GARY, Ind. – The second player in the history of the Gary SouthShore RailCats to play in the major leagues after a stint in Northwest Indiana, former outfielder Nathan Haynes has been named Hitting Coach for the Orem Owlz, the Rookie Ball affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Haynes, 31, joined the RailCats for just 31 games in 2006 but put up solid numbers during his time at U. S. Steel Yard, smacking five homers and 17 RBI while posting an impressive .447 slugging percentage. The Oakland, Calif. native’s contract was purchased by the Angels before the all-star break.

A first round draft choice of the Oakland Athletics in the 1997 amateur draft, Haynes made his major league debut with the Angels on May 28, 2007 and also spent part of 2008 in the big leagues with the Tampa Bay Rays. Haynes retired in 2009 shortly after accepting a spring training invitation from the Texas Rangers. A veteran of twelve seasons in professional baseball, Haynes boasts a career .279 minor league batting average including over 900 hits and 499 runs scored.

Fan Fest 2011 is right around the corner and the RailCats will be hosting minor league baseball’s premier fan event for the third consecutive season on February 5 at the Radisson Hotel in Merrillville, Ind. For more information or to purchase tickets simply call the RailCats at 219.882.2255 or visit www.railcatsbaseball.com.