WARRENSBURG, Mo. (April 16, 2018) - Central Missouri Mules Baseball closes out their six-game road trip with a Tuesday matchup against the Lindenwood Lions. The Mules are 2-0 against the Lions this season and will look to go for the series sweep before returning to Warrensburg for a seven game homestand.
Opponents: Lindenwood Lions (18-20, 10-16 MIAA)
When: Tuesday, April 17 - 6 p.m.
Where: St. Charles, Mo. (Lou Brock Sports Complex)
First Pitch
• Central Missouri went 1-1 last week in a pair of midweek games on the road. The Mules fell to Missouri S&T on Tuesday, 5-4, but bounced back with a 12-8 win at Southwest Baptist on Wednesday.
• The Mules are 11-6 in true road games this season, with eight of those wins coming in a row.
• The Mules is 15-2 at home this season after defeating and are winners of their four home games.
• Following the road game at Lindenwood, UCM will be home for the next seven games before closing out the regular season on the road.
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 18-7 in MIAA play and currently sit second in the conference standings.
The Series
• Central Missouri and Lindenwood will meet for the third time this season and for the 37th time overall. In 36 meetings, UCM leads 26-10 over Lindenwood. The Mules defeated the Lions, 9-5, on the road and 9-4 at home earlier this season.
• UCM is 7-5 against the Lions under Coach Crookes and winners of the last two match ups. In his first season as head coach in 2015, the Mules went 1-3 against the Lions.
Lindenwood
• Lindenwood is coming of a 2-1 series loss against Missouri Western and is two games under .500 at 18-20, with a 10-16 mark in in MIAA play. They are 10th in the league standings.
• Lindenwood has had success at home this season with an 11-4 record. One of their four losses is against the Mules.
• As a team, the Lions are hitting .274 on the season which is ninth in the MIAA. They reach base at a .365 clip which is eighth out of 13 teams and their .389 slugging percentage is second to last (12th).
• Drew Quinones is the team's leading hitter. He's batting .376. Wes Degener has also started all 38 games and has a .313 batting average. Degener has stepped it up in MIAA games and is hitting .373. Dominic Revetta has hit .323 in 18 MIAA games played.
• The Lions haven't had much success in the power department. They have just 20 home runs on the season which is second to last in the MIAA. DJ Miller leads the team both with five home runs and 30 runs batted in.
• At .963, the Lions are fifth in the league in defense. They've committed just 51 errors which is tied for fourth fewest in the MIAA.
• Pitching has been an issue for the Lions who enter the game with a 5.43 team ERA, ninth in the MIAA.
• Tyler Cassmeyer still continues his strong play on the hill as he sports a 2.62 ERA in 65.1 innings. He has a 5-3 record and has struck out 64 batters which is seventh in the MIAA.
• Andrew Eilers leads the team having made 11 starts. He has a 5.31 ERA and a 4-4 record. His 75 strikeouts in 62.2 innings have him second in the league.
• Michael Cessna and Nate Hillermann have been the top guys out of the bullpen. Both have three saves on the year. Hillerman has a 7.84 ERA, while Cessna has a 4.91 ERA.
• The Lions bullpen has already blown two ninth inning leads this season. They are 13-2 when leading after eight innings and 7-0 when leading after the first inning.
The Mules
• Central Missouri is 27-10 overall with a 18-7 mark in MIAA play. UCM currently sits second in the MIAA regular season standings and is ranked No. 18 in the latest NCBWA Top-25 rankings.
• After a short week last week, the Mules have four games on tap this week, with three being at home.
• As a team, the Mules are third in the MIAA with a .323 batting average. UCM is holding teams to a .353 on base percentage and is averaging just under eight runs a game at 7.97.
• The Mules bullpen continues to be a strong factor this season. While Mules pitchers have a 4.56 ERA this season to sit third in the MIAA, the bullpen ERA is 3.31.
Luke Mercer has eight saves on the year, which is tied for second most in the MIAA. He sports a 2.12 ERA and has struck out 21 batters in 17 innings of work.
•
Coby Seiz still has the most work out of the pen. He's thrown 24 innings and given up just seven earned runs and 20 hits with 22 strikeouts. He has two saves and sports a 2.62 ERA.
Ross Juliana has been solid as well with a 4-1 record. He has pitched 20.1 innings and has 18 strikeouts on the year.
• Much of the Mules success lately can be attributed to the top of the order,
Mason Janvrin and
Erik Webb have a combined 103 hits and 62 RBI. Janvrin is batting .358 from the leadoff spot and has two home runs to glong with eight doubles. His 44 runs scored are tied for third in the league this season.
• Webb leads the team in RBI with 38. His .385 batting average is second on the club and ninth in the MIAA. He has 28 extra base hits, including 10 home runs. His 12 stolen bases are second most on the team and tied for fifth in the MIAA. His .769 slugging percentage and 16 doubles are the most on the team as well.
• The bottom of the lineup is doing just as well for UCM. The combination of
Dalton Dull and
Donovan Ditto has started all 37 games at second base. They have a combined 27 hits from the No. 9 spot in the lineup. In 94 at bats overall, Ditto is hitting .298 with a .358 on base percentage. Dull is batting .433 in 30 at bats and has a .469 on base percentage.
•
Travis Able is the team's leading hitter at .398, which is fifth in the MIAA. He has .471 on base percentage and third on the team with 35 RBI. His 53 hits are tied for the most on the team with Janvrin.
•
Collin Nevil is batting .345, while
Justin Graff-Rowe is batting .304.
Harrison Schnurbusch is hitting .270. Nevil is second on the team with 33 RBI.
John Fairchild (23), Graff-Rowe (21), Schnurbusch (19), Ditto (17),
Payne McCutcheon (14), and
Zak Whalin (11) all have at least 10 RBI.
• In 320 innings pitched, Mules pitchers are giving up just one hit per inning. Opponents are hitting just .265 off of UCM pitchers, but have reached base in other ways with 126 walks and have reached on 57 errors and 49 hit batsmen.
• UCM pitchers have also done well at holding runners on base. The Mules have given up just 18 stolen bases in 37 games on 28 attempts and have picked four runners off.
• On the flip side, the Mules have stolen 81 bases in 110 attempts themselves. Janvrin has a league leading 27 stolen bases, while Webb is second on the team with 12. Schnurbusch is third with nine.
• The Mules have hit 39 home runs from 12 different players. Nevil, Webb, Janvrin, McCutcheon, Graff-Rowe and Fairchild have all slugged at least two home runs this season. Nevil leads the way with 11, which is tied for fifth in the MIAA. Webb is second on the club and tied for seventh-most in the league with 10.
• The Mules have gotten a lot of production from their catcher position. McCutcheon has supplied some power with two home runs and 14 RBI. Whalin has 17 hits in 48 at bats for a .354 batting average and
Cole Hoover is hitting .257 with nine hits and seven RBI.
Last Time Out
BOLIVAR, Mo. (April 11, 2018) – Central Missouri Mules Baseball bounced back from their Tuesday loss with a 12-8 road victory over the Southwest Baptist Bearcats Wednesday afternoon. With the win, Central Missouri improves to 27-10 overall and 18-7 in MIAA play.
Play-by-Play
• The Mules had another solid start scoring three runs in the first.
Travis Able singled to center field to drive in
Mason Janvrin who got on base due to a SBU error. A passed ball and a throwing error by SBU scored Able and a sacrifice fly from
Zak Whalin drove in
Collin Nevil.
•
Luke Lucas got the start on the mound and worked a 1-2-3 inning in the first. UCM pushed the lead to 4-0 in the third after a scoreless second inning.
John Fairchild singled down the right field line to score Able who led off with a base hit.
• The Bearcats cut the Mules lead to three, 4-1, in the bottom of the third. Trevor Lofstrom was walked to leadoff the bottom of the inning. Two batters later Andrew Meier doubled to left center to plate him home.
• Five runs in the fourth gave UCM a commanding eight-run lead.
Erik Webb doubled, while Able was walked. Nevil brought both runners in with a three-run homer.
John Fairchild followed him up with a solo home run.
Donovan Ditto capped it off with a RBI triple to score
Harrison Schnurbusch.
• SBU got two runs back in the bottom of the fourth. Clint Jack doubled to left center and Patrick Latham singled to third base to get on base. A two RBI double from Don Loethler scored both runners and cut the Mules lead to 9-3.
• Back-to-back doubles by Webb and Able gave UCM a 10-3 lead in the top of the fifth inning. SBU responded scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the lead to four, 10-6.
• Meier hit a solo home run to start the scoring. Three batters later, Jack hit a RBI single to score Hunter Hisky. Jack was then picked off at second base which allowed Carl Schwettman to score.
•
Casey Kelley hit a leadoff double to left center in the seventh. Two batters later Webb gave the Mules a six-run lead, 12-6, with a two-run homer to center field.
Charlie Skantze kept the UCM lead at six runs as he worked his second straight 1-2-3 inning.
• SBU looked to keep the game in reach as Roethler hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth. UCM got two runners on in the ninth, but both were left stranded.
Coby Seiz took the hill in the bottom of inning and closed out the game to give the Mules the four-run win.
Mules Stat Leaders
• Webb was one of three Mules with three hits. He went 3-5, with a home run. He scored three runs and had two RBI.
• Nevil was 3-6, and like Webb, had a home run to go along with three RBI and two runs scored.
• Able finished 3-4, with two RBI and three runs scored. He also drew two walks in the win.
• Fairchild had a 2-4 batting performance with a home run, two RBI, and a run scored.
• In his first career start, Kelley went 2-5 with a run scored as the designated hitter.
• Skantze picked up the win on the hill to improve to 2-0. He pitched 2.2 innings, giving up just one earned run and two hits.
• Lucas went 4.1 innings in his start for the Mules and struck out four batters and allowed six hits.
For the Bearcats
• Roethler collected two hits in four at bats. He had a home run along with four RBI and a run scored.
• Jack had the most hits going 3-5. He scored two runs and had a RBI.
• Meier also had a home run while going 2-5, with two RBI and a run scored.
• Elias Czech got the start on the hill and work four full innings. He had a game-high five strikeouts, but allowed nine runs (six earned) as he fell to 1-3 on the year.
News and Notes
• With the win, the Mules tie the season series with SBU 1-1. They are now 103-13-1 against them all-time and 9-3 under
Kyle Crookes.
•
Travis Able eclipsed 100 career hits in the win. He joins teammates
Erik Webb,
Justin Graff-Rowe and
Collin Nevil to hit the century mark this season.
• UCM is now 12-0 this season when scoring 10-plus runs. They are 3-0 in Wednesday games this year as well.
• With his home run in the game, Webb now has 10 for the season. He joins Nevil to have at least 10 home runs this year. Nevil's homer puts him at 11, which leads the team.
Up Next
• The Mules will have the weekend off and be back in action Tuesday, April 17 at Lindenwood. UCM is 2-0 against the Lions this season. Game start is set for 6 p.m. at the Lou Brock Sports Complex.
Mules in the Polls
• The Mules fell six spots to No. 18 in the latest NCBWA National Poll after being ranked No. 12 last week.
• Central Missouri has been ranked in the last seven NCBWA polls after starting the season unranked.
• The Mules slipped four spots to No. 15 in the latest ABCA/Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Poll.
• UCM moved down one spot to No. 19 in the latest Perfect Game Baseball Division II Rankings.
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 9-3 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 96-40 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 18-7 in conference play after defeating Southwest Baptist, 12-8, on the road last week.
Mules at Home
• The Mules went 14-4 in home games during the 2017 season and are 15-2 in 2018.
• Central Missouri was 15-5 at home during the 2015 season and is 63-14 at home under Crookes.
• The Mules are 803-158-1 (.835) in 962 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 50-36 on the road under head coach
Kyle Crookes.
• Central Missouri is 11-6 in true road games this season after going 1-1 on the road last week.
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 132-65 (.670) 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 1,891-751-9 (.715) record in 2,651 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 860-240 (.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 214 MIAA regular season conference championships in 14 league sports to lead all schools.
• This past fall, Central Missouri Jennies Soccer won their first NCAA Division II National Championship with a 1-1 (5-3 PK) win over Carson-Newman.
• This past winter, Central Missouri Jennies Basketball captured their 11th MIAA regular season championship and seventh Central Region crown this season. They defeated Ashland, 66-52, to win the 2018 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship.
• 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 10 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, women's soccer in 2017 and women's basketball in 2018, and 12 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 will begin a seven game homestand with a three-game set against the Emporia State Hornets April 20-22. Game one start time is set for 6 p.m. at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
