Andrew Mather Photography

Baseball 4/3/2023 3:20:00 PM

No. 24 Mules Baseball Welcomes No. 7 Quincy to Warrensburg for Tuesday Midweek Contest

First Pitch

No. 24-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (24-9, 16-4 MIAA) is scheduled to host the No. 7-ranked Quiny Hawks (20-6, 9-3 GLVC) in a midweek non-conference game Tuesday, April 4, at 3 p.m. at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg.
The Mules are coming off a 2-1 MIAA series victory over the Washburn Ichabods March 31-April 2, winning game one, 21-10 in seven innings, dropping game two, 12-9, and taking the series finale, 13-8.
Through 33 games, Central Missouri is led at the plate by outfielders Carter Young (.403 avg., 30 R, 52 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 40 RBI, .690 SLG%, 12 BB, .448 OB%, 7 SB), Mason Lowe (.367 avg., 19 R, 22 H, 2 2B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 8 BB, .486 OB%, 7 SB) and Vance Tobol (.320 avg., 32 R, 39 H, 5 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 36 RBI, .582 SLG%, 16 BB, .415 OB%, 7 SB), and infielders John Prudhom (.345 avg., 37 R, 40 H, 7 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 32 RBI, .707 SLG%, 10 BB, .418 OB%, 11 SB), Jack Schark (.390 avg., 26 R, 39 H, 7 2B, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 14 BB, .479 OB%, 15 SB), Cole Moore (.355 avg., 32 R, 39 H, 9 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 16 BB, .434 OB%, 9 SB) and Max Holy (.346 avg., 20 R, 27 H, 7 2B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 12 BB, .464 OB%, 12 SB).
On the mound with 33 games elapsed, UCM is paced by right-handers Conner Wolf (3.77 ERA, 6-2, 1 CG, 43.0 IP, 35 H, 19 R, 18 ER, 9 BB, 42 SO), Tyler Kotsis (0.00 ERA, 0-0, 12.1 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 BB, 13 SO), JD McReynolds (0.51 ERA, 3-0, 17.2 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 6 BB, 28 SO), Jake Wilson (3.38 ERA, 1-0, 21.1 IP, 20 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 7 BB, 17 SO), Cole LaLonde (3.57 ERA, 1-0, 22.2 IP, 23 H, 14 R, 9 ER, 13 BB, 37 SO), Cole Schroeder (2.70 ERA, 0-0, 13.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 10 BB, 13 SO) and Ethan Peterson (2.19 ERA, 2-0, 12.1 IP, 14 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 9 SO).
As a team through 33 games, Central Missouri is hitting .335 while its opponents are hitting .225. UCM has a team ERA of 4.52 and a team fielding percentage of .967.
In the latest MIAA statistics, the Mules are first in team batting (.335) and team pitching (4.52 ERA) and fifth in team fielding (.967 fielding percentage).
In the most recent MIAA individual position player statistics, Young is fourth in the conference in batting average (.403), fifth in hits (52) and seventh in slugging percentage (.690) while Prudhom is fifth in slugging (.707) and sixth in home runs (11), and Schark is fourth in stolen bases (15) and ninth in batting average (.390). In the latest MIAA individual pitching statistics, Clark is fifth in saves (4) and Wolf is fifth in ERA (3.77) and opposing batting average (.220).

Notable Streaks

Carter Young is on a team-high 13-game hitting streak while Jack Schark, Cole Moore and Chase Heath are each on five-game hitting streaks.
Young has reached base safely in a team-high 25 straight games while Max Holy has reached in his last 22 contests. Vance Tobol has reached successfully in 18 consecutive games, Schark has reached in his last 13 contests, John Prudhom has gotten on-base in 11 straight games and Chase Wilcox has reached in 10 consecutive contests.

Late-Inning Success

Through 33 games, the Mules are outscoring their opponents in the sixth inning, 54-20.
Combined in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, Central Missouri is outscoring opponents, 117-43.
UCM is 20-1 this season when leading after 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

Tuesday's midweek contest against Quincy will be the 11th meeting in the all-time series dating back to 1982. The Mules lead the series, 8-2. UCM and Quincy have not met since 2004, with Central Missouri winning two games: 24-5 in Warrensburg and 13-3 in Quincy, Ill.

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 327-117 (.736) 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 2,085-803-9 record in 2,897 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 has a quick turnaround, as it is slated to travel to No. 4 Missouri Southern for a three-game MIAA series April 6-8 in Joplin, Mo.

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Players Mentioned

#10 Chase Heath: C; 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R

#18 Tyler Kotsis: RHP; 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

#35 Cole LaLonde: RHP; 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

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

#11 Cole Moore: INF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; 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

#51 Cole Schroeder: LHP; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; L/L

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

Players Mentioned

#10 Chase Heath
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R
: C

#18 Tyler Kotsis
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#35 Cole LaLonde
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: RHP

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

#11 Cole Moore
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; L/R
: INF

#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

#51 Cole Schroeder
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; L/L
: LHP

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