By Beloit Daily News staff

The Beloit Snappers will have a new look in the dugout next season with
both manager Jeff Smith and pitching coach Steve Mintz moving on in the
Minnesota Twins' minor league organization. They will be replaced by
Nelson Prada and Gary Lucas, respectively, in 2008.

Smith, who led the Snappers to the 2007 Midwest League Western Division
title, accepted a promotion to manage the Fort Myers Miracle in 2008.
Smith, a native of Naples, Fla., will begin his fourth season in the
Twins' organization.

Mintz will be the pitching coach for the Twins' Double A affiliate, the
New Britain Rock Cats. He will start his seventh season in the Twins'
system.

Taking over as manager of the 2008 Snappers will be Prada, a native of
Barquisimeto, Venezuela, who had spent the previous three seasons managing
the Gulf Coast League Twins. Under Prada, the GCL Twins had a combined
91-72 record, including a division title in 2007.

Prada began coaching in the Twins organization after being released as a
player by Minnesota following spring training in 1999. He signed with the
Twins as a non-drafted free agent in 1995 and played four minor league
seasons with a career .247 batting average in 135 games.

Prada's pitching coach will be Lucas, who spent the past two seasons as
the New Britain Rock Cats' pitching coach. He was the Snappers' pitching
coach in 2005 and has been in the Twins' organization since 2000. He
played eight seasons in the minors, going 29-44 with a 3.01 ERA.

Batting coach Rudy Hernandez will return to Beloit for his fourth season.
A native of Maracay, Venezuela, he began coaching in 1996. Trainer Alan
Rail also returns to Beloit in 2008.

NOTES: 2008 season ticket packages are available with plenty of perks to
go along with them. Contact the Snappers at 2301 Skyline Drive, Beloit,
(608) 362-2272 or www.snappersbaseball.com for more information.

Posted: Wednesday, Oct 24, 2007