Meet Our Team
Our coaches are former players, lifelong students of the game, and dedicated mentors who show up every day ready to help athletes reach their potential.
Pedro Hernandez
Pedro brings over 15 years of coaching experience and an elite playing background — Division I baseball at Arkansas State University, five years of professional baseball in Puerto Rico, and professional softball. A certified softball pitching instructor through the PAULY program, he coaches athletes from T-ball through elite competition and currently leads the 12U Bombers softball travel team.
Matt Spann
Matt pitched four years at Columbia Central High School before being drafted in 2010 by the Tampa Bay Rays. He spent seven years in professional baseball — three with the Rays and four with the Washington Nationals. Now he brings pro-level insight to every lesson at Nitro, with an emphasis on fundamentals, arm care, and building confident, resilient pitchers.
Jerry Burdick
Bio coming soon. Contact Jerry directly to schedule a lesson.
Hunter Thomas
Hunter grew up on the ballfield and played baseball through college, spending those same years coaching youth players — an early sign of a calling he'd fully embrace later in life. He went on to compete in softball for over 10 years at multiple levels, building a deep understanding of the game from both sides of the chalk.
In 2021, Hunter began coaching his daughter and something clicked. He fell back in love with youth development all over again — reminded that the greatest impact a coach can have is helping a young athlete build the right habits and love for the game from the very beginning.
What truly sets Hunter apart is 8 years of umpiring experience. He can teach athletes not just how to play — but how to think the game. Understanding the fine details that most players never notice is the kind of edge that separates good athletes from great ones.