DiCenzo again set to manage in ’21

Greg DiCenzo is officially back as Captains manager.

The longtime Division I college baseball coach at Holy Cross was in line to be the skipper of the Captains in 2020, but all of Minor League Baseball was shut down because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Indians made DiCenzo’s appointment official Feb. 22.

The Captains are now the High Single-A affiliate of the Indians following years of being the franchise’s low Single-A team. They will compete in the High-A Central League.

DiCenzo spent 12 seasons at Holy Cross and had 10 seasons of at least 20 victories. In 2017, he guided the program to its first Patriot League championship.

Despite the 2020 season being shut down, DiCenzo remained with the Indians’ organization and helped instruct the team’s minor-leaguers during virtual coaching sessions. He also had coaching stints at Northeastern University, with the Falmouth Commodores of the Cape Cod League and at his alma mater, St. Lawrence University.

The Indians also announced DiCenzo’s coaching staff at Lake County:

• Pitching coach Kevin Erminio, who coached at the college level from 1992 to 2019 — most recently at Kennesaw State.

• Hitting coach Grant Fink, who enters his fifth year with the organization. Fink was a former Captains infielder in 2014 and 2015 and the hitting coach for Mahoning Valley in 2019.

• Bench coach Jordan Smith, who served in the same role with the Captains in 2019. He was a Captains outfielder in 2012, when he led the team with a .316 batting average and 74 RBI.

• Matt Beauregard will serve as the team’s athletic trainer and Trent Kaltenbach as the strength and conditioning coordinator.