Staff

Robbie and Nellie Nichols are the owners of the Elmira Pioneers. The Nichols were proud partners of the Pioneers since 2012 and took sole ownership of the team in late 2017. Since taking over ownership, the Pioneers have gone from averaging one hundred fans per game to becoming one of the top three teams in the United States Collegiate Baseball Leagues in attendance. 

Marc & Tabbatha Witt have been with CAN-USA Sports since the organization started in 2018. Marc is from Erie PA and a graduate of Edinboro University.  He started his career in sports in the ECHL as an account executive for Elmira in 2011 before moving to Oklahoma City in the AHL as a Senior Account Executive the following season.  He was then with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the NHL as a Group Event Specialist leading them in sales for 3 seasons.  Marc then became the Vice President for the Binghamton Devils AHL franchise for 3 seasons before joining CAN-USA Sports. Tabbatha grew up in Michigan and has worked in the ECHL prior to her time at CAN-USA Sports.  She has been part of CAN-USA Sports since 2018 & is the mother of her and Marc’s four children.

Coach Drum is from Elmira New York and played at Southside High School (2006 STAC Champions).  He was a 2006 STAC West all-star and played college ball at Corning Community College and set a career Triples Record, single Season Triples Record, & Led the team in Stolen Bases (2009).  He finished his college career at SUNY Oneonta.  He has over 15 years' experience as a Hitting Instructor for 15.  Coached Upstate Chill Travel Baseball Team (2012-2015), the 2015 Dunn Field Classic Champions, Williamson High School JV (2015), Williamson High School Varsity (16-17).  At Williamson his teams were back-to-back district qualifiers (finished 3rd in district 4, 2017).  He has had 6 Players named all NTL, 6 Players named All Region Team.  Drum made his PGCBL debut with the Elmira Pioneers in 2017 as a hitting coach and was promoted to Asst. Head Coach in 2018 before taking over as the head coach in 2021. In his first season as full time head coach he led the Pioneers to a wild card spot in the PGCBL playoffs.

Eugene Barber is an Elmira native and graduate of Thomas A. Edison Junior-Senior High School. He continued his academic and athletic career at Cazenovia College, where he played baseball for four years. Eugene joined the Elmira Pioneers coaching staff in 2019, serving as an assistant coach through the 2023 season. In 2024, he took on the role of head coach for the Horseheads Hitman of the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL) before returning to the Pioneers later that year as an assistant coach. With over a decade of coaching experience at both the high school and summer collegiate levels, Eugene brings a wealth of knowledge, leadership, and passion for player development to every team he is a part of.

Nate is from Horseheads New York and was a 2 year intern for the Pioneers. He graduated from Alfred State in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in sport management while working home games for multiple sports. He has been involved with baseball since a young age, and this is his first official year on the Pioneers coaching staff.

A.R.C. Instructor - Professional Rescuer CPR, FA, AED, Blood Borne Pathogens, 25 years+ of experience & is a graduate of Keene State College with a BS in Sports Medicine.  Brodie will be entering year two with the Elmira Pioneers.

Anthony La Bonté is a sports media student at Ithaca College, who serves as the Play-By-Play voice of the Elmira Pioneers. Although originally from Hanson, MA, Anthony has experienced his share of New York sports covering both Ithaca College and Cornell University for Ithaca College Television (ICTV) and sports radio. With ICTV, Anthony has produced programming that focuses on baseball and softball on the south hill while also being an on-camera presence as a sports anchor for a morning news show and desk anchor business news. With sports radio, he has technically produced and called over 60 games in his time just for radio.

Ryan Copestick is from Elmira, New York, and is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Photography at New England College. Over the past year, he has worked closely with the college’s athletics department as both a photographer and videographer, capturing game-day moments and producing dynamic visual content for a variety of sports. Through this experience, he’s been able to grow his skills and find his style while working in fast-paced, real-world environments.

Jack Hoadley is from Auburn, NY and is currently studying at SUNY Fredonia for a degree in Sport Management. Some of his commitments include the Sport Management Club, where he is currently the PR Chair, and Spike Ball Club, where he is the treasurer. Jack also interned at the Super Bowl earlier this year and works as a social media intern for Fredonia’s school of business. He is looking forward to learning more about work in sport and is ready for a great summer in Elmira.

Zach Wood is from Corning NY and graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science in Sport Management. During his time at Liberty, he worked in operations for football, women’s tennis, and women’s lacrosse, later serving as an intern with both the tennis and lacrosse programs and traveling with the teams for away competitions. He is now focused on gaining further experience and developing his career in baseball.

Evan Beard is from Johnson City, NY, and is currently a junior at Ithaca College where he is currently studying sports media. He played baseball for 13 years and brings a great deal of knowledge about the sport.

Ethan is from Morris, New York, a Senior at SUNY Cortland in Sport Management. While at SUNY Cortland he worked with the Binghamton Rumble Ponies doing Daktronics and Game Day. Ethan has been with them for 3 years now up in the Press Box doing stats while also learning other important areas of the game.

Anna Carlineo is from Addison, NY, and graduated from Lock Haven University with a Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management and is planning to complete her Master's in the upcoming year. Through her academic program at LHU, she had the opportunity to volunteer at the College Football Playoff and the Men’s Final Four. Anna has a strong interest in game day and event operations and has gained hands-on experience by working and volunteering with her university’s athletic department.