Four Mules Named NCBWA All-Central Region; van Breusegen Player of the Year, Crookes Coach of the Year

Baseball | 5/19/2022 1:00:00 PM

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Brennen van Breusegen was voted Player of the Year and head coach Kyle Crookes was tabbed Coach of the Year to highlight the 2022 National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II All-Central Region selections for Central Missouri Mules baseball Thursday, May 19.

Van Breusegen was joined on the first team by starting pitcher Collin Jones while designated hitter Garrett Pennington and reliever Brady Gavin were voted to the second team.

Van Breusegen was voted the NCBWA Central Region Player of the Year after being named the MIAA's Co-Player of the Year earlier this month. The redshirt-sophomore outfielder was a unanimous First Team All-Region pick, slashing .462 at the plate with 66 hits, 26 of which were for extra bases, in 143 plate appearances. He led the MIAA in batting average (.462), slugging (.846) and OPS (1.355) throughout the 2022 regular season and ranked top-10 in both on-base percentage (.509) and RBI (56). In the outfield, van Breusegen tallied 70 putouts in center field with one assist.

Crookes was the second Mule honored by the NCBWA, as he was voted the region's Coach of the Year Thursday afternoon. In his eighth season with the program, Crookes led Central Missouri to its 28th overall and 15th MIAA Tournament Championship as the Mules finished the regular season with a 30-3 record against MIAA opponents. Additionally, the team led the league in every offensive category during the regular season and earned the right to host the NCAA Central Region tournament for the 18th time in program history. Entering the tournament, Crookes owns a career record of 299-106 and ranks third all-time in program history in career wins.

In total, the NCBWA All-Central Region Team consists of 29 student-athletes representing the Great American Conference (GAC), the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAA) and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The MIAA paced the nominations with 12 total, while the NSIC and GAC saw nine and eight baseball student-athletes receive All-Region honors. Four different schools, Central Missouri, Southern Arkansas, Augustana and Northeastern State, led the way with four honorees.

The NCBWA All-Region teams are voted on by members of the organization's regional committees, comprised of sports information directors and athletic communications specialists. Each First Team member automatically advances to the All-America ballot, and teams will be announced in late May.

FIRST TEAM
C	ALEX SCHROEDER	SO.	OKLAHOMA BAPTIST
1B	GARRETT MCGOWAN	SR.	PITTSBURG STATE
2B	SAM RIOLA!	JR.	ST. CLOUD STATE
3B	BRANDON NICOLL	FR.	SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
SS	RILEY ORR	JR.	SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
0F	CARTER HOWELL#	SR.	AUGUSTANA (S.D.)
OF	BROCK RELLER!	SR.	NORTHEASTERN STATE
OF	*BRENNEN* *VAN* *BREUSEGEN!&*	*R-SO.*	*CENTRAL* *MISSOURI*
DH	KADE SELF	JR.	OKLAHOMA BAPTIST
UT	NICK ALTERMATT	JR.	MINNESOTA STATE
SP	TANNER BROWN	SR.	AUGUSTANA (S.D.)
SP	JEREMY ADORNO!&	FR.	SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
SP	*COLLIN* *JONES*	*SR.*	*CENTRAL* *MISSOURI*
RP	KYLER PATTERSON	SR.	CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
SECOND TEAM
C	WILL OLSON#	SR.	AUGUSTANA (S.D.)
1B	DAN PRUITT	JR.	OKLAHOMA BAPTIST
2B	BLAZE BROTHERS	JR.	NORTHEASTERN STATE
3B	JORDAN BARTH#	SR.	AUGUSTANA (S.D.)
SS	DECLAN BUCKLE	SR.	MINOT STATE
0F	BLAKE FREEMAN	JR.	NORTHEASTERN STATE
OF	MATT KAISER	SO.	NORTHEASTERN STATE
OF	TY MANNING	SR.	SOUTHERN ARKANSAS
DH	*GARRETT* *PENNINGTON*	*SO.*	*CENTRAL* *MISSOURI*
UT	EJ TAYLOR	SR.	SOUTHERN NAZARENE
SP	RYAN JARES#	JR.	AUGUSTANA (S.D.)
SP	LOGAN VANWEY	SR.	MISSOURI SOUTHERN
SP	LUKE TUPY	R-FR.	ST. CLOUD STATE
RP*	*BRADY* *GAVIN*	R-*SO.*	*CENTRAL* *MISSOURI*
RP*	DALTON HUGGINS	SR.	WASHBURN