Top-Ranked Mules Trek to Central Oklahoma for Three-Game Series April 21-23

Baseball | 4/20/2022 3:00:00 PM

• Game 1: RHP Collin Jones (8-0, 2.57 ERA)
• Game 2: RHP Max Abramovich (0-0, 5.59 ERA)
• Game 3: RHP Jacob Merithew (1-0, 4.56 ERA)

• Winners of 28 of its last 29 games, No. 1-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (33-4, 26-1 MIAA) is scheduled to travel to Edmond, Okla., for a three-game MIAA series against the Central Oklahoma Bronchos (27-14, 16-11 MIAA) April 21-23 at Wendell Simmons Field. The series opener is slated for 6 p.m. Thursday, April 21, with game two at 3 p.m. Friday, April 22, and the series finale at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 23. 
• The Mules have already clinched their 28th MIAA Regular Season Championship after sweeping Pittsburg State in an MIAA series April 14-16 in Warrensburg. 
• UCM is ranked No. 1 in the most recent Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II poll and third in the latest NCBWA Division II poll.
• Through 37 games, Central Missouri is led at the plate by infielders Cole Moore (.381 avg., 45 H, 32 R, 8 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 23 RBI, .542 SLG%, 19 BB, .481 OB%, 6 SB)  and John Prudhom (.351 avg., 46 H, 39 R, 6 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 46 RBI, .710 SLG%, 23 BB, .451 OB%, 8 SB), and outfielders Brennen van Breusegen (.462 avg., 54 H, 37 R, 8 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 44 RBI, .812 SLG%, 11 BB, .507 OB%, 7 SB), Michael Chrisman (.343 avg., 46 H, 46 R, 4 2B, 5 3B, 4 HR, 31 RBI, .537 SLG%, 17 BB, .421 OB%, 11 SB) and Garrett Pennington (.339 avg., 37 H, 26 R, 11 2B, 1 3B, 18 RBI, 3 SB).
• On the mound, UCM is paced by starting RHP Collin Jones (8-0, 2.57 ERA, 1 CG, 1 SHO, 56.0 IP, 49 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 10 BB, 47 SO), and relievers Conner Wolf (3-0, 1.45 ERA, 18.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 23 SO), Ethan Peterson (3-0, 2.95 ERA, 1 SV, 1 SHO, 21.1 IP, 14 H, 10 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 24 SO), Caleb Rogge (2-0, 2.35 ERA, 1 SV,  15.1 IP, 15 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 13 SO) and Brady Gavin (3-1, 0.95 ERA, 5 SV, 19.0 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 22 SO). 
• As a team, the Mules are hitting .336 while limiting opponents to a .218 batting average. Central Missouri has a team ERA of 3.49 and a team fielding percentage of .971.
• In the latest MIAA team statistics, UCM leads the conference in pitching (3.49 ERA) and batting (.336 avg.) and ranks second in fielding (.971). 
• Van Breusegen leads the conference in batting average at .462. He is also in the top-10 in slugging (2nd at .812) and on-base percentage (2nd at .507).
• Jones is second in the conference in pitching through 10 starts with his 2.57 ERA and ranks first in wins (8), while Gavin is tied for fourth in saves (5). 
• Moore is fifth in the MIAA in batting average at .381 and ranks in the top-10 in on-base percentage (4th at .482), while Prudhom ranks in the top-10 in slugging percentage (6th at .710), on-base percentage (9th at .451) and homers (8th with 13). 
• Chrisman is tied for second in the conference with his five triples, while Harrison Schnurbusch is tied for third with four three-baggers. 

• In the latest NCAA-II national statistics, Brennen van Breusegen ranks second with his .462 batting average, and Collin Jones is sixth with his eight victories on the mound. 
• As a team, the Mules rank 15th in batting average (.336) and eighth in ERA (3.49). UCM leads the nation in win-loss percentage at .892. 

• Central Missouri Mules baseball swept the MIAA Pitcher and Hitter of the week honors with Collin Jones being voted the Pitcher of the Week and Brennen van Breusegen being tabbed Hitter of the Week for the second consecutive week, the conference office announced Monday, April 18.
• Van Breusgen has been named the MIAA Hitter of the Week for the second consecutive week. The redshirt sophomore helped No. 1-ranked Central Missouri clinch its 28th MIAA regular season title with a 4-0 performance on the week, hitting .600 with nine hits in 15 at bats, including four doubles and two homers to go along with eight RBI, seven runs, two walks and three stolen bases with no strikeouts. On the week, he compiled a 1.267 slugging and .632 on-base percentage and extended his hitting streak to 25 games. In UCM's 7-1 over Pittsburg State, van Breusegen went 2-for-3 with a double and two before going a blistering 4-for-5 with five RBI, two runs, a double and an inside-the-park homer in the Mules game two against the Gorillas. He then added a 2-for-4 showing with a pair of doubles in UCM's series finale triumph over PSU.
• Jones helped Central Missouri secure its 28th MIAA regular season crown with a three-game sweep of Pittsburg State, earning the win on the mound in the Mules 7-1 victory in the series opener on April 14 to improve to a MIAA-best 8-0 on rubber this season. Jones allowed just one earned run while scattering eight hits with seven strikeouts and just one walk in seven innings of work.

• Top-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball wrapped up its 2022 regular season home schedule with an 11-0, seven-inning, shutout win over the Pittsburg State Gorillas Saturday, April 16, on Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
• The Mules were presented with the 2022 MIAA Regular Season Championship trophy after securing the program's 28th regular season title after Friday's win over the Gorillas during a postgame ceremony Saturday.  
• Michael Chrisman went 2-for-3 with four RBIs and hit his fourth homer of the season – a three-run shot to right field in the bottom of the second inning – and scored two runs, while Brennen van Breusegen upped his hitting streak to 25 games, going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Cole Moore and Isaiah Pani added 2-for-3 performances, including a double for Pani and triple for Moore, leading Central Missouri at the plate.
• Garrett Pennington, Jack Schark and Jacob Steele also had doubles in the win, respectively, with Steele driving in a trio of runs.
• Harrison Babbitt (2-0) earned the victory in relief on the mound for the Mules, firing three hitless and scoreless innings on 36 pitches.

• Brennen van Breusegen has a team-high 25-game hitting streak going into the series at Central Oklahoma.
• Van Breusegen has reached base safely in his last 29 games -- a team-best. 

• MIAA Hitter of the Week: John Prudhom, March 28; Brennen van Breusegen, April 11, 18
• MIAA Pitcher of the Week: Brady Gavin, March 28; Collin Jones, April 18

• NCBWA Division II National Hitter of the Week: Brennen van Breusegen, April 20
• NCBWA Division II Central Region Hitter of the Week: Brennen van Breusegen, April 20

• Through 37 games, the Mules are outscoring opponents in the fourth inning, 54-13. Other notable innings that UCM is outscoring adversaries in so far in 2022 include the first (52-26), second (46-16) and seventh (35-6).

• The three-game series at Central Oklahoma will mark meetings 60-62 in the all-time series. UCM leads the series, 37-22. Last season, the Mules went 4-0 against the Bronchos, sweeping a three-game series in Warrensburg, 6-0, 15-2 (7 inn.) and 7-1, and defeating Central Oklahoma in the MIAA tournament, 11-7. 

• Kyle Crookes has a 289-103 (.737) record now in his eighth season as head coach at Central Missouri.
• Crookes is currently third all-time in coaching wins at UCM and is the fifth head coach to ever win 200 games. Crookes is 22 wins behind the second winningest coach in program history, Tom Myers, who went 311-91 (.774) in seven seasons as the Mules' head coach from 2008-2014. 
• 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 2,048-789-9 record in 2,846 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)
• 28 MIAA Regular Season Titles (20 of the last 28)
• 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

• Central Missouri totaled 46 wins in 2021. The Mules have won at least 30 games in all eight 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).

• 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 2020s.
• The Mules are 1,016-273 (.788) 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.

• Central Missouri wraps up the regular season with a three-game MIAA series at Fort Hays State April 29-May 1 in Hays, Kan.