Lincoln Coaches Ready to Open Spring Training

The 2025 Lincoln Saltdogs will welcome their signed players to Spring Training, this weekend.  Approximately 30 players will join this year’s coaching staff in preparations for the upcoming 100-game American Association schedule

Lincoln will play two exhibition games during Spring Training.  The first is Wednesday, April 30^th at 6:05pm, versus the Sioux City Explorers, at Haymarket Park.  The second is Sunday, May 4^th at 1:05pm, at Lewis and Clark Park in Sioux City, Iowa, versus the Explorers.

Lincoln begins the 2025 American Association season Friday, May 9^th, when they travel to Kansas City, Kansas to begin a three-game series with the Kansas City Monarchs.  The Saltdogs home-opener is Friday, May 16^th at 7:05 p.m., versus the Winnipeg Goldeyes.

This season’s coaching staff includes Field Manger Brett Jodie, Hitting Coach Drew Ward and Bench Coach Joey Greer.

Brett Jodie returns to Lincoln for his fifth season managing the Saltdogs.  In 2022 Jodie led the team back to the postseason for the first time since 2017 as the ‘Dogs won nine of their last 10 games to make the top eight.

Before coming to Lincoln, the 46-year-old spent 13 seasons with the Somerset Patriots of the Atlantic League, including a seven-year stint as the Manager from 2013-2019.  Jodie led the Patriots to the 2015 Atlantic League title and made the playoff six out of the seven years as the head man.  In his 12 managerial seasons Jodie has made the playoffs seven times and has had seven winning seasons.

As a player, Jodie made it to “The Show” pitching for both the New York Yankees and the San Diego Padres in 2001, after being selected in the sixth round of the 1998 MLB Draft.  He made eight appearances in the MLB. Jodie was born on March 5, 1977 in Columbia, South Carolina and played his college baseball in his hometown at the University of South Carolina.

This is his first stint in the American Association after a successful run with the Patriots, where he also had to manage with experimental rules the MLB has implemented based on an agreement between them and the Atlantic League. Jodie is the ninth manager in franchise history and took over for James Frisbie in Nov. 2019, but the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.  Frisbie was hired by the Detroit Tigers to be a part of their major league staff.

Drew Ward begins his first season as hitting coach for the Saltdogs.  Prior to joining Lincoln, Ward has been in a similar position in Major League Baseball’s Arizona Fall League as a Hitting and Infield Coach for the Surprise Saguaros.  Ward also started a baseball academy with his father in Oklahoma City, providing personal lessons for teams as athletes 18-and under.

Ward had a successful playing career.  He played first and third base for the Fargo Redhawks and the Milwaukee Milkmen in the American Association, claiming All-Star recognition in 2020 and 2022, while earning a Miles Wolf Cup championship with Fargo in 2022.  In 2020, Ward won the American Association League Batting crown.  A third-round draft pick of the Washington Nationals out of Leedey High School (OK) in the 2013 MLB Amateur Draft, Ward was a 2016 Arizona Fall League All-Star Game starter, plus was named an All-Star while playing in the Carolina League.

Joey Greer joins the Saltdogs for his first season as the team’s Bench Coach & Director of Baseball Operations.

Born, raised and currently residing in Lancaster, PA, Joey’s first foray into professional baseball came with his hometown Lancaster Barnstormers (Atlantic League) from 2017-2019 and then parts of the 2021-2023 seasons after missing 2020.

Along the way, Joey has worked for a variety of teams, most notably the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (International League, Triple A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies) while working his way up the ladder to being the Bench Coach of the Saltdogs.

Lincoln fans may purchase single game tickets for the 2025 home opener and all home games on the Saltdogs 2025 schedule. Single game tickets may be purchased one of three ways: in person at the Haymarket Park Box Office (403 Line Drive Circle), by telephone at 402-474-BALL (2255), or on-line at www.saltdogs.com/schedule.

All home and away Saltdogs games will be broadcast on radio on KFOR 101.5 FM/1240 AM, in Lincoln.  For promotional information and to visit the online store, go to: www.saltdogs.com.