First Pitch
• The ninth-ranked Central Missouri Mules face Minnesota State in the winner's bracket final at the NCAA-II Central Regional on Saturday night, May 21. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Joe Faber Field in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
• The 2016 season marks the 23rd straight year that UCM has won at least 30 games and the 18th time in program history that the Mules have won 40 games.
• The Mules won their 25th MIAA Regular Season Championship this year after being picked to finish third in the MIAA's Preseason Coaches' poll.
• UCM also captured the 21st MIAA Tournament title in program history.
Mules Baseball on the air
• All of UCM's postseason games can be heard live on 1450 KOKO, 98.5 The Bar and warrensburgradio.com.
• Greg Hassler and
Ricky Rivera will be on the call with the Lotspeich Automotive Dugout Show beginning 25 minutes prior to first pitch.
• There will be a free webcast of the game as well. Links are located on the Mules Baseball schedule page on UCMathletics.com.
The Series
• The Mules lead the all-time series with Minnesota State 18-7, but the teams have not met since the 2006 NCAA Regional Tournament, an 8-6 Maverick win.
• The Mules are 8-5 all-time against Minnesota State in NCAA Tournament play. The teams have not met in a regional since 2002 when UCM went 2-1 against MSU in three meetings.
Minnesota State
• Minnesota State enters the game at 36-16 overall after a 7-6 win over Arkansas-Monticello on Friday night.
• The Mavericks are led by eighth-year head coach Matt Magers. He has a 428-322 mark leading the MSU program.
• MSU is hitting .312 as a team with 83 doubles, 14 triples, 48 home runs and 321 RBI.
• Eric Peterson is batting .354 with four home runs and 36 RBI.
• Kyle Toth is also batting .354 with 12 doubles, five homers and 29 driven in.
• Luke Waldek hits .351 with a team-leading seven home runs and 50 RBI. He also leads the team with 13 doubles.
• Josh Wenzel is batting .344 with 12 doubles, three triples, five long balls and 40 RBI.
• Six players are hitting .311 or better and 10 different Mavericks have driven in at least 10 runs.
• The Minnesota State pitching staff has a 4.11 ERA in 52 games and 416.2 innings pitched. The staff has walked 150 and struck out 390 over that span. Opponents are batting .271 against MSU.
• Mitchell Bauer is 6-3 with a 4.09 ERA in 12 appearances and 10 starts. He's struck out 42 and walked only 10 in 55 innings pitched. Opponents are batting .277 against him.
• Josh Matheson is 5-1 with a 4.62 earned run average in 13 total appearances and seven starts.
• Dakota Belter is 6-0 with a 2.87 ERA and seven saves in 21 relief appearances. Opponents are only batting .217 against him.
• The Mavericks have a .963 team fielding percentage. They've committed 66 errors and have turned 41 double plays on the year.
The Mules
• Central Missouri enter the matchup at 40-13 overall after a
6-3 win over Emporia State on Friday night.
• The Mules are hitting .305 as a team with 90 doubles, 25 triples, 70 home runs and 352 RBI.
•
Jake Alexander leads the team with a .398 batting average with 13 doubles, a triple, four home runs and 37 RBI. He has a .471 on-base percentage.
•
Bennett Oliver is hitting .351 and leads the team in home runs with a UCM single-season and MIAA tying-record 23 and a team-best 56 RBI.
•
Derek Cornell is hitting .333 with 18 extra-base hits, including six home runs and has 40 RBI.
•
Cole Distler is batting .319 with 20 extra-base hits and 33 RBI.
•
Matt Elliott is batting .318 out of the leadoff spot. He has 11 doubles, eight triples and nine home runs to go along with 36 runs batted in.
•
Dylan Farrell is hitting .315 with 11 doubles, two triples and 10 home runs and is second on the team with 45 RBI.
• Ten Mules have double figure RBI on the season.
• The pitching staff has a 3.88 team ERA through 53 games and 468.2 innings pitched. The staff has 443 strikeouts and 174 walks during that span.
•
Ethan Westphal is 10-2 with a staff-leading 2.80 ERA in 14 appearances and 13 starts. He leads the team with 99 strikeouts in 93.1 innings pitched and is holding opponents to a .213 batting average.
•
Carlos D'Armas is 4-2 with a 3.87 ERA in 14 starts. He is second on the team with 85 strikeouts in 76.2 innings pitched. Opponents are batting .243 against him.
•
Tyler House is 7-2 with a 4.33 ERA in 15 starts. He's struck out 69 batters in 81 innings pitched and is holding opponents to a .249 batting average.
•
Grant Gavin leads the team with 11 saves to go along with a 4-3 record and a 2.93 ERA in 23 relief appearances. He has struck out 31 batters in 27.2 innings pitched.
•
Lucas Williams is 3-1 with a 3.11 earned run average and four saves in 22 appearances. He has 33 K's in 37.2 innings pitched.
•
Andy Muehlberger is 1-0 with a 2.38 ERA and two saves in 15 relief appearances. He has 11 strikeouts in 11.1 innings pitched.
• The UCM defense has a .969 fielding percentage and has committed 62 errors on the season. The Mules have turned 36 double plays on the year.
Worth Noting
• During MIAA play this year, the Mules hit .313 with runners in scoring position and .619 with runners on third and less than two outs.
• The Mules currently rank seventh in the MIAA in batting with a .305 team average, they are first in pitching (3.88 ERA) and third in fielding (.969 fld%).
Mules in the NCAA Tournament
• The Mules are making their 28th NCAA Regional appearance overall, but the first since 2013 and the first under
Kyle Crookes.
• UCM is 96-55 all-time in NCAA Tournament play after the win over Emporia State.
• The Mules have captured 16 regional championships.
All-MIAA Mules
• After winning the MIAA Regular Season Championship, the Mules had 10 players named to the All-MIAA Team, including two first-teamers.
• Starting pitcher
Ethan Westphal and reliever
Grant Gavin were both named to the First Team and head coach
Kyle Crookes was named MIAA Coach of the Year.
• Second Team honors went to pitcher
Carlos D'Armas, first baseman
Bennett Oliver and designated hitter
Jake Alexander.
• Honorable Mention accolades were awarded to pitchers
Tyler House and
Lucas Williams and outfielders
Derek Cornell,
Matt Elliott and
Dylan Farrell.
All-Region Mules
• Junior relief pitcher
Grant Gavin and junior starter Ethan Wespthal both earned multiple All-Region honors this week.
• Gavin was a First Team All-Region selection by D2CCA and NCBWA, while Westphal earned First Team honors from the D2CCA and a Second Team nod from the NCBWA.
Saving his way in to the record books
• With his save last night against ESU,
Grant Gavin moved in to a tie for third place on the UCM single-season saves list with 11 and in to a tie for sixth place on the career saves list with 14.
• He is one save shy of second place on the single-season chart and one shy of fourth place on the career list.
• His 11 saves this season lead the MIAA and are 12th in NCAA Division II.
Blasting up the charts
• Senior
Bennett Oliver owns the new UCM single-season home run record and he tied the MIAA single-season record with his 23rd home run of the season against Emporia State. He broke the old UCM record of 20, set by Ben Slemmer in 1998 and tied the MIAA record for home runs in a season set by Emporia State's Eric Shortell in 2008 and tied by Dean Long of ESU last year.
• Oliver's 29 career home runs tie him for fourth all-time at Central Missouri. The career record for home runs is 44, set by Nathan Lipowicz (1997-00).
Striking out the opposition
• After his nine-strikeout performance against Emporia State on Friday night,
Ethan Westphal has registered 99 punchouts in 93.1 inning pitched this season. That number ranks him in a tie for fifth all-time in a single-season in UCM history.
• He is four strikeouts shy of fourth place on the list (Steve Sharpe - 103, 2004).
• The UCM single-season strikeout record is 129, set by Danny Powers in 2005.
Three bagger
• Junior centerfielder
Matt Elliott has eight triples on the season, the fifth most in a single-season in UCM history.
• He is one triple shy of third place on the single-season list and three shy of second place.
Last time out
May 20, 2016 - (ST. CLOUD, Minn.) -- The ninth-ranked Mules Baseball team jumped out to a 6-0 lead after three innings then held off a late Emporia State rally to down the Hornets 6-3 on Friday night at Joe Faber Field. With the win, the Mules advance to the winner's bracket final on Friday night against Minnesota State.
   UCM (40-13) struck first in the top of the second inning when
Bennett Oliver led off with an opposite field home run to left. It was his 23rd home run of the season, tying the MIAA single-season record set by Eric Shortell of Emporia State in 2008 and Dean Long of ESU last year. The Mules made it 2-0 in that inning when
Jackson Schnurbusch doubled home
Cole Distler with two outs.
   The Mules put together a big two-out rally in the third to open a 6-0 lead. The first two batters of the inning were retired, but
Jake Alexander was hit by a pitch and scored on Oliver's double to left center to make it 3-0.
Derek Cornell singled home Oliver to make it 4-0 and
Cole Distler put the finishing touches on the inning when he smacked a line drive over the wall in right for a two-run home run.
   The Hornets (38-18) got on the board in the sixth with a two-out rally of their own. With a runner on first and two outs ESU got a single and then a double from Daniel LaMunyon to bring home the first run and make it 6-1. The Hornets had runners at second and third in the inning, but
Ethan Westphal (10-2) got Ryan McBroom to strike out swinging to end the inning.
   ESU cut the lead to three in the eighth inning plating a pair of runs. Dalton Wheat led off the inning with a solo home run to right to make it 6-2. Westphal struck out Jonny Hodges, but then walked Evan Koehler.
Lucas Williams came out of the bullpen and walked the first batter he face to put runners on first and second with only one out. LaMunyon then struck out swinging, but McBroom singled to drive the second run of the inning. ESU had runners at second and third, but Williams struck out Wade Hanna to keep it a three-run cushion for UCM.
   The Mules had runners at first and second with one out in the top of the ninth, but were unable to push any insurance runs across the board. In the ninth,
Grant Gavin got a strikeout and a popup from the first two batters and was ahead of Wheat 0-2, but hit him with the third pitch. He then got Hodges to ground in to a fielder's choice to end the inning and send the Mules on in the winner's bracket.
   Westphal allowed three runson eight hits over 7.1 innings pitched. He walked just one and struck out nine to earn his 10th win of the season. His nine strikeouts in the game gave him 99 for the season, which ties him for fifth most in a single-season in UCM history with Mark Carey (2008).
   Gavin recorded his 11th save of the season, tying him with Nick Webber (2005) and Chris Matlock (2008) for the third most in a UCM single-season. He now has 14 career saves, tied for sixth most all-time in Mules program history with Casey Castrop (1994-97).
   Oliver finished the game 2-for-4 with a double, home run, two RBI and two runs scored; while Distler went 2-for-2 with two driven in and two runs scored.
   The Mules reached the 40-win plateau for the 18th time in school history and the 15th time in the last 18 seasons.
Mules in MIAA play
• The Mules finished 32-7 in MIAA play this season after sweeping Washburn last weekend.
• The Mules won their fifth MIAA Regular Season Championship in the last seven years and the 25th overall in program history this season.
Mules in non-conference action
• The Mules are 8-6 in non-conference action this season after beating Emporia State on Friday night.
• The Mules were 7-9 in non-conference games last season and are 15-15 overall in non-con action under
Kyle Crookes.
The Mules at home
• The Mules are 19-3 at home after after sweeping Missouri Western last weekend.
• Central Missouri was 15-5 at home during the 2015 season.
• The Mules are 774-152-1 (.835) in 927 games played in their 41st season playing home games at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
Mules on the road
• The Mules are 14-5 on the road this season after sweeping a three-game series Washburn last weekend in Topeka.
• The Mules are 26-18 on the road under head coach
Kyle Crookes.
Mules in neutral site games
• The Mules are 7-5 in neutral site games after the win over Emporia State.
• UCM is 10-9 in neutral site games under Crookes.
Mules in the rankings
• The Mules moved up three spots this week to No. 9 in the ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top 30 poll.
• The Mules jumped up 11 spots in the NCBWA Poll from No. 23 to No. 12 in the final poll last week and jumped up four spots to No. 15 in the Perfect Game Baseball poll.
Mules vs. ranked opponents
• The Mules are 8-4 this season when facing a ranked opponent after sweeping a three-game set from No. 30 Washburn to close out the regular season in Topeka.
UCM during the Crookes era
•
Kyle Crookes has a 70-35 (.667) record in his second season as head coach at Central Missouri.
• This season is his first conference championship as head coach at UCM and the second title overall during his time in Warrensburg.
• The Mules went 30-22 during Crookes' first season as head coach. Ten Mules earned All-MIAA honors, including First Team honors for outfielder
Trevor Jones, who went on to earn Second Team All-Region honors as well.
• The Mules were 71-29 in Crookes' two seasons as an assistant coach and captured the 2014 MIAA Regular Season Championship. The Mules garnered five First Team All-MIAA selections and three All-America honors during his two years as an assistant.
• Crookes compiled a 292-164 overall record in eight seasons as the head coach at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College before taking over as an assistant coach at UCM.
Mules Baseball History
• The 2016 season marks the 61st in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span the Mules have compiled a 1,829-721-9 (.716) record in 2,559 games played.
• The Mules have won 40 or more games 17 times, including 14 straight seasons from 1999-2012, and have won 50 or more games nine times.
• The Mules have won or shared 25 MIAA championships, captured 16 regional titles and two national championships.
Mules Baseball by the Numbers
• 28 NCAA Regional Appearances (21 of the last 23 years)
• 25 MIAA Titles (17 of the last 23, including this year)
• 21 MIAA Tournament Titles (17 of the last 23)
• 16 Regional Championships
• 15 Regionals as host site
• 13 Top Five national finishes
• 4 Third place finishes
• 1 National Runner-Up
• 2 National Championships
Mules Baseball: Winningest Team of the 2000s
• The Central Missouri baseball program has had unprecedented success in the last 25 years and has been even more impressive since the year 2000. The Mules were the winningest team in all divisions of the NCAA by victories (508) and percentage (.814, 508-116) from 2000-09. That success has continued through the 2010s.
• The Mules are 798-210 (.792) since the year 2000. An average of 46 wins per season over the last 17 years.
A Tradition of Excellence in Athletics
• Entering the 2015-16 academic year, Central Missouri had won a combined 205 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• Last season, UCM captured five MIAA regular season titles, and three MIAA Tournament crowns.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director
Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 151 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won eight national championships since 1980 (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, women's bowling in 2003, men's basketball in 2014, and women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2015) and 10 national championships overall.
A Tradition of Excellence in the Classroom
• Central Missouri had 218 student-athletes named to the 2014-15 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 29 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Scholar Athletes with at least a 3.5 GPA and having earned all-MIAA honors in their respective sport.
• 17 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had six student-athletes earn Academic All-Region awards in their respective sports with three of those earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors.
• Since the year 2000, UCM is tied for sixth in NCAA-II with 49 Academic All-Americans.
Upcoming
• If the Mules beat Minnesota State on Friday night they will advance to Monday's  championship game at 11 a.m.
• A loss to MSU on Saturday night would drop the Mules in to Sunday afternoon's loser's bracket final at 3:30 p.m.
