(Both of these press releases have already appeared on valleyleaguebaseball.com and were written by the Lumberjacks and David Argo, respectively)
Covington, VA: Renny Tolentino is the new skipper of the Covington Lumberjacks.
Tolentino, the head coach at ASA College in Miami, takes over for Logan Williamson, who served as the head coach for the Jacks in the summer of 2021.
“We are very excited for this summer’s season and welcome Renny aboard,” said Lumberjack owner Tommy Garten. “He was recommended highly by some of our Lumberjack alumni and we look forward to working with him.”
Tolentino played at both Kishwaukee College in Malta, Illinois, and at LSU-Shreveport before a professional career in the Milwaukee Brewers organization and with the Schaumberg Boomers in the Independent Frontier League.
The Miami native was the pitching coach at LSU-Shreveport from 2019 to January of 2021, and the head assistant coach at ASA from January of 2021 until August of 2021 when he was named the program’s head coach.
“First and foremost, I want to thank (Owner) Tommy (Garten) and (General Manager) Mark (Pifer) for the opportunity and for trusting me in leading the Lumberjacks this summer,” said Tolentino. “Covington has a lot of history to it with all the great players that have come through there. Our job is to continue that and potentially lead Covington to their third Valley League championship. I can’t wait to get there and go to work.”
Covington was 10-22 last summer before a positive COVID test and contact tracing shut down the team for the final two weeks of the season.
“The way things ended last summer was disappointing,” said Garten. “But we owe a big thank you to our players, coaches, staff, fans and sponsors who stood with us in that difficult time. We will be back for the 2022 season better than ever.”
The Lumberjacks will open the new season at Charlottesville on Saturday, June 4. The Jacks will host the Tom Sox on Sunday, June 5 at 7 p.m. in their home opener.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Charlottesville Tom Sox are excited to announce Ramon Garza as the team’s head coach for the 2022 summer. A 2019 Valley League champion with the Tom Sox, Garza takes on coaching for the first time after a successful career as a baseball player.
Garza played the full 2019 season for the Tom Sox, playing an integral role in the team’s second Valley Baseball League championship. Garza played in 43 games over the span of the regular season and playoffs, with a .289 average, 27 runs scored, and 18 RBI. He showcased his versatility on the diamond, playing games in the outfield, second base, shortstop, and even making three appearances on the mound. Prior to his 2019 summer with the Tom Sox, Garza also played the 2018 summer for the Woodstock River Bandits of the Valley League after spending time in the Cape Cod League.
Garza played three seasons at Cornell University, starting almost every game during his tenure with the Big Red. He started games at both shortstop and right field and served as the team’s cleanup hitter during the 2019 season.
Following his tenure at Cornell, Garza played the 2021 season at the University of Texas at Dallas. He was named a first team All-Region selection by the ABCA after hitting .345 with seven doubles and nine home runs and leading the team with 51 RBI. Garza is currently competing with the Comets during the 2022 season and will join the Tom Sox after earning his master’s degree in finance in May.
Said Garza: “I’d like to thank the entire Tom Sox organization for the opportunity to coach for one of the best summer collegiate teams in the country. I’m super excited to make my return to Charlottesville and once again represent such an outstanding organization and community. I look forward to being a part of another great season of Tom Sox baseball.”
Said Tom Sox President and General Manager Mike Paduano: “Anytime you can help develop young coaches it is exciting. For me, it is even better when that coach played in Charlottesville on our championship team. When Ramon played here, he had a team-first mentality – which is not something you see a lot of in summer baseball. He proved to be one of our most valuable players because he was able to play so many different positions. I am excited to work with him again, this time as our head coach. I believe he will be a leader by example with his work ethic and respect for the game.”
The Tom Sox’s previously announced head coach, Seth Dvorak, accepted a full-time job at Dominican University and is unable to coach this summer. The Tom Sox wish Dvorak the best with coaching career going forward.
The Tom Sox season begins June 3 in Harrisonburg, followed by the home opener on the 4th against Covington at Crutchfield Park. Fans can once again enjoy free admission at all home games, courtesy of Carter Bank & Trust. For more information, visit tomsox.com.
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