Tom Johnson

Varsity Head Coach

Coach Johnson graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in 2001 and played collegiately as a pitcher for Mesa CC in Arizona. He helped lead the team to the JUCO World Series in 2004 and 2005.
 
After college, he spent three years at Higley High School in Gilbert, AZ as a JV and Varsity coach before moving back to Colorado and coaching briefly at Wheat Ridge High School. He and Coach Spahn took over the Castle View Baseball Program in 2024 and have guided the Varsity squad to its first Continental League Championship (2024) and its first Regional Championship  and Final 8 State Tournament appearance (2025).
 
Off the field, he resides in Parker with his wife, Sarah, and two kids, Breck and Cali. Coach Johnson is a Battalion Chief for Aurora Fire Rescue.

Troy Spahn

Varsity Assistant

Coach Spahn was born and raised in Golden, CO where he was a a three sport athlete in high school, playing football, baseball, and basketball. His senior year he was the starting running back for the football team who was the 4A State runner-up, played for the basketball team that made it to the 4A State Final Four, and was the starting shortstop for the baseball team that won the 4A State Championship. He went on to play at Barton Community College as a left fielder, then moved back home and played for Metropolitan State University as the starting 2nd baseman.  

After graduating college, Coach Spahn fell in love with coaching and was an assistant coach at Metro State. He went on to be the varsity assistant coach at Golden High School for a couple of years until he started a family of his own and he has been coaching youth baseball ever since. He was CV’s varsity head coach for the 2024 and 2025 seasons, and the Continental League Coach of the Year in 2024.

Off the field, Coach Spahn has three energetic kids (Macklan, Dakota, and Elsie) who are each 3-sport athletes. He is happily married to his middle school crush, Gwen, who was also a three sport athlete in high school, and went on to play collegiate rugby for CSU. Coach Spahn is a professional firefighter with Denver Fire Department and helps his wife run a small hobby farm at their ranch in Sedalia. 

Travis Cruz

Varsity Assistant

After a successful head coaching stint at Valor Christian HS, including a 2023 5A State Championship as well as Coach of the Year honors, Coach Cruz enters his second year with Castle View Baseball as a varsity assistant. Coach Cruz graduated from Mountain Vista in 2007. After roaming center field during a pair of Continental League championships and a State Runner-Up team for the Golden Eagles, Cruz played college baseball at Fort Scott Community College and Washburn University. Prior to his head coaching position at Valor, he was a varsity assistant coach for 10 years. 

 

Pat Huffaker

Varsity Assistant

Coach Huff was a 2014 graduate of Columbine HS. He helped lead the team to a 19-2 record, marking one of the most winning seasons in Columbine’s history. He went on to play at Adams State University as an outfielder and designated hitter from 2015 to 2019, where he was voted as the team captain during his senior season.
 
Off the field Coach Huff is very happily married to his wife Rachel who played outfield on the softball team at Adams State. The two moved to Castle Rock in 2024 with their beloved chocolate lab, Mack. 

 

Mike Holmes

Varsity Assistant

Coach Holmes is originally from Chapin, South Carolina, is a graduate of Virginia Tech, and an All State Catcher in high school. Coach Holmes is entering his 14th season coaching in both Colorado and North Carolina.  He served as a varsity assistant at multiple schools, including working alongside NC Hall of Famer, Jim Hyatt.  In addition, he is the former Head Football Coach at Rangeview High School  and South Stokes High School (NC). He was also the head baseball coach at Sun Valley High School (NC). Coach Holmes has been married to his amazing wife, Acey, for 16 years, and they have one son, Hudson, a 7th grader at Castle Rock Middle.

 

Cody Milner

JV Head Coach

Originally from Henderson, Nevada, Coach Milner was a 4-year varsity high school baseball catcher at Green Valley. All American 2x, 3x state catcher of the year.
 
Played two years at CSN (Henderson Nevada) as a starting catcher, 1x all-conference. 
Firefighter with Aurora Fire.

Jon Schauer

JV Assistant

Coach Schauer was born and raised in Parker Colorado. He graduated Ponderosa High School in 1998 where he competed in wrestling and baseball. He attended Metropolitan State College of Denver where he majored in aviation and attained his commercial pilots license while working full time. After the tragedies of 9-11 he left Metro State and joined the Denver Fire Department where he has served for 23 years.

Alex Nicolov

C Team Head Coach

Coach Nicolov attended Fair Lawn High School, where he was a three-sport athlete in baseball, football, and basketball. As a senior, Alex earned First Team All-State honors as a pitcher and was selected as the starting pitcher for the New Jersey North vs. South All-Star Game. Earlier in his playing career, he represented Team USA on regional 14U and 15U teams.

Coach Nicolov pitched at Florida Atlantic University before transferring to Rutgers University. 

Off the field, Coach Nicolov has been happily married to his wife, Patty, for more than 20 years. They have two wonderful children who share his love of sports and the outdoors. When not on the diamond, he enjoys staying active through golf, camping, backpacking, fishing, and traveling with his family.

CV BASEBALL COACHING PHILOSOPHY