Mississippi Mud Monsters announces first-ever manager

PEARL, Miss. (WLBT) – The Mississippi Mud Monsters have announced its first coach ahead of the state’s newest professional team’s inaugural season at Trustmark Park.

On Monday, former professional baseball player and experienced coach Jay Pecci was announced as the club’s Field Manager.

“I am thrilled to join the Mississippi Mud Monsters organization and take on this exciting opportunity,” said Pecci. “Mississippi has a passionate sports community, and I look forward to helping build a winning culture that fans can be proud of. My goal is to foster a team that competes at a high level while staying deeply connected to our fans and the community. Together, we’ll make the Mud Monsters a team to remember.”

Pecci was named the 2008 Northern League All-Star MVP and played seven seasons of Minor League Baseball and over a decade of MLB Partner League play. Pecci had the 4th highest batting average (.588) in College World Series history during his collegiate career at Stanford.

As a manager, he has led teams to success, including guiding the Florida Complex League Mets to the best regular season record in 2023.

Pecci has previously served in various coaching roles, including as the Bench Coach for the Syracuse Mets in 2022, and the Bench Coach for the St. Lucie Mets in 2021. He was also the complex coordinator for the Mets in both 2023 and 2024, further solidifying his role as a key leader in developing young talent.

The Mud Monsters will play their inaugural Frontier League game on May 8 at Trustmark Park against the Florence Y’alls.

Click here to view the full schedule.

Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.

Copyright 2025 WLBT. All rights reserved.