No. 24 Mules Baseball Hosts Washburn March 31-April 2; Military Appreciation Day Slated for April 1

Baseball | 3/30/2023 10:30:00 AM

Game 31: No. 24 Central Missouri (22-8, 14-3 MIAA) vs. Washburn (20-11, 13-4 MIAA)
Friday, March 31 | 6 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) | Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp)

Game 32: No. 24 Central Missouri vs. Washburn
Saturday, April 1 | 2 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
**Military Appreciation Day**
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) | Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp)

Game 33: No. 24 Central Missouri vs. Washburn
Sunday, April 2 | 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 (all games) | UCM Stats | UCM Roster | Washburn Roster | Washburn Stats | Record Book

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First Pitch

• No. 24-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (22-8, 14-3 MIAA) is scheduled to host the Wasburn Ichabods (20-11, 13-4 MIAA) in a three-game MIAA series March 31-April 2 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg. The series opener is slated for 6 p.m. Friday, March 31, with game two at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 1, and the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 2. Saturday's game is the annual UCM Military Appreciation game. All active and retired military personnel and their families receive FREE admission to the game with a valid ID. 
• The Mules are coming off a 14-7 midweek MIAA victory at Missouri Western Tuesday, March 28, in St. Joseph, Mo.
• Through 30 games, Central Missouri is led at the plate by outfielders Carter Young (.404 avg., 25 R, 46 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 35 RBI, .702 SLG%, 11 BB, .450 OB%, 5 SB) and Vance Tobol (.336 avg., 25 R, 37 H, 4 2B, 3 3B, 6 HR, 31 RBI, .591 SLG%, 13 BB, .447 OB%, 7 SB), and infielders John Prudhom (.359 avg., 32 R, 37 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 10 HR, 28 RBI, .728 SLG%, 8 BB, .429 OB%, 10 SB), Jack Schark (.349 avg., 20 R, 30 H, 5 2B, 14 RBI, 12 BB, .447 OB%, 11 SB) and Cole Moore (.327 avg., 26 R, 32 H, 6 2B, 3 3B, 20 RBI, 13 BB, .404 OB%, 7 SB).
• On the mound with 30 games elapsed, UCM is paced by right-handers Conner Wolf (2.84 ERA, 5-2, 38.0 IP, 29 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 8 BB, 38 SO), JD McReynolds (0.57 ERA, 3-0, 15.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 27 SO), Wyatt Clark (1.12 ERA, 0-0, 4 SV, 8.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 SO), Ethan Peterson (2.25 ERA, 2-0, 12.0 IP, 14 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO), Jake Wilson (3.63 ERA, 1-0, 17.1 IP, 17 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 6 BB, 16 SO) and Cole LaLonde (3.43 ERA, 1-0, 21.0 IP, 20 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 9 BB, 32 SO).
• As a team through 30 games, Central Missouri is hitting .330 while its opponents are hitting .222. UCM has a team ERA of 4.06 and a team fielding percentage of .968.
• In the latest MIAA statistics, the Mules are first in team batting (.330) and team pitching (4.06 ERA) and fourth in team fielding (.968 fielding percentage).
• In the most recent MIAA individual statistics, Young is fifth in the conference in batting average (.404), slugging percentage (.702) and hits (46), ninth in RBI (35), and 10th in homers (8), while Prudhom is second in slugging (.728) and third in home runs (10), and Clark is fifth in saves (4). Wolf is also in the top-10 of the conference statistics through 29 games, ranking second in ERA (2.84) and fifth in opposing batting average (.209).

Notable Streaks

• Carter Young is on a team-high 10-game hitting streak while John Prudhom has at least one hit in his last eight contests.
• Young has reached base safely in a team-high 22 straight games while Max Holy has reached in his last 19 contests. Vance Tobol has reached successfully in 15 consecutive games, and Jack Schark has reached in his last 10 contests.

Late-Inning Success

• Through 30 games, the Mules are outscoring their opponents in the sixth inning, 48-14.
• Combined in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, Central Missouri is outscoring opponents, 106-29.
• UCM is 18-0 on the season after leading through six innings.

Weekly Awards

• Carter Young was voted the MIAA Hitter of the Week on March 21 for his performance on the diamond during the week of March 14-20.

Series History

• The three-game series against Washburn will mark meetings 120-122 in the all-time series dating back to 1983. The Mules lead the series, 93-26. Last season, UCM went 4-2 against the Ichabods, winning two of three games in Topeka, Kan., and in the MIAA Baseball Championship in Edmond, Okla., including defeating Washburn twice, 16-13 in 10 innings and 10-5, to win the MIAA Tournament Championship.

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.

UCM During the Crookes Era

• Kyle Crookes has a 325-116 (.737) record in his ninth season as head coach at Central Missouri.
• Crookes is currently second all-time in coaching wins at UCM and is the fifth head coach to ever win 200 games. Crookes passed former UCM head coach Tom Myers, who tallied 311 wins in seven seasons from 2008-14, with the 6-5, walk-off victory over Northwest Missouri State Saturday, Feb. 25. 
• 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 2,083-802-9 record in 2,894 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

• UCM is scheduled to host No. 7-ranked Quincy in a midweek game Tuesday, April 4, at 3 p.m. at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.