Winston-Salem Dash Announce 2024 Field Staff

The Winston-Salem Dash, in conjunction with the Chicago White Sox, are excited to announce the Winston-Salem Dash field staff for the 2024 season. Guillermo Quiroz will return as Manager for the Dash, alongside Performance Coach Logan Jones. The Dash field staff will consist of three newcomers: Hitting Coach Jim Rickon, Pitching Coach John Kovalik, Bench Coach Darius Day, and Trainer A.J. Smith.

Guillermo Quiroz begins his second season as Manager in Winston-Salem. Quiroz was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1998 and earned MLB playing time for Toronto in 2004. After his time with the Blue Jays ended in 2005, the Venezuelan catcher went on to play between the major and minor league levels for the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants and the Cleveland Guardians. After his retirement, Quiroz brought 19 years of playing experience to the Winston-Salem Dash as a coach in 2018 and later to the Charlotte Knights in 2019. The White Sox soon named Quiroz manager of the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers, where his 2020 managerial debut was put on hold until 2021 due to the COVID-19 outbreak. In 2023, Quiroz’s first season with Winston-Salem, he hit a managerial milestone by winning his 100th game.

Also returning is Performance Coach, Logan Jones, who grew up in Zebulon, NC and spent four seasons playing baseball at Guilford College. While at Guilford, he earned degrees in Exercise and Sport Sciences & Health Sciences. After graduation, Jones spent time at the University of Kentucky and Wake Forest University before joining the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in 2018.

John Kovalik begins his first season as a Pitching Coach in the White Sox system. Kovalik, a Cleveland, OH native, excelled on the mound at Slippery Rock from 2011-14. Primarily a reliever, he appeared in 73 games over his four-year career, going 11-11 with 16 saves, 98 strikeouts and a 4.12 ERA in 137.2 innings pitched. A two-time All-PSAC honoree, Kovalik was also named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association of America’s All-Atlantic Region team as a junior in 2013. After pitching for three years in the American Association, Kovalik returned to Slippery Rock to serve as the Pitching Coach for his alma mater. He boasts several years coaching in MiLB. In 2018, the Houston Astros hired him as a minor league Pitching Coach, and he has made stops at Tri-City, FCL Astros, Fayetteville and Corpus Christi.

Hitting Coach Jim Rickon also carries a wealth of professional baseball experience, as both a player and a coach. Rickon, another Cleveland native, played for four seasons at Cleveland State University primarily as the everyday catcher from 1996-1999. The Guardians signed Rickon in 1999 and he moved quickly up the ranks to as high as Double-A. At the end of his playing career in 2001, Cleveland added Rickon to their minor league staff as a Player Development and Hitting Coordinator, and eventually he moved into a scouting role. In 2021, he began a short stint as a Hitting Coordinator with the Cincinnati Reds, which ended in 2023 as he signed with the White Sox. In total, Rickon brings 25 years of experience in professional baseball to the White Sox system.

Chicago native and former MiLB outfielder Darius Day joins the Dash as Bench Coach in 2024. Day signed with the Texas Rangers after being selected out of Simeon High School in the 23rd round of the 2014 MLB Draft. After spending 5 years in the Rangers’ farm system, Day became the ACE Field Program Coordinator for the Chicago White Sox. While serving in this role, Day completed his bachelor’s degree in Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies from Chicago State University.

Athletic Trainer A.J. Smith makes the jump from Low-A to High-A after serving as the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers’ Athletic Trainer in 2023

“We are thrilled to welcome the new members of this staff to Winston-Salem. It is a pleasure to have Q and Logan back as well. I am confident that these coaches will put the best product on the field and give our fans an unforgettable baseball experience in 2024,” said Dash President & General Manager, Brian DeAngelis.

The Dash begin their 2024 season with a three-game series on the road against the Asheville Tourists beginning on Friday, April 5. The Dash play their home opener against the Greensboro Grasshoppers on Tuesday, April 9 at 7:00pm. Ticket information can be found at wsdash.com or by calling (336) 714-2287.

The Winston-Salem Dash are the South Atlantic League affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. For more information, please call 336-714-2287 or visit www.wsdash.com.