Generals Announce 2022 Coaching Staff
The Waynesboro Generals are welcoming back the 2019 Maynard “Mo” Weber Manager of the Year, Zac Cole, for his third season as the head coach in Waynesboro. Cole returns coming off of a 2021 campaign that saw the Generals come up just one series shy of a VBL title.
Cole is a familiar face around the league as he coached the New Market Rebels including a championship run in his third and final year at the helm in 2018. Outside of coaching Cole also played for the Generals during the 2004 season.
Cole is currently the pitching coach at the College of Central Florida in his second season for the Patriots.
Making the trip from the College of Central Florida with Cole will be Jason Rose. Rose is currently the hitting coach for the Patriots in his first season with the program.
Prior to working with the Patriots, Rose spent time working in the Toronto Blue Jays organization including serving as the Video Associate for the Triple-A affiliate Buffalo Bisons in 2019.
Brandon Matthews will also be joining the coaching staff for the 2022 campaign. Matthews returns to Waynesboro after spending the 2019 season as a hitting consultant for the team. He also was on the coaching staff along with Cole for the Rebels 2018 VBL Championship run.
Matthews currently operates Swing Angry LLC which he started in 2017 that is currently located in Aulander, NC.
Justin Barr will join the coaching staff for the 2022 season. Barr is currently attending the University of Akron and is an infielder for the Zips.
Before transferring to Akron, Barr attended Andrew College in Cuthbert, Georgia. While there Barr played under Zac Cole.
The final member of the 2022 coaching staff is Brady Jones. Jones returns to Waynesboro after playing for the Generals last season as a relief pitcher. Jones currently attends East Tennessee State University. The Woodstock, Georgia native is set to graduate with a degree in kinesiology.
The Generals will open the 2022 campaign at home as they host the Staunton Braves on Friday, June 3 at 7 p.m.
Opening Night Win for Gens
After some early offensive struggles, the Gens pushed across 3 huge runs in the 5th inning to take the lead for good in their Opening Night win over Covington.
The Lumberjacks wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. After Waynesboro starter Deven Judy (Gannon University) walked 2 out of his first 3 hitters, Matthew Cocciadiferro drilled a single to right field to bring Pedro Nazario in to score. The lead for the Jacks was at 1-0 after one inning.
Both pitchers had the strikeout pitch working early on. Kristopher Davidson for Covington had six strikeouts in his first four innings, while Judy also struck out six in four innings.
The score stayed the same until the bottom of the 5th. After the first batter of the inning was retired, Jackson Tate (U of Alabama) singled to start things out. After Jackson Greene (Florida St.) was hit by a pitch and Kobe Lopez (Florida International) walked, Nick Neville (South Carolina) hit a bases loaded, two RBI single to left field. On the very next pitch, Joe Kinker (Florida Gulf Coast) singled to right center to drive in Kobe Lopez. The score after 5 complete innings read Waynesboro on top, 3-1.
That’s all reliever Zach Blankenship (Valdosta State) would need. He fired three innings, gave up an unearned run and struck out two to pick up his first win of the season.
The offense would continue to shine in the 6th. Elijah Quiceno (Gannon University) would hit a one-out single to right field. After moving to second on a wild pitch, Quiceno would be brought in to score on a double by Jackson Tate.
Needing an answer, the Lumberjacks would score an unearned run to pull the score back to 4-2. Jeff Taylor tapped a ball back to Blankenship on the mound, who airmailed first base and allowed Taylor to move into second base. Pedro Nazario would then single to center to drive in Taylor.
Unfortunately for Jacks fans, the General offense would continue to tack on runs in the bottom half of the 7th. After Joe Kinker walked to lead off the inning and moved to second on a ground out, Elijah Quiceno would come up with a 2-out single to score Kinker. That brought the score to 5-2 after seven complete innings.
McLain Harris (Young Harris College) would then come in and shut the door with a six out save. Four of the six outs he recorded were via the punch out.
Key Performers for Covington:
- Pedro Nazario: 1-2, 2 BB, R, RBI
- Kristopher Davidson: L (0-1), 5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
Key Performers for Waynesboro:
- Jackson Tate (Alabama): 3-4, 2B, R, RBI, 2 SB
- Elijah Quiceno (Gannon): 2-4, R, RBI
- Deven Judy (Gannon): ND, 4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K
- Zach Blankenship (Valdosta St): W (1-0), 3 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
- McLain Harris (Young Harris Col): SV (1), 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K
Head Coach Zac Cole and his team will be back in action tomorrow night on the road vs. Harrisonburg.
Zac Cole Hired to be New Head Coach of the Waynesboro Generals
Zac Cole has recently been hired to lead the Waynesboro Generals in the summer of 2019. If the name sounds familiar to Valley League Baseball fans, it’s because for the past 3 years Coach Cole has been the Head Coach of the New Market Rebels. If the name sounds familiar to General fans, Cole spent the summer of 2004 playing for the Gens. General Manager Tyler Hoffman feels like the hire couldn’t have been any more perfect. “Zac brings years of experience in collegiate summer baseball and more importantly, in the Valley League,” said Hoffman. “He is a great leader of men and it will be really special to have a General alumnus heading the staff for the summer.”
Zac’s playing days began at Palm Beach Community College in Lake Worth, Florida. There he recorded 7 wins in his sophomore season with 3 complete game shutouts while picking up an honorable mention nod for the Southern Conference. After earning his Associate of Arts degree from Palm Beach, he transferred to Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee. As a weekend starter, Cole would record the lowest ERA on the team and would also be named as a finalist for the 2006 Tennessee Tech University Man of the Year award. He would earn his Bachelor of Business Administration with concentration in Management degree in 2007. After his collegiate career, Cole was signed in 2007 by the Baltimore Orioles. The next year, he found himself in Independent baseball where he would suit up for the Traverse City Beach Bums, Amarillo Dillas, Normal Cornbelters, and finally the Kalamazoo Kings before retiring in 2011 due to injury.
Cole tried his hand at collegiate coaching for the first time in 2011 at the University of Tennessee Martin as the club’s pitching coach. In his time there, the team set a school record for strike outs in 2012 and again in 2013, recorded the lowest ERA over the past 6 years, and pitched their first shut out in 180 games. He would also graduate with his Master’s degree of Business Administration. Cole then spent time at North Florida Christian School as an Assistant Coach while also running and coaching an 18U travel team in the summer where he was the head man.
In the summer of 2016, Cole took over as the Head Coach of the New Market Rebels in the Valley League. The Rebels saw instant success with Cole at the helm. In his first year as the skipper, the team surpassed their win totals and featured 6 All-Stars and a Home Run Derby participant. After his successful job in the summer of 2016, Cole was named the Associate Head Coach at Andrew College, a Division 1 Junior College in Cuthbert, Georgia. Before the summer of 2017, Cole was named to the Assistant Athletic Director position at Andrew College, as well. Zac would continue his hot streak when in the summer of 2017, the Rebels made their first post season in 5 summers. Finally in his 3rd year at the helm, the New Market Rebels won the 2018 Valley Baseball League Championship with a 30-19 record that included a 13-game winning streak that started towards the end of the regular season and lasted throughout the playoffs.
“Coaching the Generals is such a unique opportunity,” said Cole. “The Valley is a special place for me. I’m excited to be back in the town where my brother, my best friend, and myself all played. It’s more an honor than anything, really, to coach this great organization.”
Coach Cole has nothing but the best for the New Market organization. “The Rebels organization was nothing but amazing to me. They gave me the opportunity to be a Head Coach and I can’t thank them enough for that.” Cole had planned on stepping away from summer collegiate baseball, however when Tyler Hoffman reached out to him with a deal too good to pass up, he found his way right back into the Shenandoah Valley.
“With Zac’s years of experience and knowing what it takes to be successful in the Valley League, Zac has proven his ability to manage and bring in quality players and men,” said Hoffman. “We hope he can bring that same excitement to Waynesboro.”
Cole feels that his experience and familiarity with the Valley is a huge advantage and says the goal will always remain the same: “Try to win this thing.”
The 2019 Gens will try to capture its first Valley League Championship since they went back-to-back in 2013 and 2014.
