No. 4 Mules Baseball Hosts Central Oklahoma April 21-23

Game 43: No. 4 Central Missouri (30-12, 21-6 MIAA) vs. Central Oklahoma (29-13, 16-11 MIAA)
Friday, April 21 | 3 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) | Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp)

Game 44: No. 4 Central Missouri vs. Central Oklahoma
Saturday, April 22 | Noon | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) | Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp)

Game 45: No. 4 Central Missouri vs. Central Oklahoma
Sunday, April 23 | 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 | Central Oklahoma Roster |
Central Oklahoma Stats | Record Book

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First Pitch

• No. 4-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (30-12, 21-6 MIAA) is scheduled to host the Central Oklahoma Bronchos (29-13, 16-11 MIAA) in a key, three-game MIIAA series April 21-23 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg. The series opener is slated for 3 p.m. Friday, April 21, with game two at noon Saturday, April 22, and the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 23.
• The Mules are coming off an 11-5 loss to the Drury Panthers in a midweek, non-conference game Wednesday in Warrensburg.
• Through 42 games, Central Missouri is led at the plate by outfielders Carter Young (.385 avg., 44 R, 65 H, 11 2B, 2 3B, 13 HR, 47 RBI, .704 SLG%, 16 BB, .434 OB%, 9 SB), Mason Lowe (.360 avg., 23 R, 31 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 13 BB, .465 OB%, 7 SB) and Vance Tobol (.301 avg., 35 R, 43 H, 5 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 42 RBI, .545 SLG%, 18 BB, 7 SB), and infielders Jack Schark (.372 avg., 33 R, 48 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 26 RBI, .504 SLG%, 19 BB, .480 OB%, 19 SB), John Prudhom (.329 avg., 44 R, 50 H, 11 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 41 RBI, .664 SLG%, 15 BB, 13 SB), Cole Moore (.362 avg., 44 R, 51 H, 10 2B, 4 3B, 4 HR, 34 RBI, .574 SLG%, 22 BB, .446 OB%, 10 SB) and Max Holy (.319 avg., 22 R, 30 H, 7 2B, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 15 BB, .449 OB%, 15 SB).
• On the mound with 42 games elapsed, UCM is paced by right-handers Conner Wolf (4.33 ERA, 7-3, 1 CG, 54.0 IP, 44 H, 30 R, 26 ER, 13 BB, 54 SO), Tyler Kotsis (2.76 ERA, 1-0, 16.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 8 BB, 20 SO), JD McReynolds (0.40 ERA, 3-0, 3 SV, 22.2 IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 BB, 36 SO), Jake Wilson (3.21 ERA, 3-0, 33.2 IP, 30 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 10 BB, 22 SO), Cole LaLonde (3.60 ERA, 1-1, 30.0 IP, 31 H, 17 R, 12 ER, 17 BB, 45 SO) and Ethan Peterson (1.59 ERA, 2-0, 17.0 IP, 17 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 14 SO), and left-hander Cole Schroeder (3.32 ERA, 0-1, 19.0 IP, 14 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 13 BB, 18 SO).
• As a team through 42 games, Central Missouri is hitting .323 while its opponents are hitting .231. UCM has a team ERA of 4.53 and a team fielding percentage of .969.
• In the latest MIAA statistics, the Mules are second in team pitching (4.53 ERA), third in team batting (.323 avg.) and fourth in team fielding (.969 fielding pct.)
• In the most recent MIAA individual position player statistics, Schark is third in stolen bases (19); Young is fifth in slugging percentage (.704), sixth in hits (65), seventh in homers (13) and eighth in batting average (.385); Prudhom is eighth in slugging percentage (.664) and ninth in home runs (12); and Wolf is fifth in opposing batting average (.221), seventh in ERA (4.33) and 10th in strikeouts (54).

Mules Baseball First Pitch Banquet Set for Saturday; Silent Auction Registration & Bidding Now Open

• UCM Athletics and Mules Baseball are set to host the seventh annual First Pitch Banquet this Saturday, April 22, at the Multipurpose Building on the campus of the University of Central Missouri.
• The evening will feature a silent auction, a roundtable on the Mules Baseball experience with alumni and a current student-athlete, and the induction of the 2003 Mules Baseball national championship team into the Diamond Club.
• Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, Jim Crane '76 will be unable to deliver the keynote remarks. Rather, the night will feature Jared Crane, Senior Vice President of the Houston Astros and President at Crane Worldwide Logistics.
• Doors for the event will open at 5:30 p.m. for those who purchased VIP tickets and 6:00 p.m. for all guests. Those attending the First Pitch Banquet are asked to park on the north side of the Multipurpose Building and enter through the east doors for check-in with team members from the UCM Alumni Foundation.
• This year's silent auction is now live and will be open until 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, before the formal program begins. The auction features Mules Baseball apparel and experiences, sports memorabilia, and more. Click here to start bidding today in support of Mules Baseball!

Notable Streaks

• Max Holy has reached base safely in a team-best 28 straight games.
• Carter Young and Cole Moore are both on five-game hitting streaks.

Late-Inning Success

• Through 42 games, the Mules are outscoring their opponents in the sixth inning, 59-25.
• Combined in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, Central Missouri is outscoring opponents, 147-61.
• UCM is 24-1 this season when leading after six innings.

Weekly Awards

• MIAA Hitter of the Week: Jack Schark, April 10; Carter Young, March 21

Series History

• The three-game series against Central Oklahoma will mark meetings 63-65 in the all-time series dating back to the inaugural meeting in 1995. The Mules lead the series, 38-24. Last season, the Bronchos were the only team to take a MIAA series from UCM. Playing in Edmond, Okla., Central Missouri fell in game one, 9-8 in 11 evenings, before dropping game two, 11-10, and winning the series finale, 19-4 in seven innings.

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.
• In the latest NCBWA Division II Poll release Wednesday, April 19, UCM checks in at No. 4.

UCM During the Crookes Era

• Kyle Crookes has a 333-120 (.735) 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 2,091-806-9 record in 2,906 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 travel to No. 13 Quincy for a non-conference, midweek game Tuesday, April 25, at 3 p.m. in Quincy, Ill.