GENEVA, Ill. – The Kane County Cougars announced the hiring of Kerry Ligtenberg as pitching coach and Ole Sheldon as hitting coach. Ligtenberg and Sheldon join the Cougars after previously coaching alongside Kane County Cougars’ Manager George Tsamis at the St. Paul Saints.

“I am very happy to have Kerry and Ole with us,” said Tsamis. “We have all been together for many years and they understand the league and really want to win.”

Ligtenberg begins his first season with the Cougars after serving as the pitching coach for the Saints for the last nine seasons. A former Major League closer, Ligtenberg played for the Atlanta Braves from 1997-2002 and boasted a 3.06 ERA over five seasons. In 1998, Ligtenberg had his best professional season as he saved 30 games for the Braves and posted a 2.71 ERA, striking out 79 batters in 73 innings pitched and helping Atlanta reach the NLCS. In his career, Ligtenberg also pitched for the Baltimore Orioles (2003), Toronto Blue Jays (2004) and the Arizona Diamondbacks (2005). Ligtenberg last pitched professionally for the Saints in 2009.

Sheldon also begins his first season with the Cougars after serving as the hitting coach for the Saints for the last seven seasons. Sheldon had a successful career in the minor leagues, highlighted by five seasons playing for the Saints under Tsamis. During his time with the Saints from 2009-2013, the first basemen played 355 games, batted .300 and tallied 67 homeruns and 271 RBI. Sheldon was drafted by the Houston Astros in the 14th round of the 2004 MLB Draft out of the University of Oklahoma.

The Cougars open the 2021 season on May 18 at beautiful Northwestern Medicine Field. Tickets will go on sale April 8. Follow the Cougars on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for updates and more information regarding tickets and promotions for the upcoming season.

About the Kane County Cougars

The Kane County Cougars have been at the forefront of family-friendly entertainment since 1991. In 2015, the franchise became the first Class-A team in Minor League Baseball history to welcome 11 million fans through the gates. A total of 171 former Cougars have reached the Major Leagues including Miguel Cabrera, Nelson Cruz, Josh Beckett, Adrian Gonzalez and Kyle Schwarber.

By Kane County Cougars Staff