Brinkley Beever

Baseball 3/7/2023 10:43:00 AM

Midweek Game at Drury Wednesday Up Next for Mules Baseball

First Pitch

Central Missouri Mules baseball (12-6) is scheduled to travel to Ozark, Mo., for a midweek game against the Drury Panthers (9-6) Wednesday, March 8, at 3 p.m. at U.S. Baseball Park.
The Mules are coming off a 2-1, MIAA series win at Northeastern State March 4-6 in Tahlequah, Okla., winning games one and three, 12-2 and 13-6, and dropping game two, 11-10. Central Missouri has won nine of its last 10 games.
Through 18 games, Central Missouri is led at the plate by outfielders Carter Young (.459 avg., 15 R, 28 H, 3 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBI, .754 SLG%, 7 BB, .522 OB%, 2 SB) and Vance Tobol (.303 avg., 9 R, 20 H, 1 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 16 RBI, .545 SLG%, 5 BB, 3 SB), and infielders John Prudhom (.367 avg., 18 R, 22 H, 5 2B, 9 HR, 21 RBI, .900 SLG%, 4 BB, 4 SB) and Jack Schark (.377 avg., 11 R, 20 H, 2 2B, 9 RBI, 5 BB, 6 SB).
On the mound with 18 games elapsed, UCM is paced by right-handers Conner Wolf (4.29 ERA, 2-2, 21.0 IP, 21 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 6 BB, 26 SO), JD McReynolds (0.00 ERA, 3-0, 12.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 21 SO), Wyatt Clark (1.50 ERA, 0-0, 4 SV, 6.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 SO), Ethan Peterson (2.08 ERA, 2-0, 8.2 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO) and Jake Wilson (4.05 ERA, 1-0, 13.1 IP, 14 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 BB, 15 SO).
As a team through 15 games, Central Missouri is hitting .294 while its opponents are hitting .239.UCM has a team ERA of 4.50 and a team fielding percentage of .965.
In the latest MIAA statistics, the Mules are seventh in team batting (.294), third in team pitching (4.50 ERA) and sixth in team fielding (.965 fielding percentage).
In the most recent MIAA individual statistics, Clark is tied for second in saves with four in five appearances, while Young is third in batting average (.459) and on-base percentage (.522), and Prudhom is tied for first in homers (9) and ranks third in slugging percentage (.900).

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

Wednesday's game at Drury will mark the 15th meeting in the all-time series going back to the inaugural encounter in 1973. UCM leads the series, 10-4. Last season, Central Missouri wemt 2-0 against Drury, defeating the Panther in Ozark, 24-11, and in Warrensburg, 13-4.

UCM During the Crookes Era

Kyle Crookes has a 315-114 (.734) 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 2,073-800-9 record in 2,882 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 travel to Emporia, Kan., for a three-game MIAA series at Emporia State March 10-12.

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Players Mentioned

#56 Wyatt Clark: RHP; 6' 5"; Sophomore; R/R

#47 JD McReynolds: RHP; 6' 4"; Sophomore; L/R

#27 Ethan Peterson: RHP; 5' 10"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#37 John Prudhom: INF; 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#1 Jack Schark: INF; 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R

#22 Vance Tobol: OF; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

#48 Brennen van Breusegen: OF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#36 Conner Wolf: RHP; 6' 3"; Sophomore; R/R

#29 Carter Young: OF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; L/R

#26 Jake Wilson: RHP; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#56 Wyatt Clark
: 6' 5"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#47 JD McReynolds
: 6' 4"; Sophomore; L/R
: RHP

#27 Ethan Peterson
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: RHP

#37 John Prudhom
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: INF

#1 Jack Schark
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R
: INF

#22 Vance Tobol
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#48 Brennen van Breusegen
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: OF

#36 Conner Wolf
: 6' 3"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#29 Carter Young
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; L/R
: OF

#26 Jake Wilson
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: RHP