Mud Monsters Announce 2026 Coaching Staff After Winning Expansion Season
New voices join returning leaders as the swamp sharpens its edge for Year Two

PEARL, Miss. (February 18, 2026) — After finishing their 2025 expansion season with a 49-47 record and a .510 winning percentage, the Mississippi Mud Monsters are turning the page to Year Two with a coaching staff built to push the momentum forward.

Manager Jay Pecci and Hitting and Outfield Coach Jamie McOwen return to Trustmark Park, while Kurt Takahashi joins as Pitching Coach and Lucas Duffy steps in as Director of Analytics.

Year One proved the Mud Monsters could compete. Year Two is about raising the standard.

Pecci returns after guiding the inaugural club to a winning record in its first season of existence. A former Minor League All-Star and College World Series standout at Stanford, Pecci’s playing career included seven seasons in affiliated baseball with the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and San Francisco Giants organizations, along with additional years in MLB Partner Leagues and overseas. His background as a coach and coordinator within the New York Mets system shaped his reputation for developing disciplined, prepared, and connected clubs.

McOwen also returns after helping establish the team’s offensive identity in 2025. As a player, he authored one of the longest hitting streaks in modern Minor League Baseball history with a 45-game run, earned Australian League Player of the Year honors while leading the Perth Heat to a championship, and captured a Frontier League title as a player. His championship experience and player-first mindset continue to shape the Mud Monsters lineup.

The biggest addition to the staff comes in the form of Pitching Coach Kurt Takahashi.

Takahashi most recently served as manager of the Campesinos de Salem-Keizer, returning to the same community where he once pitched during his professional playing career. Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 1995, he spent multiple seasons in affiliated baseball, including time with the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, before earning two Western Baseball League All-Star selections with the Sonoma County Crushers.

His coaching résumé is equally impressive. From 2016 to 2023, Takahashi revitalized the baseball program at Bradshaw Christian High School in Sacramento, compiling a 127-58 overall record and capturing a NorCal State Championship and Section Championship during the 2021-2022 season. He earned multiple Coach of the Year honors, including statewide recognition for small schools.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome Kurt to the Mud Monsters,” said Pecci. “He brings a tremendous blend of professional playing experience, hands-on coaching success, along with valuable experience managing, which gives him a complete understanding of what it means to lead a pitching staff. He relates exceptionally well with people.”

Adding a modern layer to the staff is Director of Analytics Lucas Duffy.

Duffy joined the Frontier League in 2024 as an analytics intern with the Windy City ThunderBolts before advancing into a leadership role in baseball analytics. A graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with degrees in Statistics and Economics and currently pursuing a Master of Science in Economics, Duffy applies data, probability, and game theory to support player development and in-game strategy.

The 2026 staff reflects the Mud Monsters philosophy: compete relentlessly, develop players intentionally, and blend experience with innovation. The expansion chapter showed the swamp can win. Now the focus turns to building something sustainable.

The 2026 season at Trustmark Park begins May 7 at Trustmark Park against the Gateway Grizzlies. Season tickets, flex plans, and group outings are available now at mudmonstersbaseball.com.

About the Mississippi Mud Monsters
Baseball Lives Here. It Just Got a Little Weirder.
The Mississippi Mud Monsters are a professional baseball team based in Pearl, Mississippi, competing in the Frontier League. Built in the mud and rooted in Mississippi, the Mud Monsters believe baseball should be unapologetically fun, a little weird, wildly welcoming, and deeply tied to the place it calls home. Real baseball. Real people. This is swamp-built, Mississippi-made baseball, where the vibes matter just as much as the final score.