WARRENSBURG, Mo. (May 31, 2021) - Central Missouri Mules Baseball is headed back to the NCAA Division II College Baseball World Series! The Mules won the 2021 Central Region Championship on their home turf defeating Southern Arkansas 12-5. The Mules went unbeaten in the regional, 4-0 outscoring opponents 25-12 to earn their trip to Cary, N.C.

The Mules needed to win just one game while Southern Arkansas would have needed to go 2-0 over UCM on the day. But the Mules made sure to get the job done in just one game and leave nothing up to the "if necessary" game. 

How it Happened
• After three straight gems on the mound, the offense carried the Mules across the finish line. UCM busted out with 23 hits scoring 12 runs, their most in any game during the regional.
• Mule pitchers still had another fine day allowing just five runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts.
• The Mules defense was on point again with another error-free game.
• For the second time in four games, the Mules were the visiting team on the scoreboard. 
• UCM elected to go the route of a bullpen game on the mound. Derek Beauchamp got the start and kept the Muleriders scoreless through two innings. UCM gave him a lead in the third as Scott Wolverton singled and scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead.
• Beauchamp ran into trouble in the third. After a leadoff walk, Beauchamp got Riley Orr to strikeout, but then surrendered three straight hits scoring two runs as SAU took their only lead, 2-1. With runners on second and third and one out, Brady Gavin came in and got a fly out and a pop up to end the threat.
• The Mules didn't waste time taking the lead back. Four straight singles drove in runs as Cole Taylor, Scott Wolverton, Brennen vanBreusegen and Erik Webb all picked up RBI. The Mules batted around in the inning and jumped out to a three run lead, 5-2.
• Southern Arkansas didn't go down quietly though. With two outs and the bases empty in the fifth, they staged a rally stringing together three straight hits and scoring two runs to cut the lead down to 5-4. Tyler Kuhlmann came in and struck out Zach Muldoon to leave the tying run on base.
• With one out in the sixth, vanBreusegen and Webb picked up back-to-back hits and Dusty Stroup extended the lead with one big swing. He lifted a long three-run home run to left putting the Mules up 8-4.
• Central Missouri continued to tack on scoring twice in the seventh and the eighth. Taylor led off the seventh with a walk and back-to-back doubles from Wolverton and vanBreusegen plated two runs.
• Another RBI double from Cole Taylor in the eighth and a sacrifice fly from vanBreusegen capped the scoring for UCM at a dozen. 
• The Muleriders got a run in the bottom of the eighth bringing the lead to 12-5. Evan Rathburn closed out the game 1-2-3 needing just four pitches to seal the win.

Mules Stat Leaders
• Scott Wolverton was 4-5 with two doubles, two RBI and three runs scored.
• Erik Webb was also 4-5 with a run and an RBI.
• Brennen vanBruesegen was not in the starting lineup, but came in and went 3-3 with a double and three RBI.
• Dusty Stroup was 2-5 with a home run and three runs batted in.
• Cole Taylor collected two hits, two RBI and scored three times.
• Garrett Pennington and Micah Evans each added a pair of hits.
• Derek Beauchamp and Brady Gavin each worked 2.1 innings on the mound. Gavin earned the win in relief. Beauchamp got the start and struck out five.
• Tyler Kuhlmann tossed 1.1 perfect innings with two punchouts.

For the Muleriders
• Kobe Morris went 3-5 with a run and an RBI.
• Jacob Martinez reached base in two of his three at bats with a double and and two RBI.
• Austin Baker added a hit and a run.
• Jacob Womack came back on two days rest to get the start. He lasted 3.1 innings allowing five runs on nine hits.

News and Notes
• This is the 19th Regional Championship for the Mules who also won in 2019. UCM has won the last two Central Region Championships.
• The last time UCM won the regional championship at home was in 2010. 
• The Mules 23 hits are a season high.
• The Mules nine doubles are also their most in a game this season.
• Dusty Stroup hit his 20th home run of the season. He's just the fourth Mule to ever hit 20 in a single season tying for third all-time. He's also now at 30 for his career which ties him for fifth all-time and is tied for the most by a two-year player.
• During the four-game tournament, the Mules hit .376 as a team. Scott Wolverton led the way with eight hits in 11 at bats for a .727 batting average. 
• Erik Webb broke out of a 1-11 slump going 4-5 in the championship game.
• The Mules pitched to a 3.00 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 36 innings pitched. 
• Evan Rathburn, Max Abramovich, Tyler Kuhlmann and Chase Plymell combined to allow just one hit and one run in 9.2 innings in relief with nine strikeouts.

Up Next
• Central Missouri is back in the NCAA Division II College Baseball World Series. The full field is not completely set and seeds and matchups will be released at the conclusion of all regional tournaments.