienced a wealth of talent come through Delmarva under Rojas’ direction including three (3) Orioles first-round picks highlighted by the #1 Overall Pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, Jackson Holliday.

Bringing a plethora of familiarity and coaching prowess to the dugout, Rojas, Jr. has served 16 years in the Orioles organization including time as the Assistant to the Dominican Baseball Commissioner in 2007 (a branch of the MLB Commissioner’s office). Before jumping into the coaching ranks, Rojas, Jr. played over 12 seasons as an outfielder with the Kansas City Royals, Montreal Royales in the Canadian Baseball League, and Escogido of the Dominican Winter League bringing plenty of playing experience to the dugout.

Rojas, Jr. comes from a family tree of baseball riches as both managers and players. Rojas, Jr.’s father, Felipe Alou, was the first ever Dominican manager in the history of major league baseball leading both the Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants. In addition, Rojas, Jr. is brothers with former New York Mets Manager Luis Rojas and shares a bloodline with former Orioles great Moises Alou who played 17 seasons in the big leagues.

Adam Bleday enters his first season as the Shorebirds Pitching Coach in 2023 after spending last season as a O’s Pitching Coach in the Florida Complex League. Bleday played his college days as a Left-handed Pitcher for the University of Pennsylvania before being drafted in the 27th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Houston Astros. From there, Bleday spent two season in the Astros minor league ranks before making the jump to coaching in 2019.

Josh Bunselmeyer takes over as the Shorebirds Hitting Coach in 2023 after spending the last three (3) seasons as a hitting coach for the Orioles between the Florida Complex League and the Dominican Summer League. Before coaching, Bunselmeyer played independent ball for the three season in the Frontier League as a utility player after playing college baseball for Saint Louis University.

Daniel Fajardo will return to Delmarva in 2023 for his second season as the Shorebirds Fundamentals Coach. After playing eight seasons in the Orioles minor league system and parts of two with the Shorebirds, Fajardo made his professional coaching debut with the ‘Birds in 2022 bringing a wealth of knowledge from his time as a catcher. A 2019 Shorebirds Mid-Season All-Star, Fajardo was a Shorebirds fan-favorite hitting for a career .251 average with 124 RBI and 106 Runs Scored.

Collin Murray returns as the Shorebirds Development Coach in his second season as a coach in Delmarva and in the Orioles’ organization. Prior to joining the Orioles, Murray worked with three other MLB clubs (Tigers, Marlins, and Angels), most recently as a Baseball Information Assistant with the Detroit Tigers in 2021.

Julio Ibarra enters his second season as the Athletic Trainer for the Shorebirds. Prior to the 2022 season, Ibarra served as the Orioles Athletic Trainer for a couple of seasons in the Dominican Summer League.

Chris Frosch joins the Shorebirds in his first year as the Strength & Conditioning Coach after spending 2022 in the Florida Complex League. Previously in the Chicago Cubs Organization for two years, Frosch is a graduate from the University of Tampa where he studied Human Performance and played on the baseball team.

“We are excited to welcome back Felipe this season to Delmarva as our Manager along with some familiar and new faces on the 2023 coaching staff for fans this season,” explained Shorebirds General Manager Chris Bitters. “Consistently, the Orioles provide us with terrific leadership on the field allowing fans to see the growth and development of the Orioles stars of tomorrow on Delmarva today as they continue on their journey to Baltimore.”

Opening Day for the Shorebirds is Tuesday, April 11 against the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. For more information on the Shorebirds schedule, individual tickets, and the 2023 promotional schedule, please visit theshorebirds.com.

ABOUT THE DELMARVA SHOREBIRDS

The Delmarva Shorebirds were founded in 1996 and have been the Class-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles since 1997. The Shorebirds have won two South Atlantic League championships in 1997 and 2000 and were named the MiLB.com Minor League Team of the Year in 2019 after going 90-48 in the regular season. Based in Salisbury, Maryland, the Shorebirds are proud to represent the entire Delmarva Peninsula and have hosted two SAL All-Star Games in 1999 and 2011. The Shorebirds are owned by 7th Inning Stretch, LP, based in Stockton, California headed by Chairman Tom Volpe and President Pat Filippone.