St. Cloud, MN – The St. Cloud Rox announced today that they have hired Pitching Coach J.P. Martinez and Assistant Coach Phil Imholte. Both coaches will work under Field Manager Augie Rodriguez who is returning for his third season with the Rox. Tristan Toorie is also returning for his second season as the Strength and Conditioning/Hitting Coach.
Martinez played at the University of New Orleans in 2003 and 2004. In two seasons at UNO, he appeared in 44 games, with 16 starts, going 12-6 and registering 188 strikeouts in 170 innings.
He spent the summer of 2003 with the St. Cloud River Bats, where he registered 17 saves as the closer (a mark that is good for 7th all-time in the Northwoods League). The next summer, he was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 9th round of the 2004 MLB Draft (270th overall).
Over five seasons in the minors (four with the Twins organization and one with the Orioles), JP made 203 appearances, threw 341 innings, and reached Triple A level in 2007 with the Rochester Red Wings. He went 17-14 with a 3.35 ERA, 40 saves and 357 strikeouts in minor league baseball. Currently, JP is the head coach at Pope John Paul II Catholic High School in Slidell, LA.
“My summer in St. Cloud was the best summer of life. It prepared me for the talent level and the rigors of my professional career. I am ecstatic to return to St. Cloud where I played a decade ago, as a coach. I know that I have a lot to offer our players in terms of their development and playing at a high level, and am thrilled at the opportunity to compete for a championship as a part of a first-class organization,” said Martinez.
Imholte, also no stranger to Rox Baseball and St. Cloud, played for the Rox during the inaugural 2012 season and is a St. Cloud Cathedral and St. Cloud State University graduate. At SCSU he was an All-American, Academic All-American, All-Region, and All-NSIC. He is the career leader in stolen bases and hit-by-pitches, and 2nd all-time in NCAA DII career hit-by-pitches. With the Rox he was a 2012 Rawlings "Finest in the Field" award winner, which highlights the top defensive Northwoods League player at each position.
"I'm thrilled to be back with the Rox in 2014. Being a part of the inaugural team was an unforgettable experience and I'm honored to spend another summer representing the St. Cloud baseball community. I'm looking forward to learning from the coaching staff, ownership, players, and fans," said Imholte.
The Rox home opener is Friday, May 30th at 7:05p.m. at Joe Faber Field presented by Coborn’s. The St. Cloud Rox Baseball Club is a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. Playing its 21st season of summer collegiate baseball, the Northwoods League is drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 116 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including MLB All-Stars Max Scherzer (DET), Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYY), Allen Craig (STL) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live and free of charge via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.stcloudrox.com. For Rox season tickets and/or partial ticket plans please call (320) 240-9798.