WARRENSBURG, Mo. (March 22, 2018) - No. 3 Central Missouri Mules Baseball remains on the road this weekend for a three game series. The Mules will look to sit alone at the top in the MIAA regular season standings as they take on the Bronchos of Central Oklahoma.
Opponent: Central Oklahoma Bronchos (19-8, 11-2 MIAA)
When: Friday, March 23, 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 24, 3 p.m.
Sunday, March 25, 1 p.m.
Where: Edmond, Okla. - Wendell Simmons Field
First Pitch
• Central Missouri is coming off its eighth straight road win after defeating Lindenwood, 9-5, this past Tuesday.
• The Mules are 8-1 this season in true road games and are winners of their last three games overall.
• With the Tuesday win against Lindenwod, UCM improved to 3-0 in Tuesday games.
• The Mules will be home for the next five games. The rest of their games in the regular season are MIAA contests.
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.
• The Mules are 8-1 on the road this season, with all eight wins coming in a row.
The Series
• Central Missouri is 27-18 against Central Oklahoma in 45 meetings all-time. The two teams first met in the 1995 season, with the Mules winning 3-0 at a neutral site.
• UCM is 7-5 against the Lions under Coach Crookes. In his first season as head coach in 2015, the Mules went 3-1 against the Lions. In 2016, the team split four games against the Bronchos, going 2-2. Last season, the Mules claimed the regular season series against Central Oklahoma, 2-1, at home. The two then met in the MIAA Tournament, with the Bronchos winning 4-3.
Central Oklahoma
• The Bronchos are 19-8 overall and are 11-2 in MIAA action. They are tied for first in the MIAA standings with the Mules.
• Central Oklahoma is currently on a six-game winning streak, with four of those wins coming against conference opponents. The Bronchos are 7-2 at home this season.
• Including their series with the Mules, the Bronchos are home for the next eight games. On the road, they are 11-3 and winners of their last six road contests.
• Central Oklahoma is the fourth best hitting team in the MIAA with a .314 batting average. They have played most games out of every MIAA team with 27. They are tied for the league lead in home runs with 43.
• The Bronchos lead the league in hits with 301 and are the only team to eclipse 300-plus hits so far this season. They also lead the MIAA in runs scored and RBI with 244 and 208, respectively.
• Kyle Miskovsky is third in the MIAA in batting average and leads the team with a .438. He is also the league leader in hits and doubles with 49 and 13, respectively. His 16 stolen bases are second in the MIA. He is also third in the league in runs scored with 29.
• Four players are batting .300 or higher for the Bronchos in Dayne Sommer (.366), Jake Dyer (.358), Paul Kropf (.312) and Justin Brown (.300). Kropf has the team's top slugging percentage at .651, which is seventh in the MIAA. His 30 runs scored and 33 RBI lead UCO and both are second most in the MIAA. His 11 home runs are also tops in the MIAA.
• On the mound, the Bronchos have the third worst (11th) ERA in the league with a 5.52 average. Their 249 hits allowed and 31 home runs allowed are both second most in the conference.
• Ryan Lemoine has the team's best record on the mound at 5-1 in seven starts and his five win are the most in the MIAA. For the starting rotation his 4.01 ERA leads the way. He is second on the team with 31 strikeouts in 42.2 innings pitched.
• Tyler Culver has the most strikeouts on the team with 32. As a starter, he is 4-0 in seven games and has a 6.53 ERA. He and Lemoine have allowed the most hits with 39. Culver has pitched 30.1 innings so far.
• Out of the bullpen, Josh Rutland has the best ERA at 2.03. He has appeared in 10 games this season and has fanned 17 batters in 13.1 innings pitched. He has given up 10 hits and has a 1-0 record, with two saves.
• Ben Wusterbarth and Austin Lambright have made the most appearances without a start at 11 apiece. Wusterbarth is just ahead of Lambright in ERA at 2.70. Lambright has the most saves on the team though with three and sports a 2.87 ERA. The two have allowed a combined 21 hits and struck out 31 batters.
• Central Oklahoma leads the MIAA with a .971 fielding percentage and committed the least amount of errors with 28. They have turned 16 double plays this season.
The Mules
• Central Missouri is 20-4 overall with 11-2 mark in MIAA play. UCM is winners in 10 of its last 11 games, including three straight wins. They are ranked No. 3 in the latest NCBWA Top-25 rankings.
• The Mules claimed their fourth straight MIAA series with a 2-1 series win over Pittsburg State last weekend. They are coming off a Tuesday night win at Lindenwood, 9-5.
• As a team, the Mules lead the MIAA with a .339 batting average. UCM is holding teams to a .347 on base percentage and is averaging almost nine runs per game at 8.71.
• The Mules bullpen continues its strong play. While Mules pitchers have a 4.41 ERA this season to sit third in the MIAA, the bullpen ERA is 3.53.
Luke Mercer earned back-to-back saves this last weekend has six saves in the Mules 20 wins, which tied for second in the MIAA. He has 18 strikeouts in 13.1 innings pitched, with a 0.68 ERA.
•
Coby Seiz has gotten the most work out of the pen. He's thrown 16.2 innings giving up just six earned runs and 16 hits with 11 strikeouts. He has two saves and sports a 3.24 ERA.
Ross Juliana has been solid as well with a 3-0 record. He has also fanned 13 batters in 13.1 innings pitched and allowed just four runs.
• Much of the Mules success lately can be attributed to the top of the order,
Mason Janvrin and
Erik Webb have a combined 68 hits and 58 RBI. Janvrin is batting .366 from the leadoff spot and has a league leading 18 stolen bases to go along with two home runs. He has 28 runs scored on the year which is tied for fifth in the league.
• Webb has 18 extra base hits and is second on the team in RBI with 25. He is one of two Mules batting over .400 at .405. He has 18 extra base hits, including six home runs, which is tied for the most on the team. His nine stolen bases are second most on the team and fifth in the MIAA. His .810 slugging percentage is second in the league.
• The bottom of the lineup is also doing just as well.
Harrison Schnurbusch who has batted seventh in 12 games this season, is hitting .311 and has scored 14 runs. The combination of
Dalton Dull and
Donovan Ditto has 25 hits from the No. 9 spot in the lineup. In 53 at bats overall, Ditto is hitting .358 with a .491 on base percentage. Dull is batting .462 in 26 at bats and has a .769 on base percentage.
•
Travis Able is the team's top hitter with a .429 batting average, which is sixth in the MIAA. His .505 on base percentage is fifth in the league. He is third on the team in RBI with 23, while his 36 hits lead the team.
•
Collin Nevil and
Justin Graff-Rowe are both batting over .300 at .337 and .314, respectively. Schnurbusch is just under .300 with a .296 batting average. Nevil leads the team with 26 RBI, which is tied for seventh in the MIAA.
Payne McCutcheon (14) Graff-Rowe (14), Schnurbusch (13),
John Fairchild (12) and Ditto (11) all have hit over 10 RBI.
• In 208 innings pitched, Mules pitchers are giving up just one hit per inning. Opponents are hitting just .258 off of UCM pitchers, but have reached base in other ways with 84 walks and have reached on 39 errors and 29 hit batsmen.
• UCM pitchers have also done well at holding runners on base. The Mules have given up just eight stolen bases in 24 games on 17 attempts and have picked a runner off.
• On the flip side, the Mules have stolen 54 bases in 74 attempts themselves. Janvrin has a team-best 18 stolen bases, while Webb is second with nine.
Harrison Schnurbusch has added seven.
• The Mules have hit 26 home runs from 11 different players. Nevil, Webb, Janvrin, McCutcheon and Fairchild have all slugged at least two home runs this season. Nevil and Webb lead the way with six apiece.
Last Time Out
ST. CHARLES, Mo. (March 20, 2018) - Fifth-ranked Central Missouri Mules Baseball continued their strong play on the road as they took down the Lindenwood Lions, 9-5, Tuesday evening at Lou Brock Sports Complex. With the win, UCM is winners of its last three games and has now won eight straight on the road.
Play-by-Play
• It took until the third inning before either team produced a run. The Mules (20-4, 11-2 MIAA) and Lions (12-12, 5-8 MIAA) had just three totals before scoring.
• The Mules jumped out 1-0 in the third.
Collin Nevil got on base with a single to the shortstop. Three batters later he got home on a fielding error by the third base.
•
Cole Taylor and
Mason Janvrin got on base with singles to left and center field, respectively, in the fourth. They were plated home off a two RBI double from
Travis Able to give UCM a 3-0 lead.
• The Lions got on the board in the bottom of the fourth thanks to three straight singles and a UCM fielding error. Neil Fischer had the first hit and two more base hits along with the error helped him score Lindenwood's first run.
• UCM looked to create separation in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs on five hits, but Lindenwood scored two runs on two hits to stay within four, 7-3.
•
Justin Graff-Rowe was walked to start the inning.
Zak Whalin hit a single to get on base. Both advanced after a
Harrison Schnurbusch sacrifice bunt and Taylor drove them home with a two RBI single up the middle.
• Leading 5-1, the Mules continued to hit the ball well. Three singles in the next four at bats help add two more runs and make it a 7-1 lead.
•
Donovan Ditto followed Taylor up with a base hit to third. Janvrin loaded the bases with a single through the right side. Two batters later, Nevil scored Taylor and Ditto with a base hit down the right field line to give UCM the six-run lead.
• Wes Degener was walked to leadoff the bottom of the fifth. After a ground out and a wild pitch he got to third. A RBI single from Drew Quinones scored Degener and two batters later, Quinones was plated home thanks to base hit from Dominic Revetta.
• Both teams got back into a defensive groove and held each other scoreless in the sixth and seventh inning.
• Graff-Rowe ended the scoring drought with a solo home run to left field. Whalin followed him up with a double and got home thanks to a Taylor single which put UCM up 9-3.
• The Lions scored a run in the bottom of the eighth and the ninth to make it a 9-5 game, but the Mules kept them from ever mounting any sort of comeback.
• Both teams finished with over 10 hits, but the difference was the pitching. The Mules struck out 11 batters and had just two walks all night. The Lions fanned eight batters, but had five walks on the night.
Mules Stat Leaders
• Taylor had a solid day with three hits in five at bats. He had three RBI and scored two runs.
• Nevil went 3-5 as well, with a run scored and two RBI.
• Whalin finished 3-4, with two runs scored.
• Graff-Rowe was 1-4 and had one RBI, with two runs scored.
• Lucas went five full innings for the Mules to pick up his second win in two starts (2-0). He struck out four batters, while allowing three runs, all earned, on six hits.
•
Stanton Lohrengel had a game-high six strikeouts in three innings of relief pitching for UCM.
For the Lions
• Vince Saladino had three hits in five at bats to lead Lindenwood. He also had a RBI and a run scored.
• Fischer was 2-4, with a run scored and a RBI.
• Revetta finished 2-5, with a RBI.
• Michael Cessna suffered the loss (1-1) as he allowed three runs, two earned, on seven hits in the first four innings. He had two strikeouts on the night.
News and Notes
• The Mules have now won eight straight road games and are 8-1 so far this season. They are winners in 10 of their last 11 games.
• Graff-Rowe's home run is his first of the season and the fifth of his career as a UCM player. He is now three hit shy of reaching 100 in his UCM career.
• UCM is now 25-10 against the Lions all-time and 6-5 against them under
Kyle Crookes. The win also snaps a two-game losing streak to Lindenwood.
• The Mules are now 3-0 in Tuesday games this season.
Up Next
• The Mules remain on the road as they head to Edmond, Okla., for a three game series against Central Oklahoma Friday-Sunday, March 23-25. Friday's game is set for a 3 p.m. first pitch.
Mules in the Polls
• The Mules moved up two spots to No. 3 in the latest NCBWA National Poll. They were No. 5 last week.
• Central Missouri has been ranked in the last four NCBWA polls after starting the season unranked.
• The Mules checked in at No. 14 in the latest ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Poll. UCM was 24th in last week's poll.
• UCM is ranked No. 18 in this week's edition of Perfect Game Baseball Division II Rankings. The Mules were ranked 20th in the previous poll.
Mules in Non-Conference Action
• Central Missouri went 9-5 in non-conference games during the 2017 season
• The Mules are 35-24 overall in non-conference action during Crookes' three seasons.
• UCM went 9-2 in non-conference games. They do not have a scheduled non-conference game for the rest of the regular season.
Mules in MIAA Play
• The Mules finished 23-13 in MIAA play last season and are 89-35 in conference play under
Kyle Crookes.
• The Mules finished fourth in the regular season standings in 2017. They have won 25 overall regular season championships in program history.
• Central Missouri is 11-2 in conference play after defeating Lindenwood, 9-5, on the road this past Tuesday.
Mules at Home
• The Mules went 14-4 in home games during the 2017 season and have started out 11-1 in 2018.
• Central Missouri was 15-5 at home during the 2015 season and is 59-13 at home under Crookes.
• The Mules are 799-157-1 (.835) in 957 games played in 43 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 47-31 on the road under head coach
Kyle Crookes.
• Central Missouri is 8-1 in true road games this season after defeating Lindenwood this past Tuesday.
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.
• Central Missouri does not have a scheduled neutral site game for the rest of the regular season.
UCM During the Crookes Era
•
Kyle Crookes has a 125-59 (.679) 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 1,884-745-9 (.716) record in 2,638 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 24 years)
• 25 MIAA Titles (17 of the last 24)
• 21 MIAA Tournament Titles (17 of the last 24)
• 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 853-234 (.785) 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 214 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.
• Central Missouri Jennies Basketball captured their 11th MIAA regular season championship and seventh Central Region crown this season.
• 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 160 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
• The Mules wil be back at home for their next five contests, two midweek games and a three game series. They get their home stand started with a Tuesday game against Southwest Baptist on March 27. First pitch against the Bearcats is set for 6 p.m.
