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 over the past seven episodes — from leadership to culture, faith to development — and shows how the game continues to teach us all, on and off the field.

⚾ Because baseball isn’t just about wins and losses… it’s about what really matters.

Make sure you’re following Coach Cissell as he continues to educate us in the language of life through baseball.

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

⚾ Sponsored by Buntmaster
Instagram: @officialbuntmaster
X: @buntmasters

⚾ 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 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 have to figure out where to get the offense.

📅 Mark Your Calendars — Prime Sports Midwest Demo Day!
🗓 Saturday, November 15 | Starts at 9 AM
📍 Prime Sports Midwest – St. Peters
🎯 Demo the latest bats, test new gear, win prizes, and register your team for a chance to win custom jerseys!
👉 https://www.primesportsmw.com

⚾ 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 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
📍 Prime Sports Midwest – St. Peters
🎯 Demo the latest bats, test new gear, win prizes, and register your team for a chance to win custom jerseys!
👉 https://www.primesportsmw.com

⚾ 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 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 young pitchers understand what it takes to Keep Klimbing.

📲 Connect with Brett Graves
Instagram: @brettgraves5

⚾ 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 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, and live streaming of the Sunday 14U championship bracket.

📅 Mark Your Calendars — Prime Sports Midwest Demo Day!
🗓 Saturday, November 15 | Starts at 9 AM
📍 Prime Sports Midwest – St. Peters
🎯 Demo the latest bats, test new gear, win prizes, and register your team for a chance to win custom jerseys!
👉 https://www.primesportsmw.com

⚾ 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 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 one of these two divisions in this very competitive conference.

📅 Mark Your Calendars — Prime Sports Midwest Demo Day!
🗓 Saturday, November 15 | Starts at 9 AM
📍 Prime Sports Midwest – St. Peters
🎯 Demo the latest bats, test new gear, win prizes, and register your team for a chance to win custom jerseys!
👉 https://www.primesportsmw.com


⚾ 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

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:
Instagram: @_mtsperformance
Twitter/X: @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

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 here as Brett breaks it down, along with a few of his own experiences from his playing days in the MLB.

📲 Connect with Brett Graves
Instagram: @brettgraves5



⚾ 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 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 through these important topics here on Baseball 101, where the classroom meets the locker room — and faith keeps us grounded.

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

⚾ Sponsored by Buntmaster
Instagram: @officialbuntmaster
X: @buntmasters

👉 Follow Staley Baseball:
Instagram: @staley_baseball
X: @Staley_Baseball

⚾ 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 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
📍 Prime Sports Midwest – St. Peters
🎯 Demo the latest bats, test new gear, win prizes, and register your team for a chance to win custom jerseys!
👉 https://www.primesportsmw.com


⚾ 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