The Washington Nationals have officially announced the coaching staff for the Fredericksburg Nationals’ 2021 season. The FredNats welcome an entirely new family of coaches for their inaugural season, including Team Manager, Mario Lisson, Pitching Coach, Pat Rice, Hitting Coach, Jorge Mejia, Athletic Trainer, Kirby Craft, and Strength and Conditioning Coach, Ryan Grose.
Lisson joins the FredNats after managing the Gulf Coast League Nationals in 2018 and 2019. Lisson is a former professional baseball player who was signed by the Kansas City Royals as an undrafted free agent in 2002. The infielder then played in the minor leagues for several teams, including stops in the Nationals’ system with Harrisburg and Syracuse. Lisson also played in the Venezuela Winter League for the Leones del Caracas.
Rice is a former MLB pitcher who debuted with the Seattle Mariners in 1991 before transitioning to coaching. He most recently was a pitching coach in the Los Angeles Angels system from 2014 to 2019, spending 2019 with the Salt Lake Bees, the Angels’ Triple-A affiliate. He has also coached in the Mariners’ and San Francisco Giants’ systems. 2021 will be his first season in the Nationals’ organization.
Mejia was previously the hitting coach for the Nationals’ Dominican Summer League team in 2013 and the Gulf Coast League team from 2014-2019.
Craft and Grose are joining the FredNats after previously working together for the Short-Season Single-A Auburn Doubledays in the Washington Nationals organization in 2019.
