The last episode of the year for Baseball 101 is a subject near and dear to all of us, and that is our relationship with Jesus Christ.

For many years, there has been an organization bringing the good news of Jesus to athletes within high schools all across this nation. Today, Coach Darin Cissell brings to the podcast Brett Graves, Malach Radigan, and Erik Arneson, men who have made a meaningful impact in the lives of young athletes.

Together, they share their experiences, how their lives were changed, and why they continue to share the message of Jesus with today’s youth. This conversation centers on understanding life, purpose, and the importance of following Christ — and how that message continues to shape the hearts of young men through athletics.

🙏 Learn more about Fellowship of Christian Athletes:

FCA National
Website: fca.org
X: @TheFCATeam

FCA St. Louis
Website: stlfca.org
Instagram: @fca_stlouis
X: @FCA_StLouis

📲 Stay connected with Darin Cissell:
Instagram: @drcissell
X: @dcissell

⚾ 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 wanted to look at area pitchers that we believe could carry their teams to a conference and/or district title. When players are discussed at the high school level, the conversation often centers on projectability to the next level, particularly college baseball.

Here on Youth Baseball Midwest, we want to flip that lens and evaluate these pitchers based on their legitimate chances to lead their teams to championships right now.

With the help of a couple of former pitchers who know the Metro talent well, we break down arms that can control games, dominate district week, and set the tone for championship-level runs — regardless of class.

📣 Guest & Contributor Socials:

Dave Wiggins (Principia School HC):
X: @CruitsCoachDW
Instagram: @coachdave1338

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 open the conversation with a look at the strength of Missouri baseball and who currently has control over the state. With Willard High School head coach Scott McGee joining the conversation alongside Kevin Moulder from Prep Baseball, we bring strong perspective as we finish the 2025 season with a bang.

We also roll out the not-too-early Class 4 Top Ten for the upcoming 2026 season, breaking down opportunities across the southwest and identifying which programs may be positioning themselves to make a Final Four run in Ozark, MO.

📣 Guest Socials:
Scott McGee (Willard High School HC):
X: @WillardBaseball
Instagram: @willardtigersbaseball

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

Welcome to The Hitting Zone, where we take tough topics and crush them out of the park! Today on The Hitting Zone Mitch Thomas invites the host of Baseball Talk Brian French on the show to discuss the growing trend of reliance on the bat rather than the quality of the swing. Technology has come a long way in the construction of metal bats to composites. Has youth baseball become too reliant on the technology rather than the skill? What happens when you put a wood bat in the hands of our youth and the swing becomes exposed!


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

⚾ 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 Brett welcomes one of his Mizzou teammates who is also a pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers Rob Zastryzny who was 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 26 games. Commanding the strike zone as a pitcher is key to success, but learning how to command your pitches at the maximum output can be a very difficult task to master. So we have these Brett former MLB pitch and Zastryzny current MLB pitcher here to break down learning how to command your pitch arsenal to reach the next level.

📲 Connect with Rob Zastryzny
Instagram: @robzastryzny
X: @RobZastryzny_8

📲 Connect with Brett Graves & Premier Pitching
Brett Graves → IG: @brettgraves5 | X: @bgraves05
Premier Pitching → IG: @premierpitching | X: @PremierPitching

⚾ 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 Baseball 101, Coach Darin Cissell welcomes Kyle Crookes, Head Coach at the University of Central Missouri, one of the most successful Division II baseball programs in the nation. Coach Crookes brings years of experience and championship-level insight as he and Darin break down what it really takes to get noticed and succeed at the D2 level.

You’ll hear:
⚾ What D2 coaches look for when recruiting student-athletes
🎯 How players can separate themselves from the crowd
💪 Tips on preparation, communication, and character
🏆 What makes D2 baseball unique and why it’s an incredible path for so many players

If you’re a high-school athlete dreaming of college baseball — or a parent or coach helping guide that journey — this episode offers invaluable perspective straight from one of the best in the game.

📲 Stay connected with Darin Cissell:

• Instagram: @drcissell
• X: @dcissell

⚾ Sponsored by Buntmaster

• Instagram: @officialbuntmaster
• X: @buntmasters

👉 Follow UCM Mules Baseball:

• Instagram: @ucmmulesbaseball
• X: @UCMMulesBSB

⚾ 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

You have to go all the way back to 2015 for the last state championship to come out of the Mississippi Valley Conference, when Highland defeated Nazareth Academy 7–6.

In 2025, both Triad and Highland finished tied for the conference title — but it was Triad who broke through, making a Final Four run and securing 3rd place in the Class 3A State Playoffs with a 3–1 victory. 

So what will 2026 look like?
Who returns the pitching depth?
Who has the roster to make another deep postseason march in Class 3A?

Today we break down the contenders, strengths, challenges, and pathways to another MVC team bringing home hardware.

⚾ 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 show breaks down what kind of pitching it takes to win a district title in the always-tough Class 6 Districts 7 and 8.

We also dive into the big disparity in Class 5, where District 8 features four programs that could all be top-ten teams in the state.

Who has the inside track? Which staffs have the depth to survive district week? And what do the not-too-early KC Suburban Power Rankings from Youth Baseball Midwest tell us about who may emerge as contenders?

It’s all on tap as we look at the arms, rotations, and pitching philosophies that could shape the 2026 postseason landscape.


⚾ 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

Jefferson Community College Head Coach Zac Bone steps up to the plate on this episode of The Hitting Zone Podcast. Today, Mitch and Coach Bone break down why junior college baseball is such a strong and often underrated path for student-athletes.

They discuss the opportunities JUCO provides, how it differs from Division I baseball, and why the JUCO route can be the perfect fit for many players looking to develop, compete, and earn their next opportunity. With years of successful junior college coaching experience, Coach Bone brings valuable insight, perspective, and honesty to the conversation.

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

📲 Follow Coach Zac Bone:
jeffco.edu

⚾ 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

In this episode, he begins by breaking down the slider — what the pitch is designed to do, how and when it’s used, and how the pitch should spin to create the sharp lateral movement and depth you're looking for.

Because the slider is one of the most personalized pitches in baseball, grip is the key, and Brett takes a look at multiple variations and opportunities to find the grip that works best for your slider.

📲 Connect with Brett Graves & Premier Pitching
Brett Graves → IG: @brettgraves5 | X: @brettagraves
Premier Pitching → IG: @premierpitching | X: @PremierPitching

⚾ 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