17u National Head Coach - Jason Smith
Jason is a 1993 graduate of Marissa High School.  After high school, Jason went on to play at Southeast Missouri State for one year before transferring to BAC (now known as SWIC).  After graduating from BAC, Jason started his coaching career in the now defunct Southwest Baseball Association. In 2002, he was named the varsity coach at his alma mater, Marissa High.  In his 9 year stint as the head coach at MHS, he compiled a record of 191-99. His teams won 6 regional titles in those 9 years, and reached the IHSA state tournament twice. His 2008 and 2009 teams both ended the year as state runner's up.  He was awarded the Belleville News-Democrat Coach of the Year award 3 times, named Southern Illinois Coaches Association Coach of the Year twice, and named IHSBCA Area Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2009.  Jason started the Gateway Bruins in 2018.

15u National Head Coach - Mark Vogel
Mark is a 1986 graduate of Waterloo High School where he was a 4-year starter on the varsity team.  He then attended Kaskaskia College and played for 2 years before transferring to Northern Iowa University for his final 2 years of baseball eligibility.   After his playing career concluded, he started his coaching career by becoming an assistant at Northern Iowa for one year before coming home to Waterloo to take over the junior high baseball program.  Since 1991, Mark has amassed over 500 wins at the junior high level to go along with 17 conference championships, 12 regional championships, and 3 SIJHSAA state championships.  In 1993, Mark became the high school varsity coach at Waterloo as well and has had equally great success.  Since 1993, he has won 551 games including 7 conference championships, 5 regional titles, and 2 state tournament appearances...claiming 3rd place in both 2011 and 2019.  He has been named Belleville News Democrat Coach of the Year numerous times and has been IHSBCA area Coach of the Year twice.  Coach Vogel is a member of the Mon-Clair League Hall of Fame, Greater St. Louis Amatuer Baseball Hall of Fame, and was just. elected to the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.

18U Head Coach - Brett Isaacs
​Brett is a 1988 graduate of Pinckneyville High School where he was a multi-sport standout.  He then continued his baseball career, first at BAC (now SWIC) from 1988-90 and then at Murray State in 1990-1992.  Brett began his coaching career with the Pinckneyville Legion team from 1991-1994.  He also coached JV baseball at Nashville High School in 1994 and 1995 before being hired as the head baseball coach at Althoff High School.  Brett coached Althoff from 1996-2015, amassing 376 wins.  He produced 9 twenty-win seasons, won 5 regional titles, and had 49 kids go on to play college baseball.  He has also been a volunteer assistant coach at Freeburg Junior High for the past 8 years and coached his son's select teams for a total of 9 years.  Brett is the director of the locally renowned Mike Kelley Foundation baseball camp.

16u American Head Coach - Ethan Smith
Ethan is a 2021 graduate of Freeburg High School where he helped his team capture the 2021 IHSA State Championship.  Ethan was a switch hitting infielder and pitcher.  As a senior, Ethan led the St. Louis metro area in saves with 6, which also set a school record at FCHS.  Ethan has played in, or coached in, every Bruins season.  He started playing with the Bruins in 2019 and last year, he worked as an assistant coach for the 15u team.  

18U Head Coach - Dan Lehman
Dan is a 1992 graduate of Gibault High School where he was a 3-sport standout.  After high school, Dan continued his baseball career at McKendree University before going into teaching and coaching.  He coached baseball at Martinsville High School and Marshall High School, where he coached AAA pitcher Derek Eitel.  Dan has also had success coaching golf and basketball at the high school level.  For 7 years Dan coached one of the elite youth teams in the STL area and he has led his Bruins group to 8 tournament championships since he started with us at 15u.  

16u National Head Coach - Don Eddy
Don is in his second year with the Bruins and will be coaching our 216u National team.  He brings a wealth of experience and success to our program.  Don played at Belleville East High School and graduated in 1998.  After that, he went on to McKendree University and graduated with a business degree.  He started his coaching career at Marissa from 1999-2002.  Don became the head coach at Mascoutah High School in 2005 and has been there since.  In his 18 seasons, he has amassed 389 wins, 2 MVC titles, 7 regional championships, & 2 sectional championships.  He was awarded IHSBCA Coach of the Year and BND Coach of the Year in 2014.  He has also coached a team in the SLABA and has won 4 SLABA 17/18u titles.  

17u American Head Coach - Carson Smith
Carson is entering his 4th season with the Bruins.  He will again coach the 17u American team this summer.  Carson also coaches the junior high basketball team in Smithton and is an assistant for the Freeburg High School varsity baseball team.  He helped lead the Midgets to a record setting year. in 2021, including a school record 36 wins and an IHSA 2A State Championship.  Carson graduated from SIU-E with a major in elementary education with a coaching minor.  

15 American Head Coach - Mike Sabo
Mike is a 1992 graduate of Red Bud High School.  After a couple of All-Area and All-Conference seasons at RBHS, Mike went to play at MacMurray College where he was a standout infielder.  He was named All-Conference three times and finished his career with a .370 batting average.  He was inducted to the MacMurray Hall of Fame in 1998 and was named to the SLIAC All-Decade team for the 1990's.  Mike has coached in the Tigers and Prospects organizations before joining the Bruins this season.  He is also working as our assistant director of baseball.
​

Infield Coach - Kurt Muskopf
​Kurt is a 1991 graduate of Belleville West, where he was an All-Area player.  He received a scholarship to continue his baseball career at Murray State University, where he was an infielder for 4 years.  After graduating, Kurt played one year of minor league baseball in the Heartland League before starting his coaching journey.  He coached for 2 seasons at NCAA Division 2 Maryville University, where he was in charge of the infielders.  The past 13 years he has devoted his time to coaching youth baseball in his hometown of Millstadt.