‘Third time’s a charm’: Ramon Borrego wants title in third year with Wichita Wind Surge
The only manager the Wichita Wind Surge has ever known is back for another summer, as Ramon Borrego was announced as the club’s head coach for the third straight season on Thursday.
Since returning to the Minor League Baseball ranks in 2021, Wichita has won 57% of its games (147-110), captured two straight division championships and played for the league title both years under Borrego, who was also named the League Manager of the Year in 2021.
After coming so close to a Texas League championship the last two seasons, Borrego told The Wichita Eagle on Thursday that he is motivated to bring home the title this summer.
The 2023 season begins for the Wind Surge with a road series in Springfield, Mo., on April 6. The home-opener at Riverfront Stadium is slated for April 11 against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.
“I’m very excited to be coming back to Wichita,” Borrego said. “Wichita is like my home now, so I’m really excited to go back and I think I have a lot of stuff to do there. We’ve been to two finals, so the third time’s a charm, right? That’s my goal right now and I’m excited to build a really good team and bring the title back to Wichita.”
The Minnesota Twins also finalized the rest of the coaching staff for their Double-A affiliate under Borrego, who is entering his 14th season with the organization.
Pitching coach Dan Urbina is back in Wichita after successfully guiding the Wind Surge’s pitching staff to a league-best ERA in 2022. He will be joined by fellow pitching coach D.J. Engle, who enters his third year with the Twins after spending last season with the Twins’ Dominican Summer League team.
After Derek Shomon, last year’s hitting coach, earned a big-league promotion to the Twins, the organization has promoted Shawn Schlechter to serve as Wichita’s hitting coach after spending last season with the Twins’ Single-A affiliate in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Takashi Miyoshi, entering his sixth year with the organization, has been promoted to Wichita’s bench coach after spending last season with the Twins’ Class-A affiliate in Fort Myers, Fla. He was named the 2021 Florida Coast League Manager of the Year.
The rest of the support staff includes athletic trainers Tyler Blair and Katie Lortie, strength and conditioning coach Jacob Needham and coordinator of baseball technology Chase Carder.
“Our mindset is going to be to win the championship,” Borrego said. “It’s always exciting for me when I get a new staff. I was so happy for (Shomon) to get promoted to the big leagues and whenever that happens, you know you’re going to get new faces. I haven’t met those guys yet, but I’m excited to meet them in spring training and get to work.”
This story was originally published January 19, 2023 at 11:36 AM.
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