Baseball Set for 2018 Home Opener

WARRENSBURG, Mo. (Feb. 8, 2018) - Central Missouri Baseball has had some changes to their home-opening weekend schedule, but are set to host Colorado-Colorado Springs for a doubleheader Friday, Feb. 9. Game three is still TBD based on weather.

Opponent: Colorado-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions (2-2)

When: Friday, Feb. 9, 2018 (DH)
            Game three: TBD

Where: Warrensburg, Mo. - Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field

First Pitch
• Central Missouri will open up the home portion of their 2018 schedule with a series against Colorado-Colorado Springs. 
• The Missouri weather has already played a factor, altering their weekend plans. The Mules will now play a doubleheader Friday starting at 12 p.m. Game two to immediately follow. Game three is still to be determined.

Quick Hits
• Central Missouri was picked to finish second in the MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Central Missouri totaled 32 wins last year. The Mules have won at least 30 games in all three seasons under Coach Crookes.
• The Mules have finished with a winning record in each of the last 32 seasons. 
• Central Missouri was receiving votes in the preseason ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Poll.
• UCM started the season going 1-2 at the Houston Winter Invitational. After a win on opening day, the Mules dropped their final two.

The Series
• This will be the first ever meeting between Central Missouri and Colorado-Colorado Springs. 

Colorado-Colorado Springs
• Colorado-Colorado Springs went 22-27 during the program's innagural season in 2017 and finished just over the .500 mark in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference at 17-16.
• They struggled at the end of the season as they lost nine of their last 10 games, the last eight in regular season and the first two of the RMAC Tournament. 
• UCCS received 39 votes in the RMAC preseason coaches poll to place them tied for fourth in the conference, alongside CSU-Pueblo.
• Third baseman Colin Ludwig earned RMAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2017. He started all 49 games and hit .345 with a team-leading 17 doubles. 
• Also garnering recognition last season for the Mountain Lions, Joe Slocum was named to the All-RMAC team. He made 17 appearances, earned eight saves, and finished with a 3.38 earned run average.
• The Mountain Lions are off to a 2-2 start this season, after splitting their opening series between Cal Poly Pomona. 
• Sophomore Bailey Hansen was named the RMAC Pitcher of the Week for his performance against Cal Poly Pomona. He pitched 5.1 innings and gave up just one run on two hits while striking out four batters and walking one in the 8-3 win.
• Three of the four Mountain Lions starters threw five innings and gave up just one earned run. Joe Slocum tossed six innings and gave up one run on six hits with two strikeous.
• At the plate, Zach Hall hit a pair of solo home runs as a part of his four hits in 16 at bats.
• 11 Mountain Lions have already picked up at least one RBI and seven have at least two. Three from UCCS share the team lead with three runs driven in.
• UCCS did some base-stealing last week, collecting five in six attempts. Cody Norton was 2-2.
• In 32 innings in the field, the Mountain Lions committed just three errors and sport a .978 fielding percentage into this weekend's games. 
• The Mountain Lion bullpen struggled. Their four starters gave up just seven runs in 20.1 innings, while their pen surrendered 16 runs in 11.2 innings, though only 11 were earned runs. 

The Mules
• Central Missouri is 1-2 so far in this young 2018 season. 
• Donovan Ditto is off to a hot start at the plate. The true freshman is 4-8 with one home run, one double and four runs batted in.
• Junior Ben Kelsch earned MIAA Pitcher of the Week accolades after his outing against St. Mary's. He threw five innings, giving up just one run on three hits and striking out a career-high five batters in the 8-3 victory. 
• The offense struggled in games two and three in Houston, scoring just two runs in 18 innings. Those came on an Elijah Dilday two-run home run Texas A&M-Kingsville. 
• UCM scored 10 runs and collected 22 hits in Houston, but struck out 24 times while drawing only nine walks.
• Central Missouri was 5-7 stealing a base. Three of those came from Mason Janvrin, who also drew four of the Mules nine walks. 

Last time out
HOUSTON, Texas (Feb. 4, 2018) - Central Missouri Mules Baseball wrapped up the Houston Winter Invitational with a loss to Colorado-School of Mines. The Mules fell Sunday afternoon 6-0 and stand at 1-2 on the season.

Play by Play 
• Zach Girrens got the start and was cruising through three hitless innings. Jace Selsor greeted him in the fourth though with a home run to right to open the scoring.
• The Orediggers scored in four straight innings starting with the fourth. They added a run in fifth loading the bases with no out. Girrens got Colton Wardle to line into a double-play and had a chance to escape the jam unharmed. Selsor got to him again, this time doubling to left to drive in a run.
• The Mules had a chance to answer in the bottom of the inning as Jackson Schnurbusch led off with a double. He would be thrown out at home attempting to score on a ground ball. That was UCM's best scoring opportunity of the day.
• Colorado-Mines put up three in the sixth on consecutive RBI hits. The inning started with Charlie Skantze retiring the first two hitters. The next four batters all reached base after, three of which came around to score.
• The Orediggers put an insurance run on the board with an RBI single by Derek Daly. 
• UCM got the leadoff hitter on in the ninth, but he was erased on a double-play and the game ended two batters later.

Mules Stat Leaders
• Girrens made his first start of the season and lasted 4.2 innings giving up two runs (one earned) on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts.
• Luke Mercer threw two scoreless innings out of the bullpen with three strikeouts.
• Micah Evans went 1-2 with a double.
• Harrison Schnurbusch also doubled in four at bats.
• Mason Janvrin reached base twice on a pair of walks.
• Travis Able pinch hit and stole a base.

For the Orediggers
• Drew Burman started and got the win going five innings and giving up three hits with four walks.
• The Oredigger bullpen combined for four shutout innings, giving up two hits, one walk and striking out five.
• Jace Selsor was a triple shy of the cycle. He finished 4-5 with a double- home run, three RBI and two runs scored.
• John Howard went 2-4 with an RBI and two runs.

News and Notes
• The Mules left eight runners on base.
• The loss is Girrens' first in a Mules uniform.
• Central Missouri's last time being shut out game in the 2016 NCAA Division II World Series, 3-0 to Cal Poly Pomona. 

Southpaw Success
• The Mules took 29 at bats against left-handed pitching in Houston and did well. The team hit .310, going 9-29. Lefty Collin Nevil was 2-5 and Donovan Ditto went 2-3.
• Mules opponents have not yet had an at bat against UCM with a lefty on the mound.
• The same cannot be said for Mules pitchers when facing a lefty batter. Left handers are hitting .400 against the Mules with 8 hits in 20 at bats. They are holding righthanders to just a .193 average with 16 hits in 83 at bats. 

Starting Slow
• One of Central Missouri's biggest problems in Houston was getting the leadoff man to reach base to start an inning. In the 26 innings the Mules took a turn at bat in, the leadoff hitter reached base just six times which is 23.1%. Mason Janvrin led off six times and reached twice. Ryan Toliver was 2-3 when starting an inning. Mules pitchers allowed 40.7% of leadoff batters to reach starting an inning.
• In terms of run scoring, the Mules have scored half of their runs in the eighth and ninth innings, meaning that they have scored five runs in innings 1-7. 
• Mules starters have kept it clean in the first two innings, but have struggled in the middle part of games. Opponents have scored in innings 3-7, including a combined seven runs in the third. The back end of the bullpen has kept opponents off the board in the eighth and ninth innings. Part of that success goes to Coby Seiz who worked three scoreless innings out of the bullpen in UCM's opener to earn his first career save. 

Like Father, Like Son
• Mules centerfielder Mason Janvrin is the son of UCM Track and Field coach, Kip Janvrin. Mason had a successful high school track career in addition to baseball, as a sprinter and jumper. Kip Janvrin, was an Olympic decathlete, making the games in 2000. 

In a Pinch
• One of the hardest things to do in baseball is pinch hit, but Central Missouri has seen early success. The Mules are 3-4 when pinch hitter, getting hits from Travis Able, Dalton Dull and Ryan Toliver. 

Mules in non-conference action
• Central Missouri went 9-5 in non-conference games during the 2017 season
• The Mules are 28-24 overall in non-conference action during Crookes' three seasons.
• UCM has started 1-2 in nonconference games. They play seven more before their first MIAA games, including three-game sets with Colorado-Colorado Springs and Winona State. 

Mules in MIAA play
• The Mules finished 23-13 in MIAA play last season and are 78-33 in conference play under Kyle Crookes.
• The Mules finished fourth in the regular season standings. They have won 25 overall regular season championships in program history.
• Central Missouri will start MIAA action Feb. 24-25 at home against Missouri Western.

The Mules at home
• The Mules went 14-4 in home games during the 2017 season.
• Central Missouri was 15-5 at home during the 2015 season and is 48-12 at home under Crookes.
• The Mules are 788-156-1 (.834) in 945 games played in 42 seasons playing home games at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
• Central Missouri will host the 2018 MIAA Baseball Championship Tournament at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field this May. 

Mules on the road
• The Mules went 12-11 on the road in 2017. 
• The Mules are 39-30 on the road under head coach Kyle Crookes.

Mules in neutral site games
• UCM has started 1-2 in neutral site games following the Houston Winter Invitational. 
• The Mules are 22-16 in neutral site games under Crookes.

UCM during the Crookes era
• Kyle Crookes has a 106-57 (.650) record now in his fourth season as head coach at Central Missouri.
• In 2016, he won his first conference championship as head coach at UCM and the second title overall during his time in Warrensburg.
• During his first three seasons at the helm, 30 players have earned All-MIAA honors, including seven First Team nods. Seven players have earned All-Region honors, one All-American and two players have been selected in the MLB Draft.
• 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 2018 season marks the 63rd in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span the Mules have compiled a 1,865-743-9 (.714) record in 2,617 games played.
• The Mules have won 40 or more games 18 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 17 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)
• 21 MIAA Tournament Titles (17 of the last 23)
• 17 Regional Championships
• 15 Regionals as host site
• 14 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 834-232 (.782) since the year 2000. An average of 46 wins per season over the last 18 years.

A Tradition of Excellence in Athletics
• Central Missouri has won a combined 213 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• This past fall, Central Missouri women's soccer won their first NCAA Division II National Championship with a 1-1 (5-3 PK) win over Carson-Newman. 
• Last season, UCM captured three MIAA regular season titles, one MIAA Tournament crown and two NCAA Regional Championships.
• Since 1983, the tenure of Athletic Director Jerry Hughes, UCM has won or shared 159 MIAA championships, more than any other league school.
• Central Missouri has won nine national championships during Hughes' tenure (men's and women's basketball in 1984, baseball in 1994 and 2003, women's bowling in 2003, men's basketball in 2014, women's indoor and outdoor track & field in 2015, and women's soccer in 2017) and 11 national championships overall.
• In 2016-17, Central Missouri won the inaugural MIAA's Commissioner's Cup trophy for the conference's top overall athletic department. 

A Tradition of Excellence in the Classroom
• Central Missouri had 252 student-athletes named to the 2016-17 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 22 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.
• 20 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• UCM had five student-athletes earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in their respective sports. 
• All-time UCM is fourth in NCAA-II with 103 Academic All-Americans.
• Carly Thomas of Jennies Bowling was awarded prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships last year.

Upcoming
• Central Missouri returns home for another nonconference three-game set next weekend. They'll take on regional foe Winona State out of the Northern Sun Friday-Sunday, Feb. 16-18.