Travs name Nicolas new manager

Cesar Nicolas, coordinator of the Seattle Mariners' Latin American development program, will take over as the Arkansas Travelers' manager this afternoon when the Travs host Midland at Dickey-Stephens Park.

The Travs play Monday at Corpus Christi after today's 2:10 p.m. matchup.

Nicolas, 37, played seven years in the minor league systems of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Detroit Tigers after being taken in the fifth round of the 2004 Major League Baseball Amateur draft out of Vanderbilt.

He also spent time in independent baseball and in the Mexican League before retiring in 2013.

Nicolas, a power-hitting first baseman/third baseman, replaces Mitch Canham, who was introduced as Oregon State's head coach on Friday.

Arkansas clinched the first-half Texas League North title one week ago, and were 42-21 under Canham, who has not managed the team since Wednesday.

Nicolas joined the Mariners' organization in 2016 and served as Canham's hitting coach at low Class-A Clinton, Iowa, in 2016.

Nicolas spent the next two seasons as manager of the Mariners' team in the Dominican Summer League, posting a 70-72 record.

Sports on 06/16/2019

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