2014 will be Hitting Coach Pete Pirman's second season with the ThunderBolts and his third season coaching professionally. He was named Hitting Coach of the ThunderBolts on April 16, 2013. Pete was the Hitting Coach of the Lake County Fielders (Northern League) under all-time Frontier League managerial wins record holder Fran Riordan in 2010. 

Pete was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 42nd round of the 1999 MLB June Amateur Draft and played eight seasons professionally from 2002-2008 & 2010. He spent his first five professional seasons in the Frontier League including the Evansville Otters (2002), Richmond Roosters (2003), and Kalamazoo Kings (2004-2006). It was with the Kings that Pirman put up his best numbers. He was a FL Post-Season All Star and the league's MVP during his historic 2005 season leading the Kings to the league title. He is currently tied for two Frontier League records including most stolen bases in a game (5 stolen bases in a 2005 game) and is tied for the all time FL RBI record with 100. Pete's final four pro seasons included two stints with the Sioux City Explorers of the American Association (2007, 2009), Ottawa Rapides of the Canadian-American League (2008), and as an emergency player for the Lake County Fielders of the Northern League (2010). 

Pete was born on June 25, 1979 in Palatine, Illinois. In college he was a All-American at Triton College (NJCAA) in River Grove, Illinois helping the Trojans reach the NJCAA Division-1 World Series. He played his junior & senior seasons at Eastern Illinois University (NCAA D1) being named a Ohio Valley Conference all-second team in 2001 and was the OVC player of the year in 2002.