From the Carthage mound to the Minor League

Immekus joins Reds single-A affiliate, Daytona Tortugas, as Pitching Coach

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1994 CHS Graduate Jason Immekus is the 2025 Daytona Tortugas Pitching Coach. Photo provided

For a boy growing up in the small town of Carthage, Mo., there was always something captivating about America’s favorite past-time … baseball. It was that passion that led him to where he is today as a pitching coach for a Cincinnati Reds affiliate in the Minor League.

Jason Immekus said he was always at the chain-link fences, and as soon as he was given permission, along the sidelines of sporting events. But baseball stole his heart – specifically at the American Legion level – hanging on the words of coaches Ray Harding, John Burgi and Carl Houck.

“I was very fortunate to have tremendous people in my life,” Immekus said. “Talk about a storybook upbringing – a lot of people talk about my desire and passion for baseball but I credit my parents to where I am. They always kept things in perspective for me. It didn’t matter if it was a good or bad game, they always loved me. The older I get, the more I realize how impactful that is. And Carthage. A place where we rode our bikes around town – with great people. I am so proud of where I come from – I absolutely love it.”

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The son of Larry and Donna Immekus graduated from Carthage High School with the Class of 1994. Out of high school, he played for the Richmond Roosters in Richmond, Indiana, as well as the Kalamazoo Kings (Mich.) in the independent Frontier League. He said he had a lot of fun playing ball, but along the way, he discovered another aspect to the sport that he would come to love just as much – helping others improve their game. Soon, words that were once poured into him came flooding back and he passed them on to other players.

“I remember this one time, Coach Houck pulled me aside – he saw I was nervous, playing with older kids – and he said, ‘I wish you believed in yourself the way I believe in you,’ and that was a big moment for me,” Immekus said. “It’s one of those things you don’t realize the impact it made until it’s years past, but if I could be that for others – that’s what you want to do as a coach.”

Throughout Immekus’ early career, he helped several teams including Washburn, JeffCo, Crowder, Missouri Southern State University and Pittsburg State University.

During his five-year stint with MSSU, Immekus was proud of the team’s success. He coached an MIAA Pitcher of the Year and six All-MIAA pitchers, and was part of a Conference Championship and Conference Tournament Championship, while advancing to two NCAA Regionals. On top of building a caliber program, Immekus also used this time to keep a promise he made to himself and finished his degree. It had been a rollercoaster of a decade – losing close family members and the chaos of a pandemic – but he married Kathleen and added two bonus kids to his family circle.

In 2021, Immekus joined Premier Pitching & Performance in Springfield. As leading experts in baseball, the technological advantage to studying the mechanics of the sport put Immekus at the next level in coaching.

“Cody Fick and his team at Premier have been so impactful in getting me to where I am today,” Immekus said. “What’s really cool, and just crazy to me, is that I recruited Cody to play and then later down the line, he was able to help me. It just shows that you gotta do the right thing, and it all works out.”

In 17 years, Immekus coached 60 players who signed professionally, including seven who went on to play at the Major League. His valuable outlook has been requested behind the mic on several podcasts where he has shared his thoughts on everything from watching screens that measure precise ball movement, to the mindset skills players need for the game.

The 2025 Daytona Tortugas coaching staff includes CHS graduate Jason Immekus as Pitching Coach. Photo provided

“I was raised ‘old school baseball,’” Immekus said. “The older I get, the more the tech becomes a part of it, and you have to be able to leverage that tech to educate players. But I have the position to use that as well as the old school ways of having a conversation, getting to know the player and learning to ask the right questions to get them in the right mindset. You gotta learn what they respond to, be honest with them, and come with a plan. I think it’s different for each player but it starts with being truthful. Learning a good mindset is a strong suit for me because that’s how I got an edge in the game, and I’ve carried that into coaching. We all know what we need to do, but when things go sideways you gotta know how to get back to good as quick as you can.”

It’s this mound of knowledge that earned Immekus his next step in his pitching coaching career this year – on the team roster for the Daytona Tortugas. This team is an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds, a team with a rich history that dates back to 1881.

“There’s a level of responsibility and pride in joining a tradition like this, and I don’t take it lightly,” Immekus said. “There’s so much respect for those who have come before us, and it’s an honor to join in that tradition.”

Immekus will spend six weeks in Arizona for the team’s spring training, then to Daytona for the season opening in April. The Immekus family makes their off-season home in St. Louis, but first … a stop in Carthage to talk to the baseball team, see the new stadium and snag some Taco Town.

“I owe baseball everything – It’s given me the opportunity to play in 35 states and two other countries, but you want people who grew up like I did in a small town to know that it can happen if you work hard,” he said. “Keep going, keep improving – it doesn’t matter your age – it’s possible to do something you’ve always wanted. Maybe I was too dumb to quit, it’s just one of those things that I wanted to make an impact the way Harding, Burgi and Houck did for me. I have so much gratitude for my village. I couldn’t do this without the support of my wife and family, Cassie and Kirk. My parents, Larry and Donna, and my sisters, Michelle and Julie Immekus.”

In loving memory of

Larry Immekus (1949-2015) • Trent Morgan (1995-2021) • Carl Houck (1952-2021) • Steve Anson (1954-2014)

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