Meet the Staff

Coach Hales brings over two decades of coaching excellence. His extensive background in player development makes him a distinguished leader in collegiate baseball. Hales started as a Coach at Oswego High School leading his teams to multiple conference titles and regional championships. He also spent nine seasons with Elite Baseball Training developing players who earned Division 1 scholarships under his guidance. At Waubonsee Community College, Coach Hales continues to build upon his legacy of excellence, preparing the next generation of baseball players for success at the collegiate level and beyond.

Coach Hardman has guided the Stars to two appearances in the NACC Tournament while shattering a number of program records including wins and program best 3.79 earned run average. Hardman also spent five seasons with the North Park University Vikings, serving as the Associate Head Baseball Coach and at North Central College serving as the Cardinals Assistant Coach for four seasons. As a collegiate player, Hardman started his career at Loras College where he went 8-1 as a starting pitcher and was named Newcomer of the Year. He also played at Illinois Valley Community College and finished at Northern Illinois where he was a two-year letter winner for the Huskies. After college, Hardman pitched professionally in the Frontier League with the Cook County Cheetahs, Rockford River Hawks and the Kenosha Mammoths.

Nieckula is a former professional baseball player who spent 4 seasons in the minors with the A's and 1 season with the San Francisco Giants. Shortly after, he coached and managed with the Kane County Cougars for 3 seasons. Coach Nieckula is currently Head Baseball Coach at Marmion Academy where he focuses on leading, developing and mentoring high school student-athletes so that they continue to grow their character, maximize their athletic talents, and achieve success both on and off the field.

Coach Jones is ASEP Certified (American Sport Education Program), a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association and Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association. He started his baseball career at Labette College and was a member of the .300 Batting Average Club. Before his coaching tenure at Nazareth Academy, Jones was the former Head Baseball Coach for the White Sox Elite Travel Team where he worked with MLB coaches and players. He also served as Head JV Baseball Coach at Driscoll Catholic High School. Coach Jones' love for baseball is deep rooted and lifelong. He is relentlessly enthusiastic about helping young athletes succeed on and off the field, which is reflected at Midwest Baseball Academy and Midwest Sports Training.

Dr. Josh Younce brings over 20 years of experience to his practice, proudly serving the local community with a focus on sports medicine and family-based chiropractic care. Dr. Younce has served as the team physician for several athletic programs, including Wheaton Academy High School, and remains actively involved in youth sports through faith-based initiatives. He is passionate about helping young athletes and working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organization.

Michael Settle is an elite strength and conditioning coach and educator dedicated to maximizing athletic potential. Born and raised in Lombard, Illinois, Michael earned a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Northern Illinois University, followed by a Master's in Exercise Science and a Master's in Education from Concordia University Chicago. Fully certified including his USAW credential, Michael has trained athletes at the Division I level for Coastal Carolina, Northwestern Football, the University of South Carolina Football, Kent State Football, and Illinois Tech Basketball. At the prep level, he helped rebuild Glenbard East Football, served as strength coach during Providence Catholic Football's state championship run, and directed performance for Canes Illinois Travel Baseball, Benet Academy Basketball and Lacrosse, and Marist Lacrosse and Volleyball. In 2017, Michael founded Never Settle Performance LLC, combining his dual backgrounds in education and exercise science to mentor athletes of all sports and skill levels.

Keith Yario serves as the Director of Operations for Midwest Baseball Academy, bringing more than 26 years of leadership experience in youth athletics and professional talent development. Keith has coached the Bartlett Silver Hawks from the 10U through 14U levels, helping lead teams to sustained success including a WSBL AAA Championship. He continues to coach competitive 14U and 15U travel baseball while mentoring high school athletes. His coaching philosophy emphasizes strong fundamentals, character, accountability, discipline, and creating a positive environment where athletes can grow both on and off the field. Committed to athlete safety, Keith holds USA Baseball Abuse Awareness Certification and Human Kinetics Sports First Aid Certification. Professionally, Keith has built a successful career in Information Technology Talent Acquisition and Human Resources, partnering with organizations to identify and develop top talent.