2023 Houston Winter Invitational
Game 1: No. 13 Central Missouri (0-0) vs. No. 1 North Greenville (0-0)
Friday, Feb. 3 | 5 p.m. | Houston, Texas (Minute Maid Park)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR |
WarrensburgRadio.com |
Live Stats
(Bob Jackson, play-by-play)
Game 2: No. 13 Central Missouri vs. Montevallo (0-0)
Saturday, Feb. 4Â | 1:30 p.m. |Â Houston, Texas (Minute Maid Park)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FMÂ |
WarrensburgRadio.com |
Live Stats
(Bob Jackson, play-by-play)
Game 3: No. 13 Central Missouri vs. Flagler College (0-0)
Sunday, Feb. 5Â | 1:30 p.m. |Â Houston, Texas (Minute Maid Park)
Radio: 1450 KOKO, 107.9 FM, 98.5 The BAR |
WarrensburgRadio.com |
Live Stats
(Bob Jackson, play-by-play)
2022 UCM Stats (XML) |
2023 UCM Roster |
Record Book |
Houston Winter Invitational
First Pitch
- No. 13-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball is scheduled to open its 2023 season with three games in the Houston Winter Invitational Feb. 3-5 at Minute Maid Park in downtown Houston, Texas.
- The Mules are slated to play preseason No. 1-ranked and defending NCAA-II National Champion North Greenville in their season opener Friday, Feb. 3, at 5 p.m. before facing Montevallo Saturday, Feb. 4 at 1:30 p.m. and Flagler College Sunday, Feb. 5, at 1:30 p.m.
- Central Missouri is coming off a 2022 season that saw it post an overall record of 46-9 and a MIAA tally of 30-3. UCM captured both the MIAA Regular Season and Postseason Tournament Championships and advanced to the NCAA-II Central Region Championship game.
Previewing the 2023 Mules
- Entering the 2023 campaign, Mules baseball welcomes back six position starters, including 2022 MIAA and D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year, and consensus All-American outfielder Brennen van Breusegen (.428 avg., 61 R, 86 H, 16 2B, 3 3B, 15 HR, 68 RBI, .761 SLG%, 16 BB, .469 OB%, 18 SB, 2 E, .978 FLD%), All-MIAA infielders John Prudhom (.387 avg., 70 R, 82 H, 14 2B, 3 3B, 19 HR, 69 RBI, .750 SLG%, 31 BB, .471 OB%, 16 SB) and Cole Moore (.382 avg., 35 R, 55 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 29 RBI, .535 SLG%, 21 BB, .476 OB%, 6 SB), All-MIAA catcher Isaiah Pani (.421 avg., 40 R, 51 H, 11 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 47 RBI, .760 SLG%, 10 BB, .500 OB%, 1 E, .996 FLD%), All-MIAA utility player Jacob Steele (.319 avg., 30 R, 30 H, 5 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 24 RBI, .511 SLG%, 18 BB, .458 OB%, 4 SB), and outfielder Carter Young (.288 avg., 34 R, 30 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 25 RBI, 21 BB, 7 SB).
- On the mound, Central Missouri returns eight pitchers that tossed at least 15 innings in 2022, including All-MIAA right-handed reliever Harrison Babbitt (2.43 ERA, 3-0, 16 app, 29.2 IP, 20 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 13 BB, 31 SO), right-handers Conner Wolf (2.23 ERA, 5-1, 16 app, 32.1 IP, 19 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 11 BB, 34 SO), Ethan Peterson (2.87 ERA, 4-0, 22 app, 1 SV, 31.1 IP, 25 H, 13 R, 10 ER, 8 BB, 33 SO), Grayson Senn (3.18, 2-0, 10 app, 22.2 IP, 25 H, 16 R, 8 ER, 11 BB, 24 SO), Tyler Rardin (3.55 ERA, 5-1, 24 app, 25.1 IP, 22 H, 14 R, 10 ER, 8 BB, 26 SO), Ryan Lumpkin (3.94 ERA, 0-0, 15 app, 16.0 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 11 BB, 15 SO) and Tyler Kotsis (4.64 ERA, 4-0, 17 app, 21.1 IP, 16 H, 13 R, 11 ER, 11 BB, 13 SO), and right-handed starter Jacob Merithew (6.11 ERA, 2-0, 13 app, 11 starts, 35.1 IP, 34 H, 27 R, 24 ER, 18 BB, 31 SO).
Preseason Honors
Mules in the Rankings
- Central Missouri is No. 13 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Preseason Poll.
- The Mules were picked first in the MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Series History
- North Greenville: UCM and North Greenville will meet for the first time in each program's history Friday in Houston.
- Montevallo: Saturday's contest vs. Montevallo at Minute Maid Park will be the inaugural meeting in the all-time series.
- Flagler College: The Mules and Saints of Flagler College have met just one time in the all-time series. Flagler won the lone meeting against UCM, 4-2, at the Houston Winter Invitational in 2020.
UCM During the Crookes Era
- Kyle Crookes has a 303-108 (.737) record entering his ninth 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 eight 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, and the 2022 season marks Crookes's fourth regular season and tournament titles.
- Crookes is up to eight MIAA Championships, four regular season and four tournament.
- He also has three regional championships to his credit in 2016, 2019 and 2021.
- During his six+ seasons at the helm, 76 players have earned All-MIAA honors, including 21 First Team nods and Players of the Year in Erik Webb in 2019, Dusty Stroup in 2021 and Brennen van Breusegen in 2022. Nineteen players have earned All-Region honors, seven All-American and five 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 2023 season marks the 67th in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span the Mules have compiled a 2,061-794-9 record in 2,864 games played.
- The Mules have won 40 or more games 21 times, including 14 straight seasons from 1999-2012, and have won 50 or more games nine times.
- The Mules have won or shared 28 MIAA regular season championships, 15 MIAA tournament championships, captured 19 regional titles and two national championships.
Mules Baseball by the Numbers
- 32 NCAA Regional Appearances (24 of the last 27 years)
- 28 MIAA Regular Season Titles (20 of the last 28)
- 15 MIAA Tournament Titles
- 19 Regional Championships
- 18 Regionals as host site
- 16 Top Five national finishes
- 5 Third place finishes
- 2 National Runners Up finishes
- 2 National Championships
Quick Hits
- Central Missouri totaled 46 wins in 2022. 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 35 seasons.
- The Mules have won back-to-back-to-back-to-back MIAA Tournament Championships (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022).
Up Next
- The Mules are scheduled to host Arkansas Tech for their 2023Â home-opening series Feb. 10-12 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg.
