COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Colorado Colorado Springs baseball head coach Dave Hajek is set to make a return to his minor league roots as he is named the new manager of the Rocky Mountain Vibes. Maintaining his role as head coach of the Mountain Lions, Hajek will be joined by UCCS Baseball Assistant Coach Mark Lee who will serve as the pitching coach for the Vibes.

"Over the past months, it has been exciting to look at this opportunity for Coach Hajek as it truly will benefit UCCS Baseball, the Vibes, as well as Colorado Springs Baseball," stated Executive Director of UCCS Athletics Nathan Gibson. "Coach Hajek's focus will continue to be building the UCCS Baseball program with the goal of competing for championships and developing young men through their college experience. However, given the changes to the Vibes and our continued collaboration and partnership with them, it is exciting for Coach and the others from the UCCS Baseball program to be involved in his new direction for the Vibes."

The Vibes enter their third season as a franchise and prepare to compete in their first season as part of the MLB Partnership Pioneer League. Prior to the Helena Brewers move to Colorado Springs to become the Vibes in 2018, Hajek played for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox back in 1999 where he later would become a hitting coach for the Sky Sox in 2013 and 2014. Now serving as the manager of the Vibes, Hajek finds his way back into professional baseball in the Colorado Springs community.

"I am truly blessed and fortunate to be able to have this opportunity to manage the Rocky Mountain Vibes in 2021," said Hajek. "To be able to coach baseball at one of the best universities in Colorado and combining that with managing a pro franchise in the same city, it's an almost unheard of opportunity. I have a long history with the Vibes/Sky Sox franchise both as a player and coach, and I am very excited to help assemble a championship coaching staff and team in this new era of Vibes Baseball. I am also thrilled to bring our current UCCS pitching coach Mark Lee, who is also a former member of the Sky Sox organization, along with me on this opportunity as the pitching coach for the Vibes in 2021."

A former Major League pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Baltimore Orioles, Lee pitched for the Sky Sox in 1997 as a member of the Colorado Rockies organization. Also maintaining his role with UCCS Baseball, Lee heads into his fifth season with the Mountain Lions.

"I've been fortunate to have the opportunity to help Dave build a high-level college program in the Colorado Springs community at UCCS. The commitment of UCCS in wanting to build an elite program was proven by bringing in a strong leading coach such as Dave to guide talented groups of student-athletes. I am now even more excited to continue to be a part of building a quality program at the professional level in my home community for the Vibes organization."

The Rocky Mountain Vibes played their inaugural season in 2019 after spending 30 years as the Colorado Springs Sky Sox. While the 2020 season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Vibes were still able to offer fans safe and affordable opportunities to experience the ballpark. Now joining the MLB Partnership Pioneer League, the Vibes will look to the 2021 season as a stepping-stone for continued success for years to come. 

The Mountain Lions are slated to begin their 2021 season at home with a four-game series against Montana State University Billings on Thursday, Mar. 4 at 2 p.m. inside Mountain Lion Park.