Our Staff
CODY
Smith
Owner
Cody Smith attended Kettle Moraine High School from 2005 to 2008. He helped take Kettle Moraine to their first State Championship baseball game in 20 years. During his time at Kettle Moraine, Cody was named All-Lake County, All-Conference, All-State, and runner up to Player of The Year. Cody has assisted with committing over 70 players to college programs; half of these players have continued playing baseball with Division I schools such as Arizona State, Oklahoma State, Texas Christian, University of North Carolina, and many more.
Trevor
Theissen
Co-Owner
Coach Trevor Theissen is one of the co-founders of the Midwest Halos Program. Prior to the Halos, he coached in the area at other local travel ball programs as well in the High School circuit as an Assistant Varsity coach at New Berlin Eisenhower and West Allis Hale. He spent his final two college seasons at North Carolina Central University (D1) and was named Second Team All-Conference. Coach Theissen specializes in his work with our infielders as well as working with our hitters. Looking to book a lesson? Email Trevor at: trtheissen@gmail.com
Dominic
Clementi
General Manager
Clementi, an Arrowhead High School graduate, played at the University of Michigan, where he was a College World Series finalist. In 2018, Clementi was awarded the Bill Freehan Offensive Player of the Year after leading the Big Ten Conference in hitting. Off the field, Clementi was a representative for the Student-Athlete Academic Committee, amongst many other groups for which he was passionate about. After his playing career finished, Clementi earned positions on the coaching staff at Wayne State University, Creighton University, and the Michigan Monarchs, a team in the Great Lake Summer Collegiate Baseball League.
Ty
Peccioli
Pitching Coordinator
TYLER
BRANDEnBURG
North Program Director
SAM
RAMIREZ
Assistant Youth Director
Tyler Peccioli attended Marian University from 2016-19 and studied exercise science. In his Marian career, Peccioli pitched 39 times making 22 starts with nine wins, a save, and two complete games. He struck out a total of 144 hitters during his career, 10th on the all-time strikeout list, over 155.1 innings for an 8.34 strikeouts per nine innings rate. Throughout his college career, Peccioli played in the Northwoods League and Prospect League. After college, he signed a professional contract with the Schaumburg Boomers. Looking to book a lesson? Email Ty at: tylerpeccioli27@gmail.com.
Tyler Brandeburg is a 2019 graduate of Lake Country Lutheran High School, where he set multiple school records and was named the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Player of the Year. He signed a baseball scholarship with Purdue University, beginning his collegiate career at the Division I level. After a coaching change at Purdue, Brandeburg transferred to Heartland Community College, where he played two strong seasons. In 2022, he helped lead Heartland to a 49-10 record and a Junior College World Series appearance. Over his two-year career at Heartland, he posted a .336 batting average, 14 home runs, and 71 RBIs, despite missing a third of his first season due to injury. Following his college career, Brandeburg pursued opportunities in independent professional baseball. His path was temporarily derailed by back-to-back season-ending surgeries, but he remained active in the game. For the past two summers, he has been coaching with STiKS Academy, focusing on player development and helping the next generation of athletes elevate their game.
Samuel “Sam Ram” Ramirez has over 15 years of experience coaching youth and travel baseball. He began with the Milwaukee Hitmen, working with 8–12-year-olds and focusing on fundamentals, mechanics, and discipline. He later coached a top team at GTS Baseball in Elkhorn, WI, continuing to develop athletes who have gone on to play at the collegiate level. For the past four years, Ramirez has been with the Midwest Halos, helping guide one of the program’s most successful teams. Under his leadership and alongside a talented staff, the team earned national recognition and competed at the Perfect Game World Championship in Jupiter, Florida—the pinnacle of travel baseball. Known for his player-first approach and attention to detail, Ramirez is committed to developing both the skills and character of young athletes.
Griffen
Doersching
Coach
Griffin Doersching is currently on his 4th year of professional baseball. The last 3 years he has spent in the minor leagues with the San Diego Padres. He was drafted in the 8th round of the 2022 MLB draft after finishing the season with the Oklahoma State Cowboys. He was a first-team All-Big-12 player. Griffin also played at Northern Kentucky University where he was Freshman of the Year and All-conference in all three seasons. He holds the single season Home run Record hitting 20 home runs in 2021 and finished second all-time on the school’s home run list. Book lessons with Griffin by emailing: griffindoerschinghitting@gmail.com
Josh
Diorio
Coach
Coach Diorio bio coming soon! Book a lesson with Josh today at jjdiorio27@gmail.com
FReddy
DAVIS
Instructor
Freddy Davis brings a wealth of professional playing and coaching experience to the field. A standout at The Citadel, Davis played three seasons and earned multiple All-Conference honors. His success in college led to his selection by the Miami Marlins in the 2014 MLB Draft. In his debut season, Davis earned a spot on the New York-Penn League All-Star Team. Over five seasons with the Marlins organization, he advanced to Double-A with the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, showcasing his defensive skills and versatility. Davis continued his career in the American Association, where he played two seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs and three with the Milwaukee Milkmen. He was a key contributor to both teams’ success, earning two championship rings—one with each club—and helping his teams to five consecutive playoff appearances. Following his retirement as a player, Davis transitioned seamlessly into coaching. Now entering his fourth season as a professional coach, he serves as an Assistant Hitting Coach with the Milwaukee Milkmen. Known as a repeat Gold Glove-caliber defender, Davis brings elite knowledge of all positions and a strong track record of developing players both offensively and defensively.
JESSE
WILKENING
Instructor
Jesse Wilkening, a graduate of Hanover Central High School in Cedar Lake, Indiana, was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks out of high school but chose instead to play college baseball at the University of Nebraska. During his time with the Cornhuskers, Wilkening became a Big Ten Champion, earned All-Big Ten honors, and established himself as one of the premier catchers in the conference. Following his standout college career, Wilkening was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the MLB Draft, launching his professional playing career behind the plate. After his time in professional baseball, Wilkening transitioned into coaching and player development, where he has worked with athletes of all levels to improve their catching, hitting, and overall baseball IQ. He is also the founder of Own the 6, a mental performance coaching program dedicated to helping baseball and softball players strengthen the six inches between their ears. Through Own the 6, Wilkening combines his experience as a pro athlete with proven mental training strategies to mentor players on both the physical and mental sides of the game.
