Midweek Game at Drury On Tap for No. 11 Mules Baseball

Baseball | 3/8/2022 12:25:00 PM

• No. 11-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (11-3) will step out of MIAA play for a midweek contest at Drury (13-1) Wednesday, March 9, at 3 p.m. in Springfield, Mo., at U.S. Baseball Park. The Mules have won their last six games going into the contest, including sweeping MIAA series at Northwest Missouri and at home against Northeastern State. 
• UCM is ranked 11th in the first Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II Regular Season Poll and are 13th in the latest NCBWA Division II Poll. 
• Through 14 games, Central Missouri is led at the plate by infielders Cole Moore (.340 avg., 17 H, 16 R, 5 2B, 2 HR, 10 RBI, .560 SLG%, 10 BB, .450 OB%, 1 SB), Harrison Schnurbusch (.320 avg., 12 H, 12 R, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, .500 SLG%, 5 BB, .397 OB%, 6 SB) and John Prudhom (.283 avg., 13 H, 11 R, 1 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 13 RBI, .609 SLG%, 9 BB, .417 OB%, 3 SB), and outfielder Michael Chrisman (.333 avg., 17 H, 16 R, 3 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 8 BB, .451 SLG%, .444 OB%, 4 SB).
• On the mound, UCM is paced by starting RHPs Collin Jones (2-0, 2.25 ERA, 20.0 IP, 16 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 15 SO) and Max Abramovich (0-0, 3.24 ERA, 16.2 IP, 11 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 8 BB 14 SO), and relievers Tyler Kotsis (3-0, 0.00 ERA, 11.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO), Caleb Rogge (1-0, 2.45 ERA, 1 SV,  7.1 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 6 SO) and Brady Gavin (0-1, 1.50 ERA, 1 SV, 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO). 
• As a team, the Mules are hitting .287 while limiting opponents to a .202 batting average. Central Missouri has a team ERA of 3.63 and a team fielding percentage of .966.
• In the latest MIAA team statistics, UCM leads the conference in pitching (3.63 ERA), ranks fifth in fielding (.966) and seventh in hitting (.287). 
• Jones is third in the conference in pitching through four starts with his 2.25 ERA while Abramovich is sixth with his 3.24 ERA in four starts. 

• Donovan Ditto and Isaiah Pani each homered as Central Missouri Mules baseball completed a three-game series sweep of the Northeastern State RiverHawks with an 11-2 victory Saturday, March 5, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
• Pani and Ditto both hit their first home runs of the season and drove in a pair of runs while Sam Tatum went 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs and Cole Moore went 2-for-3 in the batter's box, pacing Central Missouri offensively in the game.
• UCM reliever Tyler Kotsis (3-0) earned the win on the mound after throwing a scoreless fifth inning with no earned runs on just one hit with three strikeouts and zero walks, while starter Max Abramovich tossed four strong innings, giving up only one earned run on two hits with five Ks and three walks on 64 pitches.
• Matt Kaiser went 1-for-3 with a home run and Blaze Brothers added a 2-of-4 performance, leading the RiverHawks at the plate.
• Northeastern State starter Davin Pollard (0-1) took the loss on the rubber, allowing four runs – three earned – on two hits with three strikeouts and six walks in three innings.

• John Prudhom is on a team-best seven-game hitting streak going into Wednesday's game at Drury. Cole Moore and Carter Young have each posted at least one hit in their last four contests. 
• Prudhom has reached base safely in each of his last 11 games -- a team-best -- while Sam Tatum and Young have reached in their last eight contests, and Jacob Steele and Brennen van Breusegen have gotten on base in their last six games. 

• Through 14 games, the Mules are outscoring opponents in the fourth inning, 25-3. Other notable innings that UCM is outscoring adversaries in so far in 2022 include the first (16-8) and seventh (13-3). The only inning Central Missouri has been outscored in after 14 contests is the sixth, 12-2. 

• Central Missouri totaled 46 wins in 2021. The Mules have won at least 30 games in all seven full seasons under Coach Crookes. They won 20 of 23 games in 2020 before the season was cut short.
• The team made their 19th trip to the NCAA-II World Series in 2021.
• The Mules have finished with a winning record in each of the last 34 seasons.
• The Mules have won back-to-back-to-back MIAA Tournament Championships (2018, 2019, 2021).

• Wednesday's midweek tussle against the Panthers will mark the 13th meeting in the all-time series. UCM leads the series, 8-4. Central Missouri and Drury last faced each other in 2020 in Warrensburg with the Mules earning a 6-5 win in 10 innings. 

• Kyle Crookes has a 267-102 (.724) record now in his eighth season as head coach at Central Missouri.
• Crookes is currently fourth all-time in coaching wins at UCM and is the fifth head coach to ever win 200 games. Crookes is currently two wins behind Bob Tompkins for third at Central Missouri.
• In 2016, he won his first conference championship as head coach at UCM. He added a tournament title in 2018 and his second regular season championship in 2019. The 2021 season brought Crookes his third MIAA regular season and tournament championship.
• Crookes is up to six MIAA Championships, three regular season and three tournament.
• He also has three regional championships to his credit in 2016, 2019 and 2021.
• During his six+ seasons at the helm, 63 players have earned All-MIAA honors, including 18 First Team nods and Players of the Year in Erik Webb in 2019 and Dusty Stroup in 2021. 16 players have earned All-Region honors, six All-American and four 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.

• The 2022 season marks the 66th in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span the Mules have compiled a 2,026-788-9 record in 2,823 games played.
• The Mules have won 40 or more games 20 times, including 14 straight seasons from 1999-2012, and have won 50 or more games nine times.
• The Mules have won or shared 27 MIAA regular season championships, 14 MIAA tournament championships, captured 19 regional titles and two national championships.

• 30 NCAA Regional Appearances (23 of the last 26 years)
• 27 MIAA Regular Season Titles (19 of the last 27)
• 14 MIAA Tournament Titles
• 19 Regional Championships
• 17 Regionals as host site
• 16 Top Five national finishes
• 5 Third place finishes
• 2 National Runners Up finishes
• 2 National Championships

• The Central Missouri baseball program has had unprecedented success in the last 30 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 994-272 (.785) since the year 2000. An average of almost 47 wins per season over the last 20 years, the most of any team in Division II.

• The Mules are scheduled to host the Emporia State Hornets for a three-game MIAA series March 11-13 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg.