Santiago, a native of Blue Island, Illinois, is the latest to join the Arizona Winter League coaching staff. While new the AWL, Santiago will find a familiar face when he joins Greg Tagert, whose staff he was a part of for three seasons with the Gary Southshore Railcats. During his tenure with the Railcats, he served as an Assistant Coach and First Base Coach, and was along for their run to the American Association Championship 2013.

Santiago actually started his coaching career back in 2002 when he served as an assistant coach with the Lewis University Flyers in Illinois. After a year, he moved on to Moraine Valley Community College where he served as the Pitching Coach for the Cyclones. During his days in Moraine Valley, the team finished with a 30 win season for the first time in school history and won the Region 4 Sectional Championship. He followed that up with a stint as the Pitching Coach for Olive Harvey City College, where the team also had its first regional win since 2000.

Following Olive Harvey, Santiago was awarded the Associate Head Coach and Hitting Coach position with Robert Morris University, and was part of a team that won the CCAC Conference Championship.

Santiago then moved on to the Independent Leagues where he was hired on as a Bullpen Coach by the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League. He later served as a Bench coach and 1B coach. The team claimed the Frontier League Championship during the 2008 season. He also served as the Spring Pitching Coach for Dominican University during the off-season.

In 2011 he joined Tagert and the Railcats and served as an assistant coach and 1B coach. During the Railcats’ off-season, he served as an Assistant Head Coach at Robert Morris University in 2012, and the Head Baseball Coach at Olive Harvey City College, where he had previously coached in 2007/2008.

Santiago also served as the Pitching Coach for the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League for two seasons following his Railcats run.

In December of 2016, Santiago was named as the Manager of the Old Orchard Beach Surge of the Empire League in 2017.

This will be Pascual’s first time at the Arizona Winter League and he will serve as a general instructor as he has spent time as both a pitching coach and hitting coach. He will also be looking for talent while representing the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League.