Mules Baseball Opens MIAA Play with Three-Game Series vs. Northwest Missouri Feb. 24-26

Baseball | 2/23/2023 2:28:00 PM

Game 12: Central Missouri (6-5, 0-0 MIAA) vs. Northwest Missouri (2-9, 0-0 MIAA)
Friday, Feb. 24 | 3 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) | Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp)

Game 13: Central Missouri vs. Northwest Missouri
Saturday, Feb. 25 | 2 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) | Radio: 1450 KOKO (Bob Jackson, pxp)

Game 14: Central Missouri vs. Northwest Missouri
Sunday, Feb. 26 | 1 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) | Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp)

Live Stats (all games) | Live Audio | UCM Stats | UCM Roster | Northwest Missouri Roster | Northwest Missouri Stats | Record Book

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First Pitch

• Central Missouri Mules baseball (6-5, 0-0 MIAA) is scheduled to begin its 2023 MIAA schedule by hosting a three-game series against the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats (2-9, 0-0 MIAA) Feb. 24-26 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg. The series opener is slated for 3 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, with game two Saturday, Feb. 25, at 2 p.m. and the series finale scheduled for 1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 26. 
• UCM is coming off a 12-2, seven-inning win over Rockhurst Tuesday, Feb. 21, in Warrensburg. 
• Through 11 games, Central Missouri is led at the plate by outfielders Carter Young (.424 avg., 5 R, 14 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, .697 SLG%, 3 BB, .472 OB%) and Vance Tobol (.385 avg., 6 R, 15 H, 1 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .667 SLG%, 3 BB, .429 OB%, 3 SB), and infielders John Prudhom (.314 avg., 8 R, 11 H, 3 2B, 4 HR, 11 RBI, .743 SLG%, 1 BB) and Jack Schark (.306 avg., 6 R, 11 H, 1 2B, 2 RBI, 4 BB, 5 SB).
• On the mound with 11 games elapsed, UCM is paced by right-handers JD McReynolds (0.00 ERA, 1-0, 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 SO), Tyler Kotsis (0.00 ERA, 0-0, 4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO), Wyatt Clark (0.00 ERA, 0-0, 3 SV, 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 SO), Ethan Peterson (1.50 ERA, 1-0, 6.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 SO) and Jake Wilson (2.16 ERA, 1-0, 8.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 SO), and left-hander Payton Messer (0.00 ERA, 0-0, 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO).
• Clark is tied for the MIAA lead in saves with three in three appearances. 
• As a team through 11 games, Central Missouri is hitting .290 while its opponents are hitting .255. 

Preseason Honors

• Brennen van Breusegen was voted a First Team NCBWA Preseason All-American and was named to the NCBWA Preseason All-Central Region Team. 

Mules in the Rankings

• The Mules were picked first in the MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll.

Series History

• The three-game series vs. Northwest Missouri will mark meetings 228-230 in the all-time series dating all the way back to the first meeting in 1965. The Mules lead the series, 155-72. Last season, UCM swept a three-game series against the Bearcats in Maryville, Mo., winning 4-0, 8-5 and 13-9. 

UCM During the Crookes Era

• Kyle Crookes has a 309-113 (.732) record in 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 two 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 2,067-799-9 record in 2,875 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

• Central Missouri is slated to host Maryville University in a midweek game Tuesday, Feb. 28, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg.