The Palm Beach Blazers are pleased to announce the hiring of Head Coach AJ Reyes for the 2015 season.  Reyes, a former NCAA Division 1 pitcher and native of Cape Coral, Florida was selected after the organization interviewed several other highly qualified candidates.  “It’s an honor that I was selected to manage in the SFCBL (South Florida Collegiate Baseball League) this summer.  As a former college pitcher, I have a great understanding of what these players are looking to gain out of their summer experience and I am excited to be able to pass on my knowledge of the game to them”, said Reyes.  Reyes and SFCBL President Vince Farfaglia were also teammates their sophomore year at Polk State College (NJCAA) in Winter Haven, Florida.  “AJ will be an excellent asset and source for the Palm Beach Blazer players.  As a former teammate of mine I know firsthand his knowledge and experience of the game.  Our players will benefit, learn and develop with him this summer which is our goal as an organization.  As a pitcher, Reyes played with the Amsterdam Mohawks in the NYCBL (New York Collegiate Baseball League) and won the NYCBL Championship in 2009.  “The summer for college players can be a grind; guys aren’t used of playing games every single day.  It’s important that these players not only develop on a skill level, but also develop on a physical level.  It’s great that our players are going to have access to Coach Icsman (Strength Coach) and Dr. Andrew (Team Doctor).  Together all three of us will be able to make sure that our players are getting everything they need to be successful this summer”.

The Blazers play their first regular season game on Wednesday June 3^rd and their full schedule will be announced the first week of March.   Here is AJ’s full bio below:

 In his first season as manager of the Palm Beach Blazers, AJ Reyes graduated from Mariner High School where he was teammates with current Seattle Mariners catcher Mike Zunino and current Kansas City Royals pitcher Casey Coleman.  After Reyes graduated from Mariner, he went on to pitch two years at Polk State College under former NY Yankees Scouting Supervisor Joe Arnold.  After his sophomore season, AJ was a part of the 2009 Amsterdam Mohawks NYCBL Championship team.  In his final two years Reyes pitched at Chicago State University (NCAA Division 1) where he was a starter.  For the past three years, Reyes has been the pitching coach at Mariner High School in Cape Coral, Florida where he has led them to a district runner up and district championship in his first two seasons.  His pitching staff also set a school record for team ERA as well as individual record for ERA with a team ERA of 1.50.  Reyes is also a scout with Perfect Game baseball and USA Baseball for the past 2 years identifying prospects for the amateur National Team.  AJ currently resides in Cape Coaral, FL and is a native of Cape Coral, Florida.