Who we are
We are Jeremy and Jessi Graves. We wanted to find indoor training space where our boys could practice baseball during our long Minnesota winters. Jeremy wanted to pursue his passion for coaching the game he loves. So when an old farmstead came up for sale, that happened to have a large outbuilding on it, we decided to take the leap and turn it into a baseball training facility.
Okay, so maybe the building isn’t too impressive from the outside, but we really spruced it up the inside! The space will have everything you need to get your baseball and softball skills to the next level, and we want to make it available for our community to use as well.
What We Do
At Next Level Baseball + Softball, we work with athletes to help get them to their next level. We take a health-first approach towards instruction so athletes can safely progress in the game making them smarter, stronger, healthier, and more mentally resilient.
Our mission is simple: to inform, instruct and inspire athletes to grow not just as players on the field, but as people off the field. We believe in empowering each athlete to take control of their program and their progression. Next Level is not a baseball factory, we are a high-level program that stresses player development through hard work and dedication. We strive to positively impact player performance by using the latest National Pitching Association (NPA) research and protocols. We educate athletes, expose them to drills and activities to promote learning, and provide them experience to be applied both in the game and in life. All of this is done in an environment conducive to allowing skill development.
The Graves
jeremy@nextlevelbaseballmn.com
Coach Graves
Jeremy Graves is co-owner of Next Level Baseball + Softball and a certified instructor of National Pitching under Tom House Sports. He is committed to training athletes with the same research-based protocols trusted by over 1,000+ MLB Pitchers and 70+ NFL QB’s.
As a player, Jeremy fell in love with the game of baseball at the age of 6. Growing up in a small town, he played on the Babe Ruth baseball team. In high school, he attended Doyle Baseball Academy as a player, then became an instructor there during his college years. In college, he played Division 1 baseball until a significant knee injury ended his playing career. While being a player, Doyle Baseball instructor, youth and high school baseball coach, and a National Pitching Association instructor, Jeremy acquired a passion for continuous learning and developing players. Baseball has provided him a lot of opportunities in life, and with dedication and hard work, he hopes baseball will provide the athletes he works with similar opportunities.
Jeremy has a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota. He has a beautiful wife Jessi, two boys (Dax and Zane), and two dogs (Josie and Zeke). As a family, we enjoy spending time together, enjoying all things baseball, being out on the lake and making a positive difference.
jessi@nextlevelbaseballmn.com
Jessi Graves
Jessi is a co-owner of Next Level Baseball + Softball. Growing up, she played recreation league softball in the summers, During high school, she spent a lot of summer nights at the baseball field watching Jeremy play. These days, she loves watching her two boys, Dax and Zane, play baseball. She also enjoys running, walking their two dogs (Josie and Zeke), hanging out on the lake, and traveling with her family..
Jessi will be helping out with managing the facility and the website. She has a Computer Science degree from St. Cloud State University.
Coaching Staff
Coach Parker
Coach Jack Parker is a 2019 graduate of Bordentown Regional High School (New Jersey) where he was a 4 year letter winner and 2-sport captain in both football and baseball. After graduation, Coach Parker pursued his Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with a Middle School Social Studies Endorsement, where he also continued his athletic career by playing baseball at North Central University in Minneapolis, MN. While completing his degree, he was a 3-year starter and letterwinner, as well as a two time captain, and an Honorable Mention All-UMAC selection as both a catcher and pitcher for the Rams. During his three year career at NCU, he batted .285 while slugging .428.
Coach Parker is both the Head JV Baseball Coach at Mound Westonka High School (MWHS) as well as the Head Junior Legion Coach for Westonka. He specializes in both catching and hitting instruction. In addition to coaching baseball, Coach Parker is also the Head JV Football Coach at MWHS. In the summer, Coach Parker helps out with the summer strength and conditioning program at MWHS
Along with his coaching duties, Coach Parker is a middle school science and social studies teacher at Grandview Middle School. Coach Parker resides in Mound.
Coach Eidsness
Coach Scott Eidsness has over 20 years of experience coaching softball along with football, basketball, baseball and soccer. He was the Head Westonka Varsity Softball Coach for 12 years, prior to retiring after last season. In addition, Scott has coached summer club/travel ball at all levels from 10U to 18U for various club, and has ran summer softball hitting and fielding clinics for ages 6-14 for several years.