We finish Generation Next 2.0 at the top - according to Perfect Game's rankings, Ranney's AJ Gracia is the top Class of 2023 baseball player in New Jersey. The best thing about AJ, is that while he knows rankings are fun and starts conversations, they aren't really what's ultimately important. The credentials are there though. The swing is magic producing a heavy artillery of nukes and bombs. The mound presence and stuff is lethal and Gracia has recovered from UCL repair surgery - considered more advanced than Tommy John in that there's no need for complete ligament reconstruction - the original ligament is healthy enough to be reattached through a bracing procedure. Add the package of skills, the positive go-getter personality, the love of the game, the great attitude - it's easy to see why Gracia was a highly sought after recruit who gave his verbal commitment to defending ACC Tournament champ Duke University. Can't imagine a better way to finish Generation Next 2.0 than this conversation with budding star AJ Gracia.

No doubt that Maryland baseball is getting one of New Jersey's genuine stars in Kyle McCoy, a towering LHP from Hunterdon Central. The young man has shown dominating stuff at every level, including up through the Area Code games last summer. He pitched to a sub-1 ERA as a junior for Hunterdon Central, gets it up into the 90s, doesn't walk guys (77-5 strikeout-walk ratio in 45 innings last year per nj.com) and gets it done in big games, like last year's CG win over Pope John for the Hunterdon/Warren title. He's pushing Auburn signee Zach Crotchfelt for the honor of state's best southpaw and certainly gotten the attention of MLB scouts in preparation for the July draft. We sit down with the affable Terps signee for a fun edition of Generation Next - his excitement for taking his talents to the Big Ten, off-season plans, and get to know Kyle off the field as well. Learn more about one of NJ's rising stars on this edition of JBS!

In this edition of Generation Next 2.0 we look at the final member of Generation Leiter 2.0 - Central Regional star pitcher (and DH, yes, Cam has hit some BOMBS!) Cam Leiter. Younger cousin of Mark Jr. and Jack, nephew of Mark Sr. and Al, son of Kurt - this Leiter not only excels on the diamond, where his fastball has grown solidly into the 90s to go along with some nasty secondary offerings, but he's truly carved out his own identity. Cam grew up as a hockey star in Western Canada and didn't even step foot in New Jersey until just before the start of his sophomore year when Cam returned to the high school that Uncle Al put on the baseball map in 1984, when he led Central Regional to a state title long before his fantastic MLB career. Central hasn't won one since - but got close last year, winning the Ocean County Tournament and taking eventual state champ Ocean City to 11 innings before losing, 3-2. Will 2022 be the year? Cam talks about the rabid Central fan base, the fun of HS baseball, growing up hockey-first, what he's learned from watching other family members succeed - and much more - in an awesome edition of Generation Next!

Zach Stichweh returns to the Jersey Baseball Show for this edition of Generation Next. The Don Bosco Prep senior joined us a month ago to share his journey with anxiety, depression, mental health issues and how he learned to handle and cope with those thoughts. It was one of our biggest shows of 2021. But it's only a small part of Zach's unique story - one that begins over 6,000 miles away from Don Bosco in an orphanage on the Russia-China border. Zach was adopted at the age of 10 months (you'll have to hear the outfit he was brought out in when he first met his mom and dad) and brought to North Jersey by an incredible set of parents who have literally provided the opportunity of a lifetime. With an unquenchable desire to learn, Zach has developed some very interesting passions along the way. Stichweh has always thrived at baseball - an early commitment to play in the Big Ten at the University of Maryland - but then dealt with an elbow injury that took away most of his junior year. Zach shares with us that journey and his great rehab team which has him feeling better than ever on the mound as he embarks on what should be a memorable 2022.

The most intriguing name from the impressive Rutgers baseball recruiting Class of 2022 - Toronto's Hugh Pinkney, the impressive catcher from the Great White North. From growing up with hockey as his primary sport to even more challenges during the pandemic -- Pinkney lost his 10th AND 11th grade HS seasons because of the way the Canadian government responded to the COVID pandemic, leading to creative recruiting video workarounds like the home street catching video you see in the opening - Hugh has a great story that ultimately leads to the Big Ten, Central Jersey, and Rutgers University. Pinkney got his first extended taste of Central Jersey over the summer, living the hotel life and playing in the elite Diamondjacks travel program to get a feel for the area, to get reps against great competition, heck - just to get reps against LIVE competition on a regular basis again. The experience made him more sure than ever that Rutgers was the right decision - and a great guest today on GENERATION NEXT.

We kick off 2022 with this look at one of New Jersey's best infielders, as Lorenzo Meola has staked his claim as one of the elite players in the Skyland Conference. He'll be joining Northern Burlington slugger Drew Wyers down at Stetson University giving the school a distinct NJ flavor to its 2022 recruiting class --- and Hatters fans no doubt are excited to have another Meola in the infield. Lorenzo's cousin Jonathan was the starting 3B on Stetson's 2018 Super Regional squad, wowing the locals with superior defense at the hot corner, and Lorenzo shows plenty of masterful glove work on his own. Learn about the latest from this athletic New Jersey family (Uncle Tony is a US Soccer Hall of Famer and three-time World Cup team goalkeeper) as we start 2022 with a flourish on JBS Generation Next.

We finish the month the same way we started it - by sitting down with a member of the Buecker family about to embark down a road of serving our great nation. Our Month of Buecker started with Robbie, a junior at West Point who is a star pitcher on Army's baseball team. We finish December (and 2021) by sitting down with Robbie's younger brother Brendan, a junior at Notre Dame High School and one of the top players in Mercer County, who is a star catcher and recently made his verbal commitment to play baseball at Virginia Military Institute. We talk about growing up with a brother who is a star athlete and how Brendan has been able to forge his own path at the school where Robbie was one of the best area players of the 2010s. We also talk about how Brendan came to the conclusion that military service was in his future as well. This is an awesome look at a well rounded young man and a great way to wrap up the year. We thank you all for watching GENERATION NEXT.

Our look at some of the top juniors and seniors in New Jersey takes us to Glen Ridge for a look at Class of 2023 RHP Griffin Seibel, a hard-throwing pitcher who recently announced his verbal commitment to play college baseball for Xavier University, one of the top programs in the Big East Conference. The Musketeers are getting a hard-working pitcher who has gotten his fastball into the low 90s and a young man who gets it done inside and outside of the classroom. Seibel immediately fell in love with everything Xavier has to offer and almost everything about the Queen City. We use the word almost because while Griffin is all in with the Blue and White - he hasn't quite come around to Cincinnati's chief "delicacy" of Skyline Chili. You'll find out about that and more as we talk to someone who will be one of the best arms in North Jersey this year - Griffin Seibel - on this episode of Generation Next.

NOTE: This is Podcast 100 of the series

It's a challenge that certainly won't get any sympathy for Saint Joseph's catcher Mark Gialluisi, but a challenge nonetheless - handling the Falcons' ridiculously talented - and comically different - styles of the team's three aces. You won't find many HS staffs stronger at the top than SJM's trio of Donovan Zsak (UVA), Andrew Goldan (Rutgers), and Jimmy Mulvaney (Fairfield). Or whose styles are more different. From the classic over-the-top lefty power of Zsak to the hard-charging, high 3/4 of Goldan to the sidewinding magical movement of Mulvaney, the Falcons' backstop has to be ready for anything. And fortunately - he is. You may not find a better catcher or leader in the state than Gialluisi, a 2023 already committed to Boston College and ACC baseball. He'll be the perfect add to a program that values culture over anything and we see him as the kind of young man who would be in consideration for BC's Sonny Nictakis Award down the road. Needless to say, we appreciate Mark's time with us on the show and know you'll enjoy this edition of GENERATION NEXT!

Donovan Zsak is grateful, which may not be the first adjective you think of when a high schooler misses a year-plus with UCL damage that requires Tommy John surgery, but it's the correct one nonetheless. He's grateful for working with an awesome medical team on his comeback, for the opportunity to work on building back better with Tom Drown and the crew at Total Arm Care, for being involved in a great HS program / culture like the one at Saint Joseph's (Metuchen). Donovan's attitude carried him through some of the tougher days in rehab and it's going to carry him to greater heights in his senior campaign. It's why he's cleared and ready to go, up to 92 and throwing harder than ever, and improved upon the form that had him as one of the top LHP in the country early in his HS career. Donovan can't wait to fulfill his signed Letter of Intent to the University of Virginia and is back on MLB Draft Charts as a must-see pitcher this spring. He's on our list too. Enjoy this awesome edition of Generation Next!