Top-Seeded Mules Host Eighth-Seeded Rogers State in MIAA First Round Series May 5-7

2023 MIAA Baseball Championship First Round Best-of-Three Series
Game 1: No. 1 Central Missouri (36-13) vs. No. 8 Rogers State (26-20)
Friday, May 5 | 6 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) | Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp; Alex Kent, analyst)

Game 2: No. 1 Central Missouri vs. No. 8 Rogers State
Saturday, May 6 | 6 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) | Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp; Alex Kent, analyst)

Game 3 (if necessary): No. 1 Central Missouri vs. No. 8 Rogers State
Sunday, May 7 | 2 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
TV: MIAA Network (PPV) | Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp; Alex Kent, analyst)

UCM Stats | UCM Roster | Rogers State Roster | Rogers State Stats | Record Book

First Pitch

Top-seeded Central Missouri Mules baseball (36-13) is scheduled to host eighth-seeded Rogers State (26-20) in a best-of-three first round series in the 2023 MIAA Baseball Championship May 5-7 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg. The series opener is slated for 6 p.m. Friday, May 5, with game two at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 6, and, if necessary, game three Sunday, May 7, at 2 p.m.
Thanks to the President's Office, all UCM students will get in FREE to the MIAA tournament series against Rogers State. Students just need to show a valid student ID to receive free admission to the games.
The Mules clinched their 29th MIAA Regular Season Championship and the top seed in the MIAA Baseball Championship after sweeping Fort Hays State in a MIAA series April 28-30 in Warrensburg. UCM finished the regular season with a MIAA record of 27-6.
Central Missouri is ranked No. 1 in the first NCAA-II Central Regional ranking released Wednesday, May 3. The top two teams in the final regional rankings released on the NCAA-II Baseball Championship Selection Show May 14 will host four-team, sub-regionals of the NCAA-II Central Region tournament. The top eight teams in the final rankings qualify for the regional tournament.
The Mules are ranked No. 4 in the most recent NCBWA Division II poll and check in at No. 5 in the latest Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Division II poll.
Through 49 games, Central Missouri is led at the plate by outfielders Carter Young (.372 avg., 53 R, 74 H, 13 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 54 RBI, .709 SLG%, 21 BB, .429 OB%, 10 SB), Mason Lowe (.345 avg., 27 R, 38 H, 6 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 14 BB, .450 OB%, 8 SB) and Vance Tobol (.333 avg., 41 R, 56 H, 10 2B, 3 3B, 10 HR, 52 RBI, .607 SLG%, 18 BB, 10 SB), and infielders Jack Schark (.380 avg., 44 R, 60 H, 11 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 32 RBI, .519 SLG%, 21 BB, .466 OB%, 23 SB), John Prudhom (.356 avg., 54 R, 64 H, 15 2B, 2 3B, 16 HR, 54 RBI, .728 SLG%, 17 BB, 17 SB) and Cole Moore (.339 avg., 47 R, 57 H, 13 2B, 4 3B, 5 HR, 40 RBI, .554 SLG%, 25 BB, .426 OB%, 10 SB).
On the mound with 49 games elapsed, UCM is paced by right-handers Conner Wolf (4.18 ERA, 8-3, 1 CG, 64.2 IP, 50 H, 34 R, 30 ER, 15 BB, 63 SO), Tyler Kotsis (2.70 ERA, 3-0, 23.1 IP, 13 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 8 BB, 28 SO), JD McReynolds (0.68 ERA, 4-0, 5 SV, 26.2 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 8 BB, 42 SO), Jake Wilson (4.10 ERA, 3-0, 41.2 IP, 39 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 12 BB, 28 SO), Cole LaLonde (3.60 ERA, 2-1, 40.0 IP, 38 H, 22 R, 16 ER, 20 BB, 54 SO) and Ethan Peterson (3.05 ERA, 3-0, 20.2 IP, 23 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 16 SO), and left-hander Cole Schroeder (3.13 ERA, 0-1, 23.0 IP, 15 H, 9 R, 8 ER, 16 BB, 23 SO).
As a team through 49 games, Central Missouri is hitting .322 while its opponents are hitting .231. UCM has a team ERA of 4.57 and a team fielding percentage of .972.
In the latest MIAA statistics, the Mules are first in team pitching (4.57 ERA), second in team batting (.322) and fourth in team fielding (.972).
In the most recent MIAA individual position player statistics, Schark is third in stolen bases (23) and eighth in batting average (.380); Young is third in hits (74) and sixth in homers (16) and slugging percentage (.709); Prudhom is fourth in slugging percentage (.728) and fifth in home runs (16) and stolen bases (17); Max Holy is sixth in stolen bases (17); Wolf is third in opposing batting average (.212) and fourth in ERA (4.18); and McReynolds is seventh in saves (5).
In the latest NCAA-II national statistics, UCM is seventh in double plays (44), 11th in hits (526), 12 in stolen bases (133), 17th in slugging percentage (.528) and 20th in win-loss percentage (.735).

Mules Baseball Garners 13 All-MIAA Honors, Crookes Named Coach of the Year

Central Missouri Mules baseball had 13 student-athletes garner All-MIAA postseason honors, and head coach Kyle Crookes was voted the MIAA Coach of the Year, the conference office announced Thursday, May 4.
Conner Wolf (starting pitcher), JD McReynolds (relief pitcher), Jack Schark (third base), Carter Young (outfield) and Vance Tobol (designated hitter) all garnered First Team All-MIAA accolades. Cole Moore (second base) received Second Team All-MIAA honors, while Cole LaLonde (starting pitcher) and John Prudhom (first base) earned Third Team All-MIAA recognition. Prudhom (first base) and Brennen van Breusegen (outfield) were both voted to the MIAA Gold Glove Team, and Jake Wilson (starting pitcher), Chase Heath (catcher), Max Holy (shortstop), Mason Lowe (outfield) and van Breusegen (outfield) earned All-MIAA Honorable Mention honors.

Notable Streaks

John Prudhom has reached base safely his last 13 games while Carter Young and Cole Moore have reached in their last 12 contests.
Prudhom and Jack Schark are on team-high six-game hitting streaks.

Late-Inning Success

Through 49 games, the Mules are outscoring their opponents in the sixth inning, 64-28.
Combined in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, Central Missouri is outscoring opponents, 164-83.
UCM is 29-2 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 MIAA tournament opening round series against Rogers State will mark meetings 13-14, and possibly 15 if game three is played, in the all-time series going back to 2020. UCM leads the series, 10-2, after winning two of three games against the Hillcats earlier this season in Claremore, Okla. UCM won game one, 12-1, before dropping game two, 5-4, and winning the series finale, 9-1.

UCM During the Crookes Era

Kyle Crookes has a 339-121 (.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 marked Crookes's fourth regular season and tournament titles. UCM's 2023 regular season crown is the fifth with Crookes as the skipper.
Crookes is up to nine MIAA Championships, five 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, 89 players have earned All-MIAA honors, including 26 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 2,097-807-9 record in 2,913 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 29 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)
29 MIAA Regular Season Titles (21 of the last 29)
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 nine 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

If the Mules secure a series win over the Hillcats in the first round, they'll move on and host the MIAA Championship semifinals at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg May 11-13. Four teams will compete in a double-elimination tournament with the championship game set for Saturday, May 13.

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