Meet Our CNY Team

James Garrett- Director of Baseball Operations

I have played baseball my entire youth life, starting at T-ball and progressing through high school in McMinnville, Tenessee. I was a Junior Varsity and Varsity starting pitcher from 1994-1998. I played three seasons of D1 baseball at Iowa State as a Pitcher, and played for the All Army Select baseball team while I served in the U.S. Army. I have coached multiple teams for the Rawlings Tigers including National 14U and 16U Teams.

I am currently the Director of Player Development for the CNY Rawlings Tigers which is overseen by the Rawlings Tigers and plan to have many years in the Central New York area guiding young athletes to achieve their dreams all while guiding them to be well grounded, and outstanding young men and women. My favorite food is anything Mexican!
 

Peter Pena- Director of Player Development

I  just completed his 8th professional season. I have played in various pro leagues such as the Pecos League & the most prestigious MLB Partner League the American Association. I have accumulated 1,000 professional plate appearances batting .306 with an .893 OPS over that time. I rank 1st all-time in Runners CS, 8th in Doubles, 9th in RBI & 13th in Hits in Pecos History. I attended Cecil College a JUCO in Maryland. There as a Freshman Starter I helped lead the Seahawks to the Region 20 Championship. Sophomore year I was selected to the Maryland JUCO All-Star game. In 2015 I transferred to Mansfield University a Division II institution in PA. My Junior year was derailed by injury however, I bounced back as a Senior to hit .313 7 HRs 8 2Bs and an .888 OPS. I led all Catchers in the PSAC conference in HRs & CS % at 31%. My favorite food is Gourmet Burgers.

Jeff Pierce-Head of Strength and Conditioning 

I hold a Masters of Science in Applied Exercise Science from Concordia University in Chicago. I have been the strength and conditioning coach at Williamston State College, Barton College, and Hamilton College. While at Barton College I received recognition for one of my players being drafted into the MLB. I was the supervisor and advisor on physical performance and optimization of the 7th Engineering Battalion- 10th Mountain division of the US Army. 
 

Joel Manchester- 14 U Manager

I started with the Rawlings Tigers in 2022 after a chance meeting with area director James Garrett.  It was immediately evident that our vision for a local travel baseball program and their styles of player development both on and off the field aligned. I am heavily involved with the Cazenovia Little League. I come from a “baseball town” where my father became heavily involved running the little league for over a decade he learned the dedication it took to run different aspects of a program.  Many hours were spent maintaining fields and helping with different organization.

Kyle Choquette- 12U Manager

 

I played baseball from a young age, including T-ball all the way up through Junior Varsity baseball at Morrisville Eaton High School, where my primary position was catcher. Due to two severe knee injuries that required surgery I was unable to continue my baseball career as an athlete and transitioned to coaching. I have coached since 2018 starting with Cazenovia T-ball and working up through Cazenovia Little League Minors, AAA, Majors, and All-Star Teams. I was also the assistant coach for the Cazenovia 10U team that participated in the Diamond Pioneer League in 2022. I began coaching with the Rawlings Tigers in 2023 when I managed the 11U team. I am currently the Cazenovia Majors Little League Coach and the Manager for the 11U CNY Rawlings Tigers. I believe in providing well rounded coaching that includes being a good person, having a positive attitude, and learning from our mistakes. My favorite food is pizza!