Kenny Diaz
  • Class of 2016
  • Hurst, TX

Kenny Diaz Gains Management Internship with Texas Rangers Organization

2015 Jun 2

Kenny Diaz of Hurst , TX, has been awarded a rare summer management position with the Texas Rangers Organization. Diaz said this internship did not come to him easily, as he was up against more than 1,000 applicants for the position. He has been assigned to the Double-A professional baseball Frisco RoughRiders, in Frisco, TX, as Director of Baseball Operations.

In this important role, Diaz deals with players all day, every day, with a variety of duties that include letting them know who is getting called up to Triple-A or called down to Single-A, setting up autograph appearances, and arranging the travel itinerary for the team on the road.

"I am loving every second of it," said Diaz. "Definitely an awesome opportunity to get me started in the professional sports field."

The home field of the RoughRiders is Frisco's Dr. Pepper Ballpark, named best new ballpark in baseball when it opened in 2003, and in 2009 declared the fifth-best ballpark in Minor League Baseball, and second best among all Double-A clubs.

Diaz has demonstrated strong leadership ability on the KWU campus, serving as 2014-15 student body president and re-elected for 2015-16, 2014 team captain and defensive back for Coyotes football, and resident assistant. He has been active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He also headed up the 10th annual KWU Project HERO (Helping Everyone Reach Out) spring clean-up volunteer project on April 19, involving about 200 Kansas Wesleyan students, faculty and staff volunteers.

Diaz also gained management experience last summer in a paid executive internship position with Target. He represented district leadership, with authority over store managers and their operations, coaching staff and assuring they were meeting customer service and sales goals.