Chase Almendarez Leads Round Rock Hairy Men Coaching Staff 

ROUND ROCK, Texas – With two weeks to go until Opening Day in the Texas Collegiate League, the Round Rock Hairy Men are excited to unveil the team’s coaching staff for the 2020 season. Led by Manager Chase Almendarez, the coaching staff for the temporary expansion team includes Pitching Coach Tanner Driskill, Bench Coach Oscar Rodriguez and Student Assistant Jackson Ryan.

“We are thrilled to add these four young men to our Hairy Men family for the 2020 season,” General Manager Tim Jackson said. “All four of these coaches have tremendous baseball experience and knowledge both on and off the field. They also all have strong ties to the Central Texas community, which is a theme you will see throughout the upcoming 2020 Hairy Men season.”

Almendarez currently serves as the Manager of Baseball Operations for the Round Rock Express, overseeing all baseball-related aspects of the organization, including team travel, umpire coordination and all amateur baseball events, such as the annual UIL State Baseball Championships at Dell Diamond. He also serves as the Director for Express Camps and is an active coach in the Express Select program.

The Round Rock native returned home after two years at the University of Houston-Victoria, where he played two seasons for the Jaguars. In 2018, he was named to the Google/CoSIDA Academic All-American team and was also recognized as a finalist for the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award. He earned his undergraduate degree in Communications from UHV in May 2018.

“I am excited to see Chase become a Manager in the Texas Collegiate League,” University of Houston-Victoria Head Coach Terry Puhl said. “When Chase caught for us at UHV, it was like having another coach on the field, so I know he will do very well.”

Almendarez played two seasons of junior college baseball at Cisco College and Eastfield College, earning his associates degree from Eastfield in May 2016. Prior to college, Almendarez attended Round Rock High School, where he was a two-year letterman on the varsity baseball team.

Driskill is currently a pitcher within the Washington Nationals organization after being selected by the defending World Series Champions in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft. He has pitched professionally for the GCL Nationals and Short Season Auburn Doubledays in his young career. Prior to signing with the Nationals, Driskill pitched collegiately for the Lamar Cardinals, where he was named an All-Southland Conference Honorable Mention in 2017 before Perfect Game tabbed him as a Pre-Season First Team All-Conference selection in 2018.

He began his collegiate career at Weatherford College, pitching for the Coyotes for two seasons prior to transferring to Lamar. Like Almendarez, he also attended Round Rock High School, where he was a three-time District and Bi-District Champion as well as a two-time Area Champion. He garnered First-Team All-District and Third-Team All-State honors during his senior season. Tanner is the son of former Round Rock Express and Houston Astros pitcher Travis Driskill.

Rodriguez currently serves as the Manager of Season Memberships and Service for the Round Rock Express after joining the club in 2016 as an Account Executive. While he has found success throughout his professional career in the front office, Rodriguez has a rich baseball background. He is the cousin of Tampa Bay Rays Third Base Coach Rodney Linares. Rodriguez dedicates time each summer coaching the next generation of players through Express Camps and Express Select.

A native of San Pedro, Dominican Republic, Rodriguez spent time with the Washington Nationals organization in his home country. He also played at Western Nebraska Community College for two years before transferring to Huston-Tillotson University, where he continued to play baseball. He graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2013 with a degree in Marketing.

Ryan is currently a Student Volunteer Assistant for the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, where he assists with the Cru’s pitching staff. In his role, he helps collect video during bullpen sessions, acts as the main point of communication between the team’s bench and the bullpen during games and assists with the management of relief pitcher usage. He will fill this same role with the Hairy Men. Ryan pitched for the Cru in 2019 before transitioning into a coaching position.

A two-year varsity pitcher for Second Baptist School in Houston, Ryan was coached by six-time MLB All-Star Lance Berkman, five-time World Series Champion Andy Pettitte and legendary University of Houston skipper Rayner Noble. Ryan is an active coach at Express Camps and is currently studying Sports Management at UMHB. Jackson is the son of Round Rock Express Founder Reid Ryan and the grandson of MLB Hall of Fame Pitcher Nolan Ryan.

All single game tickets for TCL contests played at Dell Diamond are on sale now via RRHairyMen.com. The team’s roster and promotional schedule specific to the TCL season will be announced in the near future.

For more information about the Round Rock Hairy Men and the 2020 Texas Collegiate League season at Dell Diamond, visit RRHairyMen.com or call (512) 255-2255. Follow the Round Rock Hairy Men on Twitter to stay up to date with the latest news and information.