SALINA, KS – The Salina Sliders are pleased to announce Salina native Dakota Hogan as their field manager for the 2027 season. He served as an assistant on the Sliders staff last season.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to become the next Sliders Field Manager,” said Hogan. “After serving as an assistant coach with the organization last year, I’m grateful to be back and have the chance to take on this role. I’m looking forward to getting to work, developing our players, building a great team culture, and making this a season we can all be proud of.”

Hogan was a four-year letter winner and team captain at Salina Central High School before continuing his playing career at Highland Community College where he again served as a team captain in his two seasons. 

He has significantly impacted Salina’s baseball community coaching the Salina Spikes 2026 team to an overall record of 111-26 and achieved a 30-2 record as Head Coach during the summer of 2026, while also helping the Spikes organization achieve a 100% college commitment rate. 

“We are extremely excited to announce Dakota as our field manager for the 2027 season,” said Sliders General Manager, Jacob Simpson. “Dakota has a deep baseball background and strong ties to the Salina community, stemming from his playing days with the Salina Spikes and his successful high school and college career here in the state of Kansas.”

“He’s a young and upcoming coach who has an early track record of success leading the 2026 Salina Spikes team to an amazing record and proving as a top assistant in the DBL last season for the Sliders. We are confident Coach Hogan is the perfect guy to lead and develop our young men as they continue to chase their dreams of playing professional baseball.” 

Hogan currently serves as an assistant coach at Missouri State University–West Plains. With experience as both a player and coach at multiple levels, Hogan brings a strong background in player development and a passion for helping athletes reach their goals. 

The Sliders were founding members of the Diamond Baseball League (DBL) which recently completed it’s first season of play. The DBL is a top tier collegiate summer baseball league focusing on providing an experience that mirrors the fun of a minor league baseball event for fans, sponsors, and players.

SALINA, KS – The Diamond Baseball League is pleased to announce that Kansas native Ben Castleberry has been named General Manager of the Salina Sliders (www.salinasliders.com).

Ben is a native of Herington and comes to lead the Sliders after having spent the past 10+ years as President of Operations for B.C. Motors. He has a B.A. from Wichita State University in Sports Management and served on the statistical analytics team supporting the baseball and softball programs.

“I am very excited to be leading the Sliders organization,” stated Castleberry. “We have an exciting summer planned with quality baseball and entertainment at Dean Evans Stadium. We are looking forward to becoming a top family attraction for Salina residents in the summer.”

Joining Castleberry in the Sliders front office as Director of Ticket Sales is Jacob Simpson. He recently graduated from Kansas Wesleyan University with a degree in Communications and Business Management. Jacob was a four-year baseball player at KW and a member of 4 KCAC Conference Championship teams. He is currently a volunteer at the school in addition to his duties with the Sliders.

The Diamond Baseball League (DBL) is a professional-grade collegiate summer baseball league which will begin play in late May and conclude in early August. The DBL owns all six teams in the league which includes teams in Grand Island and Hastings, Nebraska and Sedalia and Jefferson City, Missouri. The sixth and final team will be announced in the coming days.

The management team of the DBL has over 100 years of combined sports experience, including ownership and operation of collegiate summer, independent professional and minor league teams, and leadership positions in Major League Baseball.

The DBL has entered into a five-year lease agreement with the City of Salina to play at Dean Evans Stadium. The team will be investing in improvements at the Stadium to include concessions upgrades, a premium area behind home plate and a covered area for picnics and groups.