WARRENSBURG, Mo. (May 9, 2019) - Eighth-ranked Central Missouri Mules Baseball takes the field again this weekend in search of their 23rd MIAA Tournament Championship. The Mules won their 22nd at home a year ago and look to repeat as MIAA Championship.
Round One
Opponent
Missouri Western (34-13, 24-9 MIAA)
When
Thursday, May 9, 2019 - 4 p.m.
Where
Pittsburg, Kan. - Al Ortolani Field
On the Air
• There will be live stats available on www.ucmathletics.com.
•
Bob Jackson will be on the call for all Mules games in Pittsburg streaming online at www.warrensburgradio.com and on 1450 KOKO AM
• All games will also be live streamed on the Mules Blue Frame portal page as a part of the MIAA Network on www.themiaanetwork.com/ucmmules
First Pitch
• Central Missouri won their 26th MIAA regular season championship, going 24-9 in the league.
• The Mules are the number one seed in this weekends MIAA Tournament, held May 9-12 in Pittsburg, Kan. with Pittsburg State serving as host.
• Last weekend, UCM went 2-1 against Missouri Western, the same team they'll play in round one. The Mules won the first two, before dropping the regular season finale.
Quick Hits
• Central Missouri totaled 39 wins last year. The Mules have won at least 30 games in all five seasons under Coach Crookes.
• The team improved by seven wins and won an MIAA title and returned to the NCAA postseason in 2018.
• The Mules have 34 wins this season, the 26th straight season UCM has won at least 30 games.
• UCM remains ranked first in the NCAA Central Region rankings for the third straight week.
• The Mules have finished with a winning record in each of the last 32 seasons.
• The Mules finished third in the regular season standings a year ago and were the MIAA Tournament Champions, advancing to the NCAA Regional for the 29th time.
The Series
• All-time the Mules are 117-37 against Missouri Western. It is their third-highest win total against any one opponent.
• The Mules swept the Griffons at home back in February of last year during the regular season. They also defeated them 9-3 in game one of the MIAA Tournament.
• UCM went 2-1 against Missouri Western just last weekend in their three-game series, with the Griffons taking the last one.
• UCM is 11-5 against the Griffons in Coach Crookes' first five years.
Missouri Western
• The Griffons earned their way into the MIAA Championships with a win Sunday against Central Missouri.
• They finished the regular season 20-22 overall, 17-16 in the MIAA.
• Despite their win Sunday, MWSU has dropped seven of their lsat nine.
• As a team, Missouri Western is middle of the pack in both pitching and hitting. They have a 5.03 team ERA and are hitting .267 this season.
• Conrad McMahon returned to the lineup after having missed some time. He leads MWSU hitting .345 with 38 hits in 110 at bats and has a .402 on-base percentage.
• Casey Danley has been their biggest run-producer. He has 11 home runs and 35 runs batted in. His .580 slugging percentage is also tops on the Griffons.
• Dusty Stroup and Fahd Shakeel are both hitting better than .300. Stroup also has a .387 on-base percentage with a team-best 12 doubles. Shakeel leads the club with 10 stolen bases.
• Anthony Castaneda has been the team's ace. In 11 starts hes's 6-2 with a 2.47 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 83.2 innings pitched.
• Jacob Purl has started 11 games with a 4.62 ERA and is 2-2 having fanned 86 hitters.
• Roy Robles and Jacob Miller have each started six games. Miller threw eight innings against the Mules Sunday in the regular season finale.
• Carson Dwyre leads the Griffons with three saves out of the bullpen and has a 5.34 ERA.
• Defensively, Missouri Western is next to last in the MIAA with a .952 fielding percentage.
All-MIAA
•
Erik Webb became the 10th MIAA Player of the Year in team history and the first since Bret Schwartz in 2012.
• Webb was joined by fellow outfielder
Mason Janvrin on the first team, and relief pitcher
Jonathan Sprinkle.
• Three Mules made the All-MIAA Second Team: starting pitcher
Mason Green, catcher
Zak Whalin and shortstop
Alex Madera.
•
Harrison Schnurbusch at third base and
Michael Sinks at utility wre selected to the Third Team and
Ben Kelsch (SP),
Cole Taylor (1B) and
Donovan Ditto (2B) made All-Conference Honorable Mention.
• Janvrin also earned his 2nd straight gold glove in centerfield.
Individual Milestones
•
Luke Mercer is tied for 10th all-time with 11 career saves. One away from ninth place.
Jonathan Sprinkle needs two more saves to enter the top-10.
• With his 72 stolen bases,
Mason Janvrin is three steals away from reaching the Mules all-time top 10. He also needs two more to join the single-season top-10.
•
Erik Webb is in the UCM all-time top-10 in doubles (57, 5th), triples (14, 6th) and home runs (34, 3rd). He is three home runs away from second and 10 from the all-time leader. He is also nine doubles and three triples away from the UCM all-time record. He is also three RBI away from 150.
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Harrison Schnurbusch is one run away from 100.
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Michael Sinks needs three more RBI to reach 50.
Who's Hot?
•
Josh Schumacher continues to hit. He's got at least two hits in nine of 10 starts and is hitting .609 in his last six games. The Mules this season are 11-1 when he starts in left field.
•
Michael Sinks has three home runs in his last six games with 10 RBI.
•
Cole Taylor has also driven in 10 runs in his last six games with two home runs.
• All three Mules starters have an ERA below 2.00 in their last two starts.
Luke Lucas is 2-0 with a 0.73 ERA in 12.1 innings. He was named the MIAA Pitcher of the Week following his 7.1 inning one-hitter last weekend against Missouri Western.
•
Ben Kelsch has allowed three earned runs in his last 17.2 innings. He came an out shy of throwing back-to-back complete games.
•
Erik Webb is hitting .430 overall and in MIAA games. He's hitting .500 in his last 10 games with five home runs and 17 runs batted in.
•
Mason Janvrin and
Harrison Schnurbusch each have three stolen bases in the Mules last six games, meanwhile, UCM hasn't allowed a stolen base since William Jewell stole two April 24.
•
Erik Webb hit three doubles last weekend and is batting .500 in his last six games.
MIAA Leaders
• As a team, the Mules lead the MIAA with a .335 batting average, the only team above .300 in the league. They also have the highest slugging percentage at .530 and on-base percentage at .410. No other team in the league is slugging better than .500 or has an on-base above .400.
• Four Mules are in the top-10 in the MIAA in hitting.
Erik Webb is at the top hitting .432 and
Mason Janvrin is third at .412.
Alex Madera is seventh hitting .363 and
Zak Whalin 10th at .346.
• Janvrin also leads the league in runs scored (62), stolen bases (32) and is second with 84 hits.
• Webb's .885 slugging percentage is tops in the league as are his 66 runs batted in, 22 doubles, five triples and 17 home runs. He is second in the MIAA in runs scored with 54.
• With 47 runs batted in,
Michael Sinks is fifth in the MIAA.
Harrison Schnurbusch is 10th with 40.
•
Alex Madera is tied for fifth with 16 doubles.
•
Micah Evans and
Donovan Ditto are fifth in the MIAA with 11 hit-by-pitches.
•
Mason Green's 2.41 ERA is second in the MIAA and his .201 opposing batting average is third. His seven wins are tied for the second most in the MIAA.
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Ben Kelsch has collected 28 punchouts looking, which is tied for the lead the MIAA.
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Jonathan Sprinkle has earned seven saves which is fourth.
Mules in the Rankings
• Central Missouri jumped into the NCBWA Top-10 and are ranked eighth after going 2-1 last week.
• The Mules are also the top team in the NCAA Central Region rankings for the third straight week. The NCAA field is determined following the MIAA Tournament.
Mules in Non-Conference Action
• UCM went 9-3 in non-conference games during the 2018 regular season.
• They are finished with nonconference games this season and played to a 10-4 record.
• The Mules are 44-28 overall in non-conference action during Crookes' four-plus seasons.
Mules in MIAA Play
• The Mules won the MIAA with a 24-9 record. It's their 26th MIAA Regular Season Conference Championship. They also have 22 MIAA Conference Tournament Championships.
• The Mules finished 24-12 in MIAA play last season and are 121-53 in conference play under
Kyle Crookes.
• The Mules finished third in the regular season standings in 2017.
Mules at Home
• So far, UCM is 24-5 this season when playing at Crane Stadium.
• The Mules went 24-4 in home games during the 2018 season.
• Central Missouri is 96-21 at home under Crookes.
• The Mules are 835-165-1 (.836) in 1,001 games played in 43 seasons playing home games at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
• Central Missouri was the host and winner of the 2018 MIAA Championship Tournament.
Mules on the Road
• The Mules went 12-9 on the road in 2018
• They are 12-7 this season in true road games.
• The Mules are 61-46 on the road under head coach
Kyle Crookes.
Mules in Neutral Site Games
• UCM went 3-4 in neutral site games last season.
• In three games this season, UCM is 1-2 at neutral sites.
• The Mules are 23-20 in neutral site games under Crookes.
Mules in the MIAA Tournament
• Central Missouri has won 22 MIAA Tournament championships, including one last year.
• Under Coach Crookes, the Mules are 9-5 in MIAA Tournament games.
UCM During the Crookes Era
•
Kyle Crookes has a 178-85 (.672) record now in his fifth 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. He added a tournament title in 2018 and his second regular season championship in 2019.
• During his five seasons at the helm, 52 players have earned All-MIAA honors, including 11 First Team nods and Player of the Year
Erik Webb in 2019. 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 2019 season marks the 63rd in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span the Mules have compiled a 1,937-771-9 (.713) record in 2,717 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 26 MIAA regular season championships, 22 MIAA tournament championships, captured 17 regional titles and two national championships.
Mules Baseball by the Numbers
• 29 NCAA Regional Appearances (22 of the last 25 years)
• 25 MIAA Regular Season Titles (18 of the last 26)
• 22 MIAA Tournament Titles (18 of the last 25)
• 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 906-260 (.777) since the year 2000. An average of 46 wins per season over the last 19 years.
A Tradition of Excellence in Athletics
• Central Missouri has won a combined 215 MIAA conference championships in 14 league sports entering 2018-19 to lead all schools.
• UCM has since added three more MIAA Championships trophies this season with the Mules Baseball regular season and Mules Indoor and Outdoor Conference Track and Field titles.
• The Mules Baseball MIAA Tournament Championship in 2018 was their 22nd in team history and the second MIAA Tournament Championship Central Missouri has won last year, joining Jennies Soccer.
• Last fall, Central Missouri Jennies Soccer won their first NCAA Division II National Championship with a 1-1 (5-3 PK) win over Carson-Newman.
• Last winter, Central Missouri Jennies Basketball captured their 11th MIAA regular season championship and seventh Central Region crown. They defeated Ashland, 66-52, to win the 2018 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship, the second in program history.
• In 2016-17, 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 161 MIAA championships, more than any other league school entering the 2018-19 year.
• 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. They followed that up by winning the 2017-18 Commissioner's Cup as well.
A Tradition of Excellence in the Classroom
• Central Missouri had 256 student-athletes named to the 2017-18 MIAA Academic Honor Roll with grade point averages of 3.0 or higher.
• 35 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.
• 19 UCM student-athletes were named MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners with a 4.0 GPA.
• 10 had five student-athletes earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors in their respective sports.
• All-time UCM is third in NCAA-II with 114 Academic All-Americans.
Upcoming
• Following the MIAA Tournament, UCM will look to the NCAA regional tournament with the first rounds played May 16-18.
