Dave Wiggins is hosting this episode of Baseball Talk and is joined by Cody Massey, Head Coach at Maryville Christian School and founder of Buzzin' Baseball, along with Diego Solares of Scout Connect.

Together they break down high school teams to watch across Illinois for the upcoming season, taking a look at each classification from Class 1A through Class 4A.

Illinois baseball continues to produce outstanding programs across the state, and today we take a deeper look at some of the teams that could make serious noise this season. From smaller school contenders to the powerhouse programs at the top classifications, we break down which teams could be in position to make strong postseason runs.

If you're following Illinois baseball this season, this episode will give you a great early look at some of the teams and programs to keep your eye on.

🔒 Join the YBM Club Today

Become a Legacy Member and receive 50% off your first year while supporting independent Midwest baseball coverage.

Get exclusive player spotlights, rankings, interviews, and members-only content inside the YBM Club.

👉 https://www.youthbaseballmidwest.com/ybm-club

📣 Guest Socials

Dave Wiggins (HC Principia Christian / Recruits Baseball Director)
X: @CruitsCoachDW
Instagram: @coachdave1338

Cody Massey (Maryville Christian HC / Buzzin' Baseball)
X: @buzzinbaseball

Diego Solares (Scout Connect, Founder)
X: @DeegsBaseball

Scout Connect
X: @ScoutConnectBB
Instagram: @scoutconnectbb

⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball Midwest—your hub for full-spectrum youth baseball insight in the Midwest. Subscribe and hit that dinger (🔔) to never miss a game-state insight.

🌐 More YBM:
Website: youthbaseballmidwest.com
YouTube: Youth Baseball MidwestInstagram: @youthbaseballmidwest
TikTok: @YouthBaseballMidwest
X: @YBM_cast
Facebook: Youth Baseball Midwest


Presented by our proud partners:
Game 7 Baseball: game7baseball.com
Prime Sports Midwest: primesportsmw.com


🎥 Production Partner:Red Earth Productions: redearthprod.com

We are going to have some fun today with Dave Wiggins Recruits Baseball Director and HC of Principia high school. Do you remember the best rivalries from high school? There is always that one team you remember that we all loved to beat, and they loved to beat you!

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch sports just published an article that looked at rivalries and what makes them special and memorable. We are going to break down some of the best baseball rivalries here today and we want you to join in and let us know your stories of the best baseball rivalries and your memories.

🔒 Join the YBM Club Today
Become a Legacy Member and receive 50% off your first year while supporting independent Missouri & Illinois baseball coverage.

Get exclusive player spotlights, rankings, interviews, and members-only content inside the YBM Club.

👉 https://www.youthbaseballmidwest.com/ybm-club

📣 Guest Socials
Dave Wiggins (HC Principia Christian / Recruits Baseball Director)
X: @CruitsCoachDW
Instagram: @coachdave1338


⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball Midwest—your hub for full-spectrum youth baseball insight in the Midwest. Subscribe and hit that dinger (🔔) to never miss a game-state insight.

🌐 More YBM:
Website: youthbaseballmidwest.com
YouTube: Youth Baseball MidwestInstagram: @youthbaseballmidwest
TikTok: @YouthBaseballMidwest
X: @YBM_cast
Facebook: Youth Baseball Midwest


Presented by our proud partners:
Game 7 Baseball: game7baseball.com
Prime Sports Midwest: primesportsmw.com


🎥 Production Partner:Red Earth Productions: redearthprod.com

On today’s episode of The Hitting Zone, Mitch Thomas is joined by Hunter Hisky for a wide-ranging, honest conversation about the current state of youth baseball — and whether we are truly developing athletes.

Pulling perspective from the opposite end of the state, this episode moves through real questions facing families and programs today:

• Do team labels like AA, Major, and AAA really have value?
• Does level truly impact development?
• Are coaches focused on developing players — or collecting talent to win games?
• What questions should parents be asking when selecting a program?
• Do we have too many clubs?
• Why does recreational baseball feel like it’s disappearing?

The conversation isn’t scripted — it’s exploratory and honest. It challenges assumptions and digs into what development should actually look like.

At the center of it all is one question:

Are we really developing athletes?

📲 Follow Hunter Hisky:
X (Twitter): @hhisky
Instagram: @hhisky33

📲 Building Champions Baseball:
X (Twitter): @bcbaseballtoday
Instagram: @bcbaseballtoday


⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball Midwest—your hub for full-spectrum youth baseball insight in the Midwest. Subscribe and hit that dinger (🔔) to never miss a game-state insight.

🌐 More YBM:
Website: youthbaseballmidwest.com
YouTube: Youth Baseball MidwestInstagram: @youthbaseballmidwest
TikTok: @YouthBaseballMidwest
X: @YBM_cast
Facebook: Youth Baseball Midwest


Presented by our proud partners:
Game 7 Baseball: game7baseball.com
Prime Sports Midwest: primesportsmw.com


🎥 Production Partner:Red Earth Productions: redearthprod.com

Today’s episode is Part 2 of the crossover conversation between The Hitting Zone and Baseball 101.

In this segment, Dave Wiggins has Michael Yeager, Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator at Johnson County Community College, walk the audience through what the JUCO experience truly looks like from the inside.

From facilities and expectations to structure and strategy, Coach Yeager defines what development actually means at the junior college level.

They break down:

• What daily life looks like inside a JUCO program
• How facilities and structure impact growth
• What expectations are placed on players
• How development is individualized and tracked
• Why JUCO can be one of the most powerful pathways in baseball

If Part 1 challenged how we define development at the youth level, Part 2 shows what it looks like when development is done with intention.

This episode continues the conversation about building better athletes — not better optics.

📲 Follow Michael Yeager:
X (Twitter): @MYeags7

📲 Johnson County Community College Baseball:
X (Twitter): @JCCCBaseball
Instagram: @jcccbaseball

📲 Follow Mitch Thomas:
Instagram: @_mtsperformance
X (Twitter): @TheHittingZoneSTL
TikTok: @thehittingzonestl

📲 Follow Dave Wiggins:
X (Twitter): @CruitsCoachDW
Instagram: @coachdave1338

⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball Midwest—your hub for full-spectrum youth baseball insight in the Midwest. Subscribe and hit that dinger (🔔) to never miss a game-state insight.

🌐 More YBM:
Website: youthbaseballmidwest.com
YouTube: Youth Baseball MidwestInstagram: @youthbaseballmidwest
TikTok: @YouthBaseballMidwest
X: @YBM_cast
Facebook: Youth Baseball Midwest


Presented by our proud partners:
Game 7 Baseball: game7baseball.com
Prime Sports Midwest: primesportsmw.com


🎥 Production Partner:Red Earth Productions: redearthprod.com

We are joined by Kevin Moulder, Scouting Director for Prep Baseball Missouri, and Dave Wiggins (Head Coach at Principia Christian & Recruits Baseball Director) as we discuss the upcoming YBM Game of the Week slate for the 2026 season.

As we march toward our YBM Season Opener, we take an early look at players and matchups from around the state and discuss some of the games we’ll be spotlighting throughout the season.

We’ll break down the teams we are keeping an eye on, players who could make an impact early, and how the Game of the Week schedule is shaping up across Missouri.

Opening Day is getting closer — and the Game of the Week is shaping up to be something special here on Youth Baseball Midwest.

🔒 Join the YBM Club Today

Become a Legacy Member and receive 50% off your first year while supporting independent Missouri & Illinois baseball coverage.

Get exclusive player spotlights, rankings, interviews, and members-only content inside the YBM Club.

👉 https://www.youthbaseballmidwest.com/ybm-club

📣 Guest Socials
Dave Wiggins (HC Principia Christian / Recruits Baseball Director)
X: @CruitsCoachDW
Instagram: @coachdave1338

Kevin Moulder (Prep Baseball Missouri)
X: @PrepBaseballMO
Instagram: @prepbaseballmo

⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball Midwest—your hub for full-spectrum youth baseball insight in the Midwest. Subscribe and hit that dinger (🔔) to never miss a game-state insight.

🌐 More YBM:
Website: youthbaseballmidwest.com
YouTube: Youth Baseball MidwestInstagram: @youthbaseballmidwest
TikTok: @YouthBaseballMidwest
X: @YBM_cast
Facebook: Youth Baseball Midwest


Presented by our proud partners:
Game 7 Baseball: game7baseball.com
Prime Sports Midwest: primesportsmw.com


🎥 Production Partner:Red Earth Productions: redearthprod.com

oday’s Baseball Talk brings us into Illinois baseball with a special guest from the Illinois High School Association, Associate Executive Director Sam Knox, who oversees baseball for the state.
This gives us an opportunity to better understand what goes on behind the scenes and the relationship between the IHSA and your local high school programs. From rules oversight to postseason structure, we take a closer look at how Illinois baseball operates at the highest level.
We’re also joined by Diego Solares to talk Illinois baseball and preview the upcoming Border Battle matchup slated for the season — Francis Howell visiting the Edwardsville Tigers.

We’ll also break down some Class of 2027 standouts we expect to see in this showdown as the rivalry between Missouri and Illinois heats up.

Illinois baseball continues to set the standard — and we’re diving into it here on Youth Baseball Midwest.

📣 Guest Socials
Illinois High School Association (IHSA)
X: @IHSA_IL
Instagram: @ihsa_il

Diego Solares (Scout Connect, Founder)
X: @DeegsBaseball

Scout Connect
X: @ScoutConnectBB
Instagram: @scoutconnectbb

⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball Midwest—your hub for full-spectrum youth baseball insight in the Midwest. Subscribe and hit that dinger (🔔) to never miss a game-state insight.

🌐 More YBM:
Website: youthbaseballmidwest.com
YouTube: Youth Baseball MidwestInstagram: @youthbaseballmidwest
TikTok: @YouthBaseballMidwest
X: @YBM_cast
Facebook: Youth Baseball Midwest


Presented by our proud partners:
Game 7 Baseball: game7baseball.com
Prime Sports Midwest: primesportsmw.com


🎥 Production Partner:Red Earth Productions: redearthprod.com

Today’s episode is Part 1 of a crossover conversation between The Hitting Zone and Baseball 101.

Mitch Thomas is joined by Dave Wiggins (Host of Baseball 101) and Michael Yeager, Assistant Coach & Recruiting Coordinator at Johnson County Community College, for an honest discussion about what development really looks like in youth baseball.

They simplify the conversation down to three core issues:
• If development is the goal, why do we measure success by rings and roster size instead of measurable growth?
• Are families paying for real player development — or for the status of wearing a jersey?
• If athletes aren’t receiving individualized plans for strength, movement, skill, and recovery, can we truly call it development?

This episode challenges how we define progress and asks whether we are building better athletes — or simply better optics.

📲 Follow Mitch Thomas:
Instagram: @_mtsperformance
X (Twitter): @TheHittingZoneSTL
TikTok: @thehittingzonestl

📲 Follow Dave Wiggins:
X (Twitter): @CruitsCoachDW
Instagram: @coachdave1338

📲 Follow Michael Yeager:
X (Twitter): @MYeags7

📲 Johnson County Community College Baseball:
X (Twitter): @JCCCBaseball
Instagram: @jcccbaseball

⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball Midwest—your hub for full-spectrum youth baseball insight in the Midwest. Subscribe and hit that dinger (🔔) to never miss a game-state insight.

🌐 More YBM:
Website: youthbaseballmidwest.com
YouTube: Youth Baseball MidwestInstagram: @youthbaseballmidwest
TikTok: @YouthBaseballMidwest
X: @YBM_cast
Facebook: Youth Baseball Midwest


Presented by our proud partners:
Game 7 Baseball: game7baseball.com
Prime Sports Midwest: primesportsmw.com


🎥 Production Partner:Red Earth Productions: redearthprod.com

This week on Keep Klimbing, Brett Graves visits Premier Pitching’s Fenton, MO location to sit down with Andrew Schwaab, Facility Coordinator, to talk all things showcase season.

Showcases are a major part of today’s recruiting landscape — but they aren’t for everyone, and they aren’t one-size-fits-all.

In this episode, Brett and Andrew break down:
• Who showcase season is truly a good fit for
• What real preparation looks like before stepping on the field
• The difference between exposure and development
• How to define success at a showcase — beyond radar numbers
• Why mindset and readiness matter more than hype

As summer approaches and schedules start filling up, this conversation helps athletes and families make informed decisions about timing, preparation, and expectations.

📍 Filmed at Premier Pitching – Fenton, MO

📲 Connect with Andrew Schwaab

Instagram: @agschwaab
X: @AndrewSchwaab

📲 Connect with Premier Pitching

Main IG: @premierpitching
Fenton IG: @premierpitching.fenton
X: @PremierPitching

📲 Connect with Brett Graves

Instagram: @brettgraves5
X: @bgraves05

⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball Midwest—your hub for full-spectrum youth baseball insight in the Midwest. Subscribe and hit that dinger (🔔) to never miss a game-state insight.

🌐 More YBM:
Website: youthbaseballmidwest.com
YouTube: Youth Baseball MidwestInstagram: @youthbaseballmidwest
TikTok: @YouthBaseballMidwest
X: @YBM_cast
Facebook: Youth Baseball Midwest


Presented by our proud partners:
Game 7 Baseball: game7baseball.com
Prime Sports Midwest: primesportsmw.com


🎥 Production Partner:Red Earth Productions: redearthprod.com

We like to talk baseball, so we decided to do a health check on the state of youth baseball — focusing on the 7U to 14U age groups as we head into another spring and summer season.
In this episode, we sit down with representatives from the Midland organization, Matt Shadow and Jason Stahl, to discuss what development and training actually mean for young players within a structured club environment.

We dive into realistic expectations across age groups, including conversations around what proper development should look like for a 9U baseball player and how growth changes as athletes mature.

We also take on one of the most important — and challenging — topics in youth sports: the relationship between clubs and parents. It’s a conversation that can be difficult on both sides, but one that needs to be addressed as we work toward healthier environments for young athletes.

This episode marks another stop in our Youth Baseball Talk series, where we continue engaging with clubs and baseball communities across the state to have real conversations about development, expectations, and the long-term health of the game.

📣 Guest Socials
Midland Baseball
X: @MidlandBasebal
Instagram: @midlandbaseball

⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball Midwest—your hub for full-spectrum youth baseball insight in the Midwest. Subscribe and hit that dinger (🔔) to never miss a game-state insight.

🌐 More YBM:
Website: youthbaseballmidwest.com
YouTube: Youth Baseball MidwestInstagram: @youthbaseballmidwest
TikTok: @YouthBaseballMidwest
X: @YBM_cast
Facebook: Youth Baseball Midwest


Presented by our proud partners:
Game 7 Baseball: game7baseball.com
Prime Sports Midwest: primesportsmw.com


🎥 Production Partner:Red Earth Productions: redearthprod.com

On this episode of Baseball 101, host Dave “Diamond Dave” Wiggins is joined by Brian French to recap the Scout Connect Winter Showcase that took place this past Saturday.

After spending the day evaluating talent, talking with players, and observing the event firsthand, Dave and Brian break down what stood out — from player preparation and performance to the overall environment of the showcase.

They discuss:
What players did well at the event
How athletes can better prepare for showcases
The importance of competing with confidence and intent
What events like this mean for recruiting and exposure

If you’re a player preparing for your next showcase — or a coach helping guide athletes through the recruiting process — this episode offers real perspective from those who were in the building.

⚾ Baseball 101 — where experience meets education.

📲 Follow Dave Wiggins (Host):
X: @CruitsCoachDW
Instagram: @coachdave1338

⚾ Stay locked in with Youth Baseball Midwest—your hub for full-spectrum youth baseball insight in the Midwest. Subscribe and hit that dinger (🔔) to never miss a game-state insight.

🌐 More YBM:
Website: youthbaseballmidwest.com
YouTube: Youth Baseball MidwestInstagram: @youthbaseballmidwest
TikTok: @YouthBaseballMidwest
X: @YBM_cast
Facebook: Youth Baseball Midwest


Presented by our proud partners:
Game 7 Baseball: game7baseball.com
Prime Sports Midwest: primesportsmw.com


🎥 Production Partner:Red Earth Productions: redearthprod.com