YBMcast

Ready to take your first step on the mound? In this episode, former MLB pitcher Brett Graves breaks down the essential first moves in pitching development — inspired by Premier Pitching’s latest blog:
👉 Getting Started with Pitching Training in 2025

We’re talking about how to build a solid training base in 2025:
⚾ Identifying your starting point — and what matters early
🧠 Understanding workload, mechanics, and recovery
🔁 Why movement prep is crucial before you ever throw a pitch
📈 Setting realistic, performance-driven goals

Whether you're a player, coach, or parent, this episode gives you the framework to start dev...

With over 16.7 million kids playing baseball and softball in the U.S., and according to MLB.com over 8.9 million kids are participating on a casual basis which is at an all-time high. With that being said what are our goals with you baseball? From elementary to middle school to high school, we have kids playing the national pastime. How many of these kids truly want to play college baseball? How many of these kids are good enough to play Division I baseball? Club baseball has been built around sending your player to play college baseball on a scholarship.

...

We’re two weeks into the Premier Collegiate Development League (PCDL), and the talent is already making waves. Earlier this week, we caught up with several standout players at CarShield Field to hear about their early-season mindset, goals, and takeaways.

This week’s Premier Player Spotlights include interviews with:
⭐ Nick Mullinax
⭐ Luke Wright
⭐ Anthony Gura
⭐ Sean Raucher
⭐ Dominic Horn
 
Get a behind-the-scenes look at these rising athletes and their PCDL experience, as they reflect on personal development, team culture, and the drive to compete.

📍 Recorded at CarShield Field – O'Fallon, MO
🎥 Powered b...

This week on Missouri Baseball Talk, we’re recapping a huge weekend of high school baseball action from the MHSBCA All-Star Games. From standout players to memorable moments, we break down everything you need to know from this premier summer event.

We’re also joined by special guests Coach Dave Hix, Senior All-Star Series Chair, and Coach Brian Ash, MHSBCA Committee Member, who bring their insight and behind-the-scenes perspective from this year’s games.

Plus, we highlight the MHSBCA Players of the Year for Classes 1 through 6, and reveal the overall State Player of the Year — honoring the top...

In this episode of The Hitting Zone, Mitch Thomas unpacks a powerful mental framework for athletes: The 4 F’s to Success — Focus, Flush It, Forget It, and Fight.
These four principles aren’t just about baseball — they’re about building the mindset needed to face adversity, stay in the moment, and compete at your highest level.
⚾ Learn how to:
Focus on what you can control
Flush It when something goes wrong
Forget It to move forward with confidence
Fight through the challenge with grit and intent

Whether you’re at the plate or in life, th...

In this episode of Keep Klimbing, former MLB pitcher Brett Graves dives into a crucial stage in a young athlete’s journey — the transition from high school baseball into summer ball. Whether you're stepping into a new team, navigating different competition levels, or figuring out how to stand out, Brett shares key insights and tips to help players adjust, grow, and keep climbing toward their goals.

⚾ Real talk. Honest advice. No shortcuts.
🧢 Brought to you by Youth Baseball Midwest
📅 Set your reminder and tune in at 5 PM CST!

#KeepKlimbing #BrettGraves #YBMcast #YouthBaseballMidwest #SummerBaseball #HighSchoolBaseball #PlayerDevelo...

The road to the title continues! 🏆
We’re recapping an exciting weekend of action with shoutouts to your new State Champs:
🥇 1A – Ottawa (Marquette)
🥇 2A – Springfield (Sacred Heart-Griffin)

Now, all eyes are on the 3A & 4A contenders as they gear up for Final Four Friday and Championship Saturday. Who’s taking the crown next?

🎙️Join us on #BaseballTalk as we break it all down and get you ready for the final showdown.

🎧Listen now and stay in the know!

#YBMcast #IllinoisBaseball #IHSA #BaseballTalk #StateChamps #FinalFourFriday #ChampionshipSaturday #YouthBaseballMidwest

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The 2025 MSHSAA State Championships are in the books and Champions crowned! Watch along as, Kevin Moulder of Prep Baseball, joins us as we recap the action from last week and walk through the semifinals and championship games for classes 1-6! 

Congratulations to all the teams for all their hard work this season!

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Our mobile studio is out at Ozark Mountain Sports Complex! Its State Championship Season in the midwest, joining us via the Prime Sports Midwest Call in link is Scout Connects very own Diego Solares. Tune in as we take a look at the Illinois State Super Sixteen Championship for classes 1A & 2A, as well as preview Sectionals for classes 3A & 4A!


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Brett Graves shares his memories on his trip to the Big Four MSHSAA Championship in 2011. In this episode we discuss the topic of handling the environment of playing in a championship level game. When we are put in these situations how do we handle the moment and what is it that separates winning and losing in these moments. It is championship week and many players around the state will be wondering about the what if's, and a very few will be celebrating the pinnacle of winning it all.

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Well, the playoffs are in full swing, and we are talking about sectional semifinals and who will be the teams to head to the sectional finals. Diego Solares brings the knowledge about these teams throughout central and southern Illinois and who he thinks has a chance to come out on top and head to the Sectional finals that will determine the Big Four in the State Championship bracket.

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The MSHSAA State Quarterfinals are set for every Class! With Class 1 and 2 beginning today, Class 3 and 4 will be played on the 29th. Class 5 and 6 will begin their best of three series on May 30th with the first game and then will play on the 31st, and if necessary, a final game on that same day to determine who goes to the Big Four playoffs! We have everything you need to get ready for a great week of baseball leading up to the Big Four in every Class.  

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Diego Solares of Scout Connect Baseball is back in the house to join the Youth Baseball Midwest cast of contributors, covering Illinois high school baseball and wherever it takes us next! In this week's show we talk Sectionals! Join us as we walk though all 4 classes in the state of Illinois, and give our predictions on who we think is going to come out on top!

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Today we are going to look at Class 6 and Class 5 to see who we believe will make it to the field of 8 with a chance to move on to the MSHSAA State Championship top four. We have 8 districts in each class with eight teams per class. With a few of these districts holding multiple top twenty teams. That means some of the top teams will not get the opportunity to move on to the field of 8 where a best 2 out of 3 series awaits these teams for the first time in Missouri baseball playoff history. We are ready to cover the...

Tryouts…Posted in May? 👀 Mitch Thomas is back in The Hitting Zone to take on one of youth baseball’s hottest—and more controversial—topics. Are we helping players... or rushing the process?

This episode dives into the timing of tryouts, the pressure on players and parents, and how early decisions might be affecting development at every level. If you're in the youth baseball world, this is a conversation you can’t afford to miss.

🔥 Real talk. No fluff. Let's open the conversation.

🎧 Watch now & join the discussion.

#TheHittingZone #YBMcast #youthbaseball #baseballtryouts #playerdevelopment...

What separates good pitchers from great ones? 👀 Consistency. In this episode of Keep Klimbing, Brett Graves dives into the building blocks of a strong in-season routine—from daily workouts and recovery habits to nutrition and mental focus. Whether you're grinding through a full schedule or just trying to stay sharp, this episode is packed with actionable tips to help you stay competitive all season long.

Get your mindset right. Lock in your routine. Let’s Keep Klimbing.

🎧 Listen now & subscribe for more pitching performance content. 

#KeepKlimbing #YBMcast #pitching #routines #mentalgame #nutrition #baseballtraining


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Class 4, 5, & 6 district seedings are starting to come out on the MSHSAA website. Where is your team seeded, as we discuss some early favorites and the opportunities for some teams to spoil a bracket. Join by the "Guru" Kevin Moulder from Prep Baseball Missouri, and Webster Groves HC Dave Wiggins we talk through these classes. Stay tuned for some good conversation at the end as we have a couple of surprise topics you won't want to miss.

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After a long season on the mound, what comes next can make or break a pitcher’s future. In this episode of Keep Klimbing, former pro pitcher Brett Graves breaks down what it really takes to keep your arm healthy and strong as you head into the high-stakes pressure of post-season play.

Whether you're a player, coach, or parent, this conversation is packed with insights on recovery, preparation, and avoiding the common mistakes that sideline too many arms too soon.

Don't miss this important episode—your post-season performance might just depend on it.

🎧 Subscribe for mor...

This week on Baseball Talk, we're joined by Kevin Moulder of Prep Baseball to break down all the action across the state of Missouri. As we close in on District playoffs, we’re spotlighting the top contenders, sleeper teams, and which programs are peaking at just the right time.

⚾ Who’s setting themselves apart?
⚾ Which underdogs could make a deep playoff run?
⚾ What should fans be watching for as the postseason nears?


Whether you're a coach, player, parent, or just a fan of Missouri high school baseball, you won’t want to miss this in-dept...

Diego Solares of Scout Connect Baseball is back in the house to join the Youth Baseball Midwest cast of contributors, covering Illinois high school baseball and wherever it takes us next! In this week's show we talk about the top ten rankings from Scout Connect for the large schools and the small schools. Covering top large school teams such as the Edwardsville Tigers to the Belleville East Lancers, and small schools such as Father McGivney Griffins to the North Clay Cardinals!

🠖🠖 Follow Scout Connect🠔🠔
X: @ScoutConnectBB
Instagram: scoutconnectbb

🠖🠖🠖🠖SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE🠔🠔🠔🠔

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Kevin Moulder of Prep Baseball joins me as we discuss the teams in each Class 6 District around the state of Missouri. Who are the teams setting themselves apart and who are the teams that could be the surprise of the district playoff. Check out this segment of Baseball Talk and let us know what you think about your district as we finish the last third of the 2025 season. 

🠖🠖🠖🠖SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE🠔🠔🠔🠔

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Diego Solares of Scout Connect Baseball is back in the house to join the Youth Baseball Midwest cast of contributors, covering Illinois high school baseball and wherever it takes us next! In this week's show we talk about the top ten rankings from Scout Connect for the large schools and the small schools. Covering top teams such as the Edwardsville Tigers to the Mascoutah Indians. Father McGivney to St. Anthony in Effingham!

🠖🠖🠖🠖SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE🠔🠔🠔🠔

Check out our sponsor's pages!
Powered by Game 7 Baseball: https://www.game7baseball.com  
Get all your Gear at Prime Sports Midwest h...

Check out our sponsor's pages!
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Get all your Gear at Prime Sports Midwest https://www.primesportsmw.com  

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Follow Prep Baseball Report Missouri  
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Website: https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/missouri

Diego Solares of Scout Connect Baseball is back in the house to join the Youth Baseball Midwest cast of contributors. We will be covering Illinois high school baseball and wherever it takes us next. In this week's show we talk about the top ten rankings from Scout Connect for the large schools and the small schools. Covering top teams such as the Edwardsville Tigers to the Mascoutah Indians. Father McGivney to St. Anthony in Effingham. We hope you enjoy so make sure you ➞➞➞➞➞➞➞➞➞➞➞SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE

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So, here we go again. We are excited to have Diego Solares of Scout Connect Baseball join the Youth Baseball Midwest cast of contributors. We will be covering Illinois high school baseball and wherever it takes us next. In this week's show we talk about the top ten rankings from Scout Connect for the large schools and the small schools. Covering top teams such as the Edwardsville Tigers to the Mascoutah Indians. Father McGivney to St. Anthony in Effingham. We hope you enjoy so make sure you ➞➞➞➞➞➞➞➞➞➞➞SUBSCRIBE, LIKE, COMMENT, SHARE


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Week 3 is in the books with some surprising outcomes! Join us as we take a look at baseball from around the state of Missouri and highlight some of the outstanding teams and players!

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W...

Closing out our 2025 Player Spotlights is a fantastic interview with Festus Tiger’s Mason Schirmer! Join us as we talk with Mason about his baseball career path, which organizations have helped his development, and his expectations going into the 2025 season!

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Brett Graves is back inside The Red Earth Productions Studio for another episode of Keep Klimbing! We continue our walkthrough of the Premier Pitching and Performance Blog "How to Throw a Baseball: The Science of Efficiency and Performance.", and today we look at the force production and efficiency metrics and get a better understanding of how Ground Reaction Force (GRF), shoulder torque, and stride length all effect throwing a baseball! And even maybe give a little advice as to how to pitch around the new "Torpedo Bats"

Read the Premier Pitching and Performance Blog Here: 
https://premierpitching.c...

Closing out this week for our 2025 Player Spotlights is Jackson Indian’s Cooper Rhodes! Join us as we talk with Cooper about his baseball career path, which organizations have helped his development, and his expectations going into the 2025 season!

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Next out for our 2025 Player Spotlights is Staley Falcon’s Brody Irlbeck Join us as we talk with Brody about his baseball career path, which organizations have helped his development, and his expectations going into the 2025 season!

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Kicking this week’s 2025 Player Spotlights is Father Tolton Trailblazer’s Lucas Wietholder ! Join us as we talk with Lucas about his baseball career path, which organizations have helped his development, and his expectations going into the 2025 season!

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Week 2 has produced some good weather which has given us the opportunity to watch some good baseball. From the Troy Classic to early season top 20 and even top 10 matchups that have given us a small glimpse of what we will see throughout the 2025 season. Check out what is happening around the state from 2A to 6A baseball, along with some coaches interviews you do not want to miss.   

Show Outline:
X Bookmarks :
Troy O’Keefe – 2025 – SW Tennessee CC 
Caleb Fletchall – 2027 – Kearney HS 
Kirksville Tigers over Mexico 8-1@Mexico 
Carter Perry CG against CBC 7-1 win 
Mo...

What are they even talking about? "Mitchy the Kid" is back in the Red Earth Studios for this super fun episode of The Hitting Zone! Tune ins as they talk about, well, all things baseball! From uniform, players, classic MLB logos, organizations, to even hockey?!? Be sure to like, share, hit the dinger, and join the discussion, comment along with us!

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In case you aren't able to watch! Join us from the Red Earth Production Studios for this weeks Pressbox! Joining us is Youth Baseball Midwest's very own insider from the G.A.C. Evan Schenck! Join us as we take a look at Missouri Baseball from this past week, and look to the future games happening this week as well as previewing our STL Suburban Game of the Week Webster Groves verses Kirkwood!
Checkout the most recent Pressbox Blogs: 
https://www.youthbaseballmidwest.com/ybm-press-box

Check Out Our Rankings:
https://www.youthbaseballmidwest.com/high-school-baseball

C...

Closing out this weeks  2025 Player Spotlights is Nixa Eagle’s Wyatt Vincent! Join us as we talk with Wyatt about his baseball career path, which organizations have helped his development, and his expectations going into the 2025 season!

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Next up for our 2025 Player Spotlights is Oakville Tiger’s Adam Killburn! Join us as we talk with Adam about his baseball career path, which organizations have helped his development, and his expectations going into the 2025 season!

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Next up for our 2025 Player Spotlights is Kearney Bulldog’s Chase Porter! Join us as we talk with Chase about his baseball career path, which organizations have helped his development, and his expectations going into the 2025 season!

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Kicking off this week for our 2025 Player Spotlights is Moberly Spartan’s Jackson Engel! Join us as we talk with Jackson about his baseball career path, which organizations have helped his development, and his expectations going into the 2025 season!

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