Nolan Gilbert
Founder/Director of Operations
Nolan grew up in a highly competitive athletic environment in Northern Virginia, where he was a three-sport athlete at Annandale High School. He was named a Top-25 All-Metropolitan Area (Washington D.C., Northern Virginia, Maryland) wide receiver in football and earned First-Team All-District honors in baseball as an outfielder, setting the single-season doubles record.
Following high school, he continued his baseball career at the University of Mary Washington (VA) and Montgomery College (MD) before earning a degree in History from George Mason University.
With five years of high school varsity coaching experience and ten years of private instruction, Nolan has worked extensively with pitchers and hitters, helping send over 20 athletes to NCAA programs. His coaching philosophy emphasizes arm care, motor preference, functional movement, and mobility training to optimize performance and longevity. By integrating strength, mechanics, and injury prevention, he helps athletes build a foundation for sustained success on the field.
Casey Peck
Softball Program Manager
Casey played for the Nevada Hotshots, a highly competitive travel ball program that competed across northern Nevada, southern and northern California, Oregon, and Washington. During her high school career, her team qualified for every regional tournament and finished as state runner-up in her senior year. That same season, she earned Second-Team All-Conference honors as an infielder.
She continued her softball career at Sacramento City College, where she played a key role in the team’s Big 8 Conference championship and their run at the State Junior College title in Los Angeles. Her playing career came to an unexpected end when COVID-19 shut down athletics.
After moving to Helena to work as a wildland firefighter for the DNRC, Casey shifted her focus to education and coaching. She is currently pursuing a degree in Elementary Education while serving as an assistant softball coach at Capital High School. In her first season on the coaching staff, the team tied for first in the Western Conference and went on to win the program’s third state title.
Ethan Hoffman
Baseball Instructor
Ethan's passion for baseball started at a young age playing in city leagues and progressing through the levels of the Babe Ruth and Legion programs within his hometown of Sidney, MT. Following high school, Ethan attended the University of Montana where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Psychology, in hopes to play on the University Club Baseball Team. Due to a lingering injury that he sustained during the previous Legion season, he decided to hang up his cleats and start coaching. At the age of 19, Ethan started coaching Babe Ruth League and All-Star teams in Eastern Montana, where for the next five years he began to cultivate his coaching philosophy. In 2016, Ethan made the jump to the American Legion level where he coached the Richland County Patriots for the next three seasons.
Following a short hiatus from coaching during the Covid years, Ethan was hired by East Helena High School to be their baseball program's first ever Head Coach. Now in the team's 4th year, East Helena Baseball continues to move up the ranks each season and gain momentum as a respectable high school program. Along with coaching the Vigilantes, Ethan is also a school Counselor at EHHS and the Homeless Liaison for the East Helena School District.
In the summer of 2025, Ethan earned his Masters of Science degree in Kinesiology: Coaching from Adams State University, in Alamosa, CO. He enjoys working with athletes of all ages to build consistencies within their skill sets and create goals for each athlete's individualized development.
Chris Simonson
Baseball Instructor
Chris grew up in Wisconsin and developed a love for baseball at a young age, spending countless hours playing in his backyard and the paved cul-de-sac in front of his parents’ home. He was a three-sport athlete in high school, competing in baseball, basketball, and golf, and was later elected into his high school Athletic Hall of Fame.
Chris led his high school, Legion, and college baseball teams to state and regional success. He pitched in a highly competitive collegiate environment and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers, completing two seasons of professional minor league baseball while also earning his college degree. Since his playing days, Chris has coached multiple teams at a variety of skill levels.
He has a strong passion for baseball, competition, and his family, and his goal is to help every player compete as hard as they can on the diamond.
Dan Mendoza
Baseball Instructor
Dan Mendoza is a former collegiate outfielder who played three years at Millikin University. He works with players of all ages, focusing on strong fundamentals, proper mechanics, and building confidence both on and off the field.
Dan believes every athlete is unique. He takes an individualized approach to instruction, tailoring his coaching to each player’s strengths, learning style, and development pace. His goal is to create a positive, structured environment where athletes feel supported, challenged, and motivated to improve.
Above all, he emphasizes character, discipline, teamwork, and helping players grow their love for the game.
Tom Kingston
Baseball Instructor
Tom Kingston is a baseball instructor specializing in the fundamentals of hitting, fielding, and throwing. His goal is to help young athletes develop a passion for the game by improving their skills and building confidence. Baseball has been part of Tom’s life since he was four years old. He spent 15 years playing in Massachusetts, earning two Little League state titles at the 11U and 12U levels and a Babe Ruth state title at the 13U level. Tom played three years of varsity baseball in high school, competed in Legion baseball as a super senior, and played two years of community college baseball at Holyoke Community College.
Tom’s coaching journey began when his oldest son, Brady, became interested in baseball at just 2½ years old. Over the past five years, he has worked with many young athletes in Helena, helping them develop their skills, confidence, and love for the game.
James Ellington
Baseball Instructor
With over a decade of playing experience and more than 11 years of coaching at the youth and high school levels, James bring a well-rounded and fundamentals-driven approach to baseball instruction. He has spent three years coaching high school baseball and eight years developing youth players, focusing on skill development, baseball IQ, and building confidence. James' goal is to help athletes improve their mechanics, understand the game at a deeper level, and compete with confidence.