RoughRiders Announce 2021 Coaching Staff

FRISCO, Texas (February 10, 2021) - The Frisco RoughRiders, in conjunction with the Texas Rangers, have announced Jared Goedert as the new manager of the RoughRiders for the 2021 season. Goedert will be joined by Jeff Andrews (pitching coach), Josue Perez (hitting coach) and Héctor Ortiz (assistant coach). Alex Rodriguez (athletic trainer) and Adam Noel (strength and conditioning coach) round out the Riders 2021 staff.

Geodert begins his professional managerial career with the RoughRiders after having served as hitting coach at multiple levels of the farm system since joining the Texas organization in 2016. The 35-year-old played nine seasons of professional baseball in the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Toronto Blue Jays organizations. In 2016, the Concordia, Kansas native joined the Rangers organization, serving as a hitting coach with the Spokane Indians. Geodert’s stops as a hitting coach included the AZL Rangers (2017), Spokane (2018), and Hickory (2019). He was slated to serve as hitting coach with the Down East Wood Ducks in 2020.

Andrews enters his 17th season with the Rangers organization and returns to Frisco after serving as the RoughRiders pitching coach from 2009-15. In that role, he earned the 2014 Texas League Mike Coolbaugh Coach of the Year award and shared the 2013 Bobby Jones Player Development Man of the Year Award. The South Dakota native will celebrate his 35th season as a minor league instructor in 2020. As a player, the right-handed pitcher was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 26th round of the 1981 draft and played two seasons in the Cubs farm system.

Perez, who spent the last five seasons as the Rangers organizational hitting coordinator, will serve as the hitting coach for the RoughRiders. Perez worked as the hitting coach for High-A Myrtle Beach in both 2013 and 2014 before transitioning into the hitting coordinator role. Perez has been a coach in the Rangers system since 2006. As a player, the Havana, Cuba native played eight seasons professionally for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and Rangers organizations. Perez was named the Phillies ninth-best prospect following the 1999 season.

Ortiz, who will serve as the RoughRiders assistant coach in 2021, spent the past six seasons on the Major League coaching staff. As a player, the Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico native played 18 seasons of professional baseball with the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers organizations. Following his retirement as a player, Ortiz served nine seasons as a coach in the Rangers system. His time in the minor league system included stints in several roles, including manager at Hickory (2009) and the Arizona League Rangers (2011), Rangers minor league catching coordinator (2011- 14), and hitting coach at Spokane (2006-2008).

Rodriguez returns for his ninth season in the Texas organization and his second with the RoughRiders. Prior to last season, the San Juan, Puerto Rico native worked with the Down East Wood Ducks (2017-2018), High Desert Mavericks (2016), the Arizona League Rangers (2015) and the Dominican Summer League Rangers (2012-14). While in the Dominican, the Barry University graduate was honored as the DSL Trainer of the Year in 2013.

For Noel, 2021 marks his first season with the RoughRiders. Noel spent the 2019 season as the Strength and Conditioning coach with the Down East Wood Ducks after spending time in Hickory.

Further information about the 2021 season, including ticketing information and the promotional schedule, will be unveiled in the coming weeks and months. For more information, visit RidersBaseball.com.

About the RoughRiders

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Double-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers and play their games at beautiful Dr Pepper Ballpark in Frisco, Texas. The team was founded in 2003 and has finished first among all Double-A franchises in attendance in each of the last 15 seasons (2005-2019). In August 2014, the RoughRiders were purchased by an ownership group led by Chuck Greenberg. Since then, the new ownership group, together with the City of Frisco, has spearheaded numerous major franchise enhancements, investing over $8 million in a wide array of facility upgrades and improvements, including a state-of-the-art HD video board, sound system, Bull Moose Saloon, InTouch Grille, Riders Outpost Team Store and the world's largest water feature in a sports facility, the massive Lazy River. These enhancements earned the Riders and the City of Frisco Ballpark Digest's prestigious "Best Ballpark Renovation" award for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). More than 160 former RoughRiders players have gone on to play Major League Baseball. For more information on the Frisco RoughRiders and Dr Pepper Ballpark, please visit RidersBaseball.com or contact **[email protected]**.