YBMcast

This week on Baseball 101, Coach Darin Cissell takes us back to the chalkboard to reflect on the conversations from the past several weeks with some of Missouri’s top high school coaches — and the lessons learned along the way.
If there’s one takeaway from these discussions, it’s that no matter how long we’ve been in the game, we are never done learning. Each of these coaches continues to grow, applying new lessons each season to make a lasting impact on the lives of their student-athletes.

Coach Cissell breaks down the key themes and insights shared ove...

We are taking our first look at one of the top conferences in IL and the teams that may be vying for the conference title and an opportunity to make a long run in the Illinois State playoffs. Edwardsville has long been the dominant team here, but O’Fallon knocked them off in the playoffs in 2025 and look loaded and ready to compete with a 2026 class that gained a ton of experience from last year. How will the Belleville squads look to compete as well as a scrappy Alton team who is bringing back a lot of arm talent — they will...

We sit down with Bryan Harmon, Executive Director, and Tony Perkins, Hall of Fame Committee and Clinic Speaker, for a look at the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association. We are going to discuss its mission and how these coaches promote the game of baseball in Missouri. What does it mean to be part of this group and have a look at the history of some of the Hall of Fame coaches that have had brilliant careers and some who are still getting it done!

📅 Mark Your Calendars — Prime Sports Midwest Demo Day!
🗓 Saturday, November 15 | Starts at 9 AM

Today's episode of Keep Klimbing takes a look at the trajectory of pitching development and better understanding of how each pitcher has their own unique trajectory. From the movement quality and the athleticism of the individual to your strength capacity and how you produce the necessary force to produce the velocity you want. There is also the development of your pitch arsenal and the design in which you achieve the action on the pitch you are looking for, not to mention the game day execution when you take the mound. Great stuff from Brett Graves, as he continues to help...

We are going to reveal the schedule for the upcoming Game 7 Baseball season. We will talk each month and tournaments you don’t want to miss. We also take a look at the venues and what is new, and some brand-new venues coming to Game 7 Baseball.

We also get a chance to hear from the directors of these different venues from around the state talking about their amenities, city, and upgrades to each park. Not to mention we will be discussing the Super 7 Series where YBM will bring the mobile studio with our Saturday at the Park feature, an...

We look at some teams that finished in the top 20 in 2025 and the impact of players in the 2027 class that could keep these teams in the preseason top 20 for the 2026 season. Staley HC Dionandre Josenberger joins us again to talk about these players and how deep these two divisions of the KC Suburban Conference are again this season.

Who will make an impact on the Gold and Red divisions for their teams to get an inside track for a shot at a district title? From what it looks like, we could see another Final Four contender coming from...

Well, we hope that Shane Eames gets well soon, and we will get him back on the show soon. Until then you get the producer of Youth Baseball Midwest and host of Baseball Talk here talking with Mitch about the World Series, and an array of topics. How Socioeconomics should not affect the opportunity for kids to play the game of baseball and how we can create solutions for kids from every background. As always, the conversations roam through the whole landscape of youth and high school baseball and we hope you enjoy the ride.

📲 Follow Mitch Thomas:

Once again Brett Graves brings his playing perspective to the table and talks about being in high pressure moments and what that means and how players can thrive.

Looking at the mental approach to physical execution whether you are in the playoffs or just a big game with any big moment. How an athlete deals with failure — from the standpoint of the team, coaches, and players — can help you continue to rise to the occasion.

But how do you handle what we call high leverage situations, and what does this mean from the athlete’s perspective? Listen...

We Coach Cissell welcomes 2nd-year Head Coach of Staley High School, Dionandre Josenberger, to the show.
They discuss the expectations that come with taking over a successful program from a Hall of Fame coach — and what it means to lead with purpose after finishing 2nd in Class 6 during his first year at the helm.
From setting standards to leading with faith and connection, Coach Josenberger shares how he’s developing relationships with his players and how different coaching approaches can make a lasting impact.
We appreciate Coach Josenberger for taking the time to sit down and talk thro...

We want to discuss with Coach McGee some of the players that could make an impact on their respective schools and those who take the next step into that elite status as high school players. The southwest is going to be loaded again and the COC will be wide open as we see who will take hold of the southwest in the MSHSAA large school classifications. East and West, who will take charge and emerge as a contender for the state Final Four.

📅 Mark Your Calendars — Prime Sports Midwest Demo Day!
🗓 Saturday, November 15th | Starts at 9AM
📍 P...

On this episode of The Hitting Zone, Mitch Thomas is joined by Brian French to ask the question every baseball player and coach should be thinking about — “What the Fluff?!?”

Baseball today is full of “sexy stats” and highlight-reel numbers — but what’s real, and what’s just noise? Mitch and Brian cut through the flash to find the substance:

⚾ Where are the failures in the game of failure?
⚾ What truly drives development and performance?
⚾ How do players get better when the focus shifts from hype to hard work?

It’s an honest, no-nonsense look...

On this episode of Keep Klimbing with Brett Graves, Brett sits down with Cody Fick, Director of Pitching at Premier Pitching Performance, to talk about one of the most important times of the year — the early offseason. They break down how to approach the first stages of throwing after a long season, including:The importance of deloading the arm and recovery strategyKnowing when and how to ramp back upHow Premier’s Tracker App helps athletes and coaches monitor progress and performanceUnderstanding intensity levels and expected workloadWhy communication and patience matter most during the early offseasonWhether you’re a pitcher, coach, or par...

In this episode of Baseball Moms, Jenny Mayberry opens up about something every baseball parent faces — the balance between what we expect as parents and what our athletes expect of themselves. ⚾️

Jenny shares her thoughts on how to navigate those emotional crossroads — especially when a player decides not to move forward with baseball. It's real, honest, and a conversation every sports parent can relate to.

💬 Join the conversation and hear what’s on Mayberry’s mind!

🔗 Connect with Host Jenny Mayberry:
Facebook: @jennifer.mayberry.50
Instagram: @jat49erfan

⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball...

In this episode of Baseball 101, host Darin Cissell sits down with the Head Coach of Nixa High School Baseball to talk about his journey from serving as an assistant coach at Drury University to leading one of Missouri’s most competitive high school baseball programs.

Drawing on his college experience, Coach shares how he’s built a system at Nixa that’s rooted in preparation, player development, and program-wide culture.

You’ll hear:
⚾ How coaching at Drury University shaped his approach to leadership and communication
🎯 How recruiting principles influence how he develops and evaluates players at th...

Chris Copeland, the Director of Kirkwood Legion Baseball Post 156, joins Baseball Talk to discuss how the landscape is changing within American Legion Baseball programs. Not only focused on building successful athletes but also on developing community-minded people, Chris brings a unique perspective on leadership and growth within Missouri Legion Baseball.

As the Chairman of District 10, Chris works with zone commissioners to continue the growth of American Legion Baseball across the state. We’re excited to have him on the show as we look into the Kirkwood Post 156 program and the opportunities emerging in District 10, as several programs begin to...

We are going to take a look at five conferences that primarily consist of Class 4 schools throughout the central and north-central parts of Missouri. From recent state championships to programs that have developed a legacy, Central Missouri has played a pivotal role in the development of many high school athletes.

Many of these athletes are multi-sport competitors who represent their schools year-round. The Tri-County Conference has produced two state championship teams since 2020, and numerous district champions have come from these Class 4 power conferences — including the 2025 Chillicothe Hornets out of the Midland Empire Conference, who took home this year’s Cl...

Mitch Thomas is joined by Brett Graves, former MLB pitcher and host of Keep Klimbing, for a deep dive into one of the most important connections in baseball — the pitcher and catcher relationship.

Together, they talk about how that bond is built, tested, and refined through every level of the game:

⚾ How to establish trust between pitcher and catcher
⚾ The role of communication, emotion, and mindset in performance
⚾ How the relationship can make — or break — success on the field
⚾ What leadership and accountability look like inside the battery

It’s an honest and insig...

• On this episode of Keep Klimbing with Brett Graves, Brett welcomes Nolan Rappe, Physical Therapist and Performance Coordinator at HQ with Premier Pitching Performance, for a deep dive into Defining the Performance Equation.

Nolan shares how Premier approaches development by blending physical care with data-driven analysis — helping players not only perform better but also stay healthier over the long haul. Together they break down:
The importance of caring for your body to minimize injury and maximize performanceHow Premier’s staff evaluates a player through their fundam...