Double-A Affiliate
Hunter enters his seventh season with the Shuckers in 2023 and sixth as the team’s General Manager. Prior to joining the Shuckers, he worked 12 seasons for the Appalachian League’s Greeneville Astros and ten as the Assistant General Manager. Previously, Hunter served as the Director of Marketing and Media Relations for the Astros during 2006 and worked as an operations assistant during the 2005 season. Hunter’s experience also included the classroom, serving as adjunct faculty at East Tennessee State University, teaching sports marketing and public relations courses.
Hunter received his B.S. (2001) and M.A. (2005) in Sport Management from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. He was active in the community and served as the President of the Kiwanis Club of Greeneville and is part a member of the club here in Biloxi. He is also part of the Gulf Coast Business Council and Emerging Executive Initiative. Hunter and his wife Sabrina are both natives of east Tennessee and proud parents to their daughter, Delaney. The Reed family lives in Ocean Springs.
Trevor begins his ninth season with the Shuckers in 2023 and his sixth as Assistant General Manager. In his first three seasons with the Shuckers, Trevor served as the Director of Stadium Operations. Prior to the Shuckers, Trevor served as the Stadium Operations Assistant with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He also spent a year with the Kansas City T-Bones of the American Association.
Trevor graduated from the University of Saint Mary with a Sport Management degree and is originally from Alton, Illinois. In his free time, he enjoys watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball and Blues hockey.
Pam comes to Biloxi from Sarasota, FL where she worked as the VP of Accounting in the Property Management business. Pam graduated from Vincennes University in Indiana with a degree in Accounting and Business Administration. Her love of baseball started with being a Chicago White Sox fan from a young age, and her three daughters played fast pitch softball for the Sarasota Obsessed that her and her husband, Carl, coached and managed. Pam's children are grown now and she is blessed to be the grandparent of Wesley, Jade, Bella and Camden, which are now her obsession.
2023 will be Johnny’s third season with the Shuckers as the Ticket Operations Coordinator. Before coming to Biloxi, Johnny worked for the Fort Myers Miracle (now known as the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels) as a game day box office seller and the Rocky Mountain Vibes as the assistant box office and merchandise manager. He also worked at the Baltimore Orioles Spring Training site as the box office supervisor and at the Minnesota Twins Spring Training site as the game day operations assistant.
A 2018 graduate of Florida Gulf Coast University with a B.S. in sport management, Johnny studied abroad in Auckland, New Zealand for half a year learning about the differences between how sports are/perceived in New Zealand and the US. In his free time, Johnny likes to “attempt” to play golf, travel the world and visit all different sporting events throughout the country.
His favorite teams are the Chicago Cubs, LA Lakers (more specifically whatever team Lebron James is on), and the Denver Broncos.
Chris begins his second year with the Shuckers organization as the Corporate Partnerships Coordinator.
Prior to his time on the coast, Pharis served as the Assistant Director of Athletic Communications at West Virginia University. At West Virginia, Pharis was the primary media contact for the WVU women’s soccer and wrestling teams. Additionally, he assisted in the communication and promotion efforts of the Mountaineer football program.
Pharis has also served as the Assistant Director of Media Relations at USA Baseball, where he led all communication efforts for the 12U, 15U, and 18U Baseball National Teams. He was the primary media contact for the record-breaking 18U National Team at the 2018 COPABE Pan-American Championships and the 12U National Team at the 2019 WBSC U-12 World Cup. Pharis also oversaw all publicity efforts for USA Baseball’s identification events, including the National Team Championships in Arizona and Florida and the Futures Invitational.
The Mill Creek, West Virginia, native graduated from WVU in 2016 with a Bachelors degree in sport management and minors in business administration and communication studies. He obtained his master’s degree in communication studies with an emphasis in corporate and organizational communication from West Virginia University in 2018.
2023 is Zachary's second season with the Shuckers. He graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a B.A. in Communications and a minor in Spanish in December 2021. Born and raised in Biloxi, Mississippi, Zachary has spent time in New York City working for multiple fashion houses as a design intern. His favorite sports teams are the Atlanta Braves, the New Orleans Saints, and whoever Odell Beckham Jr. is playing for. In his free time, he enjoys designing clothes, painting, watching sports, and going to concerts with his friends.
Mason enters his second year with the Shuckers after joining the front office as an Account Executive for the 2022 season. He is a 2021 graduate of Central Michigan University with a B.A. in Sports Management and a Minor in Business Administration. Originally from Fowler, Michigan, Mason enjoys watching sports and spending time outdoors in his free time. He's a fan of the Michigan Wolverines, Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions.
Macon joins the Shuckers staff in 2022 as an Account Executive after working as a Sales Trainee. Macon graduated from the University of West Florida in May 2022 with a B.A. in Sport Management and a minor in finance.
Originally from Dallas, he enjoys watching sports, the outdoors, and trying new foods. He's a fan of the 2019 Division II champion West Florida Argonauts, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Stars, and Texas Rangers.
Makenzie enters her first season with the Shuckers’ front office as the Marketing & Social Media Coordinator. She completed her academic career at her hometown university, Southern Miss, with a Master of Business Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Sport Security Management in 2022. Makenzie also fulfilled her undergraduate degree with a Bachelor of Liberal Studies and a minor in Marketing from Southern Miss in 2020.
Before joining the Shuckers, Makenzie was a graduate assistant for the Southern Miss College of Business and Economic Development, a Gameday Property Assistant for Southern Miss Athletics and a marketing coordinator for Word Out Digital Marketing. Her professional passions revolve around digital content, specifically digital media and communications.
Outside of the office, Makenzie loves coffee, reading, listening to podcasts and cheering on the Packers, Nets and 76ers.
Dani continues with the Shuckers as a Marketing Consultant for the 2023 season. Prior to joining the Shuckers, Dani served as Administrative Marketing Coordinator at The McCaughan Company Real Estate in Brandon, MS, where she managed and implemented the company’s marketing plan. She also spent two years as the Director of Operations at Thimblepress Design & Letterpress in Jackson, MS. Dani’s marketing background includes serving as the Development and Services Coordinator for the Arthritis Foundation and Marketing and IONM Technician for NeuroProtective Services, both located in Jackson, MS. This is not Dani’s first experience in baseball, as she worked for the Mississippi Braves during their second season in 2006 in Sales & Community Relations.
Dani graduated from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing and minor in graphic design, and went on to pursue and receive a Master of Business Administration. She is originally from Brandon, MS. In her free time, Dani enjoys spending time with her husband Neil, their daughter, Louise, and goldendoodle, Leroy.
David joined the Shuckers in the fall of 2022. He has previously worked for several non-profits along with being involved with the Great New Orleans Sports Foundation. Born in Mobile and raised in New Orleans, David has spent most of his life on the Gulf Coast, playing baseball at Mississippi College before moving into a student assistant role.
A published songwriter and festival performer, David is a fan of good country music, strong coffee, spending time with family and friends and trips to the Smoky and Appalachian Mountains. He is a fan of ALL University of Alabama athletics, the Chicago Cubs, and motorsports, but especially enjoys college baseball and basketball.
Daniel starts his second year with the Shuckers as the Ballpark Entertainment Manager. He has previous experience at the Double-A level in baseball at the Altoona Curve, where he worked in production for six seasons. He also worked with television stations in Pennsylvania producing live sports, like football and basketball.
Daniel graduated from Full Sail University in 2017 with a Bachelors of Science in the field of Graphic Design. He attributes his choice in career path and education to the Altoona Curve for giving him his start in sports in 2014.
Javik enters his first season with the Shuckers as the Media Relations contact and Broadcaster. Blake will serve as the “Voice of the Shuckers” for all 138 games during the 2023 season. He also will direct all media relations efforts, including game notes, press releases, stat packs, credentials and the 2023 Shuckers media guide.
Prior to joining the Shuckers, Blake served as the Broadcaster and Director of Media Relations for the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders in the Northwoods League where he spearheaded all game notes, press releases, the creation of the first-ever Dock Spiders media guide and the first virtual press box in the league. Blake’s previous stops have included two years with the High Point Rockers in the independent Atlantic League and two years with the Wareham Gatemen in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
The Norton, Massachusetts native graduated from Elon University in North Carolina in January of 2023 with a degree in journalism. During his time at Elon, Blake was a part of the broadcast teams for Elon Phoenix baseball, men’s and women’s basketball and men’s and women’s soccer on Learfield, Elon Sports Vision and WSOE 89.3FM.
Outside the ballpark, Blake enjoys cooking, listening to music and watching any baseball he can.
Shea starts this year with the Shuckers as the Promotions Assistant. Her love for baseball started watching the Atlanta Braves, and in 2019 she started as game day promotions for the Shuckers. Growing up, she always played sports including soccer and basketball.
Shea is currently obtaining her Bachelors Degree in Business Administration at the University of Southern Mississippi with her associates in Business, Marketing, and Management through Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. She is a huge New Orleans Saints fan as well. In her free time, Shea loves to watch sports, dance, go to concerts, travel, and spend time with her dog.
Joshua starts this year with the Shuckers as a Creative Services Trainee. His passion for design started at a young age, when he saw the opportunities and creativity it had to offer. Growing up, he played multiple sports including football, tennis, and baseball.
Joshua is currently obtaining his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Southern Mississippi with an Associates Degree in Business Administration. He is a huge Phoenix Suns fan, mainly Devin Booker, and the NBA as a whole. In his free time, Joshua enjoys watching sports, concerts, the beach, and spending time with his girlfriend and family.
2023 will be Veronica's second season with the Shuckers. Prior to coming to the Shuckers she interned at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium (Spring Training site for the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals) and Coca-Cola park (home of the Triple-A affiliate for the Philadelphia Phillies) as part of their merchandise team. She then moved on to become the Team Store Manager for the Kansas City Mavericks, the ECHL affiliate of the Calgary Flames.
Veronica Graduated from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania with a B.S in Sport Management and minor in Business Management in 2019 and an M.S. in Sport Management in 2021. In her free time she enjoys reading, cooking, and watching Whelen Modified races. Her favorite sports teams to follow are the New York Mets, Washington Capitals, Cincinnati Bengals, Boston Celtics, and the Philadelphia Union.
Michael enters his first season with the Shuckers as the General Manager of OVG360. Prior to joining the Shuckers and relocating to Biloxi, Hawks lived in Washington state as an Area Supervisor with McDonald’s. After starting his career as a crew member, Hawks spent over 20 years with McDonald’s and worked his way up to becoming an Area Supervisor over his final years with the company, running several different locations.
Outside of the ballpark, Michael enjoys rooting for every Seattle sports team and spending time with Kasi, his wife of 16 years, their four kids; Tori, Jayden, Dylan and Carter, their four cats and their dog.
Debbie enters her third season with the Shuckers, moving to the Office Manager for OVG360 in 2023. She spent the previous seven years as Office Manager for Spectra Food Services at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center and has spent the summer months at MGM Park each of the prior four years. Overall, she has 30 years of experience as a Regional Human Resource Manager and General Manager in the Hotel, Food and Hospitality Industry.
She was born in Atlanta, GA and graduated from the University of Alabama in Birmingham. Debbie has two sons, Jeremy and Jason, and a beautiful granddaughter, Alanna, who live in Birmingham.
Chef Edwin Medina Miranda begins his first full season with the Shuckers and second overall in 2022. He was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico and started in the restaurant industry at 17 as a dishwasher. He worked his way up the ranks until he was promoted to Sous Chef. He ultimately moved to Florida and started in the hotel industry while in the meantime studying to complete a culinary degree.
Chef Edwin graduated with honors from the Orlando Culinary Academy and worked with Master Chef Russell Scott at Ilseworth Country Club. He was a Junior Sous Chef for celebrity chef Todd English at his fine dining restaurant, Blue Zoo, at the Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Disney World Orlando. Chef Edwin has also worked various food and wine events with celebrity chef Michael Mina from Miami.
He became the Executive chef for Spectra in 2021 and has worked throughout his career in fine dining restaurants, banquet kitchens, private functions and helped with Catered events. He is the proud father of two wonderful kids, one boy and one girl.
Born on Deer Island on June 6, 2015, was a seagull named Schooner. Schooner was a bird that loved MGM Park.His first ever flying experience was an event at MGM Park. He and his family constantly flew over the ballpark during games, watching the Shuckers win in exciting fashion.
Schooner became friends with the members of the Biloxi Shuckers front office staff and expressed his concerns with the team. He said he couldn't always fly over to inspire comebacks. Following his talk with the staff, Schooner began vigorous training all over the Mississippi Gulf Coast to become the Shuckers official mascot; he never wanted to miss a home game again!
Schooner starts each and every day with a balanced breakfast of blue wahoo and biscuits before taking on the most fun job in baseball, hanging out with his favorite fans to cheer on the team and dancing with his Schooners squad!
