New Reno Aces manager Jeff Gardner watches his team’s workout on Wednesday.
The boys of summer are back in downtown Reno, looking to improve on a season that ended with the Reno Aces competing for the Pacific Coast League title.
The Aces begin the 2025 season with a three-game weekend series in Las Vegas. They will return to Greater Nevada Field for Tuesday’s 2 p.m. home opener — and five more games — against Tacoma.
Last year’s opening day game was a sellout.
The Aces had a successful 2024 season, finishing with a 79-70 league record. Sugar Land, though, swept Reno in the best-of-3 PCL championship series.
With new faces and a handful of players returning to Reno, first-year manager Jeff Gardner is ready to lead the Aces to another winning season. He will be assisted by returning pitching coaches Jeff Bajenaru and Doug Drabek.
Last year’s manager, Blake Lalli, departed to the Florida Marlins as their third-base coach.
Other Reno coaches include bench coach Shawn Roof, hitting coach Terrmel Sledge and third-base coach Jaime Del Valle.
“I’m looking to bring a leadership of trying to get these guys to the next level,” he said. “Winning baseball to me is the ability to execute whatever the situation is asking for.”
NEW MANAGER
This will be Gardner’s first year managing in the Diamondbacks’ organization; he replaces Blake Lalli. Prior to coming to Reno, he was the quality control coordinator for three years with Arizona.
Gardner said the Diamondbacks are loaded with talent this season, and he hopes to see that reflected in the Aces. According to Gardner, Arizona is strong in pitching, and he could see the effects of that trickle down to Reno. He said the starting pitching is fantastic, and that can be attributed to the tenure of Bajenaru and Drabek.
Bejenaru, who won a World Series ring in 2005 with the Chicago White Sox, has been in the Diamondbacks’ system for 15 years, five of those in Reno.
Drabek returns to Reno for his fourth year as a pitching coach and 15th year with the Diamondbacks’ organization. Both Bejenaru and Drabek worked with the young hurlers and saw the pitching corps win the most regular-season games since the franchise has been in Reno. Drabek won 155 games as a pitcher and was named the Cy Young award winner in 1990.
“They pitched well in spring training,” he said of the Aces’ pitching staff, but he also issued the inevitable news about the time they spend in one city. “In Triple-A, you never know how long they will be here.”
Last year’s bullpen and starting pitchers led the Aces to 44 second-half wins, and since 2022, Reno has won 252 games.
David Calvert/Reno Aces
Aces infielder Jordan Lawlar gets in some time in the cage at Greater Nevada Field on Wednesday.
LEARNING PROCESS
As a teacher of the game, Drabek said it’s important for the players to learn as much as they can.
“As far as I can tell, as a group … they get along with each other,” Drabek said. “One thing you go to do is go back and put yourself in their place and try to get to know them individually. Everybody is different.”
Another factor figuring into Drabek’s philosophy is knowing each pitcher’s potential, and Reno’s pitchers will certainly be an experienced crew.
Casey Kelly, Jeff Brigham, Josh Winder, John Curtiss and J.P Feyereisen are joining Scott McCough, who resigned. Winder, though, will miss the season because of elbow surgery. Drey Jameson and Kyle Nelson have both returned to the Aces from serious injuries. Right-handers Christian Montes De Oca and Kyle Amendt will add to the pitching depth.
According to the Aces, nine projected relievers have pitched in the majors, with Curtiss, McGough, Brigham, Kelly, Feyereisen, and Miller all exceeding 90 or more innings pitched. Gardner is anxious to showcase the team on opening day and the team’s overall strength. He said the challenge is plugging players into the lineup.
“It makes it difficult at times,” he said of the starting nine players. We only have nine positions, and we have more than nine good players. Yes, this is a good problem to have, but it gets tricky at times. We’re going to field nine good players out there.”
THE LINEUP
Gardner said infielder Trey Mancini will be fun to watch, and Tristan English, who has hit 33 home runs since 2023, is ready to play where needed, either in the infield or outfield. Overall, Gardner said the defense will be exceptional. At shortstop, he singled out Jordan Lawlar.
“He’s a very exciting player,” Gardner said, “He can do some amazing things. He’s an incredible athlete. His defense improves every single day.”
The 23-year-old Lawlar agrees. He said spring training was great, and he was counting down the days in Arizona.
“We’re ready to get out there as a team,” he said, adding that he’s 100% healthy. “I’m ready to go.”
Lawlar hit.362 last year with seven home runs in 28 games for Reno.
Gardner said he’s pleased to have the 33-year-old Mancini back. Mancini didn’t play in 2024 due to injuries, but he has the potential to slam pitches out of the park.
“He’s fantastic. His body is good. He’s swinging the bat great,” Gardner said. “I really expected him not to skip a beat. Not only will he provide defense for us, but he has some leadership qualities … the guys look up to him.”
Mancini, who can play shortstop or third base, thought he was going to retire last year.
“I said to myself, ‘If there’s any part of me to have a doubt — if I could still play — I’ll go back and give it another shot,’” he said. “I came to the conclusion I would.”
Mancini said he’s thankful the Diamondbacks gave him the opportunity to return and to earn his way back to the big leagues.
“I feel great, and I played a lot of pickleball last year and stayed in shape and worked out in the offseason.”
Returning player Tim Tawa is on Gardner’s radar. During last season, Tawa improved with his bat, and to his manager, that’s a huge plus. After last year’s season with Reno, the Diamondbacks added him to their 40-man roster. He hit .717 in the second half of last season, and overall for the season, he belted 31 home runs.
Tawa said the team has a great group of players and a new coaching staff.
“We have a lot of guys with experience,” he said. “The energy (here) is great for team success.”