Adamo Stornello and JD McReynolds
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Baseball

No. 2 Mules Baseball Heads to Wichita for Three-Game MIAA Series at Newman

Game 32: No. 2 Central Missouri (27-4, 15-2 MIAA) at Newman (6-25, 2-14 MIAA)
Thursday, March 28 | 3 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (McCarthy Field)
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Game 33: No. 2 Central Missouri at Newman
Friday, March 29 | 2 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (McCarthy Field)
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Game 34: No. 2 Central Missouri at Newman
Saturday, March 30 | 1 p.m. | Wichita, Kan. (McCarthy Field)
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2024 UCM Stats (XML) | NCBWA Poll | 2024 UCM Roster | Record Book
First Pitch
  • No. 2-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (27-4, 15-2 MIAA) continues MIAA play with a three-game series at Newman (6-25, 2-4 MIAA) March 28-30 at McCarthy Field in Wichita, Kan. The series opener is slated for Thursday, March 28, at 3 p.m., with game two at 2 p.m. Friday, March 29, and the series finale at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 30. The series is being played Thursday, Friday and Saturday due to the Easter holiday Sunday, March 31. 
  • Central Missouri is coming off a 12-5, midweek MIAA win over Missouri Western Tuesday. The victory secured a season series win over the Griffons. 
  • Through 31 games, UCM is paced at the plate by designated hitter Vance Tobol (.369 avg., 26 R, 38 H, 7 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 40 RBI, .699 SLG%, 11 BB, 12 SB), outfielders Jack Schark (.343 avg., 28 R, 35 H, 10 2B, 6 HR, 25 RBI, .618 SLG%, 17 BB, 9 SB), Brennen van Breusegen (.439 avg., 35 R, 43 H, 7 2B, 3 3B, 9 HR, 34 RBI, .847 SLG%, 22 BB, 9 SB) and Carter Young (.372 avg., 41 R, 42 H, 12 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 27 RBI, .681 SLG%, 29 BB, 15 SB), infielders Josh Patrick (.376 avg., 36 R, 35 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 20 RBI, .667 SLG%, 21 BB, 12 SB), Jacob Steele (.312 avg., 35 R, 34 H, 6 2B, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 16 BB, 12 SB), Cole Moore (.333 avg., 30 R, 31 H, 7 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 24 RBI, 17 BB, 8 SB) and Max Holy (.365 avg., 41 R, 35 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 42 RBI, .688 SLG%, 15 BB, 17 SB) and catcher Chase Heath (.424 avg., 27 R, 28 H, 8 2B, 9 HR, 32 RBI, .955 SLG%, 16 BB, 4 SB).
  • Van Breusegen leads the MIAA in hitting (.439) through 31 contests, while Chase Heath is third (.424) and Josh Patrick is 10th (.376). Heath is first in the conference in slugging percentage (.955), van Breusegen is second (.847), Vance Tobol is eighth (.699) and Max Holy is ninth (.688). 
  • On the mound through 31 contests, the Mules are led by Conner Wolf (6-0, 2.57 ERA, 4 CG, 49.0 IP, 29 H, 14 R, 14 ER, 7 BB, 46 SO), Jack Kriesman (3-0, 3.86 ERA, 21.0 IP, 29 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 9 BB, 19 SO) and Jake Wilson (5.53 ERA, 2-0, 27.2 IP, 28 H, 18 R, 17 ER, 5 BB, 26 SO).
  • Wolf currently ranks second in the MIAA in ERA (2.57) and opposing batting average (.173), is third in innings pitched (49.0) and fourth in strikeouts (46). 
  • As a team through 31 games, Central Missouri is hitting .364 while holding opponents to a .258 average. In addition, UCM has a .986 fielding percentage and 5.51 team ERA with 31 games in the books. UCM ranks first in the MIAA in hitting (.364 avg.), fourth in pitching (5.51 ERA) and first in fielding (.986 pct.). 
Scorching Offense
  • Through 31 games, UCM has outscored its opponents, 329-173. The Mules have scored at least 10 runs in 20 of their 31 contests this season. 
Notable Streaks National Leaders
  • Through 31 games, the Mules lead all of NCAA-II in batting average (.364), fielding percentage (.986), homers (66) and slugging percentage (.656), and are second in hits (372).
Last Time Out: No. 2 Mules Cap Homestand with 12-5 Win Over Missouri Western Tuesday
  • Second-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball wrapped up its five-game homestand with a 12-5 victory over the Missouri Western Griffons on a cold Tuesday afternoon, March 26, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
  • Chase Heath paced a sizzling UCM offense in the game, going 3-for-4 with two homers, a double and four RBIs. Heath had a two-run home run in the fourth inning and a solo homer in the sixth to raise his total on the season to a team-best-tying nine. Brennen van Breusegen also homered in the contest, belting a two-run round-tripper in the fifth, tying Heath for the season lead with nine home runs, and Carter Young crushed a two-run homer in the sixth, raising his 2024 total to seven.
  • Central Missouri starting pitcher Bryce Taylor (3-0) earned the win on the mound, allowing four earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts and one walk in five innings.
Weekly Honors
  • March 12: Max Holy (Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week)
  • March 18: Brennen van Breusgen (MIAA Hitter of the Week) 
Mules in the Rankings
  • Central Missouri is No. 2 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Poll released March 27. The number two ranking is the highest UCM baseball has been ranked since being number one in 2003 -- the year the Mules captured their second-ever national championship. 
  • The Mules were picked first in the MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Series History
  • The three-game series at Newman will mark meetings 13-15 in the all-time series going back to 2020. UCM is a perfect 12-0 in the series. Last season, the Mules swept a three-game series with the Jets in Warrensburg, winning 11-0 in seven innings, 16-6 in seven innings and 8-4. 
UCM During the Crookes Era
  • Kyle Crookes has a 373-127 (.746) record in his 10th season as head coach at Central Missouri.
  • 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 and tournament titles were the fifth with Crookes as the skipper.
  • Crookes is up to 10 MIAA Championships, five regular season and five 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. Twenty-three players have earned All-Region honors, 10 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 2024 season marks the 68th in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span the Mules have compiled a 2,131-813-9 record in 2,953 games played.
  • The Mules have won 40 or more games 22 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, 16 MIAA tournament championships, captured 19 regional titles and two national championships.
Mules Baseball by the Numbers
  • 33 NCAA Regional Appearances (25 of the last 28 years)
  • 29 MIAA Regular Season Titles (20 of the last 28)
  • 16 MIAA Tournament Titles
  • 19 Regional Championships
  • 19 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 43 wins in 2023. 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 36 seasons.
  • The Mules have won back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back MIAA Tournament Championships (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023).
Up Next
  • The Mules return home to Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field for a three-game MIAA series against Pittsburg State April 5-7. 
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Players Mentioned

Brennen van Breusegen

#48 Brennen van Breusegen

OF
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Chase Heath

#10 Chase Heath

C
5' 10"
Junior
R/R
Max Holy

#7 Max Holy

INF
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Cole Moore

#11 Cole Moore

INF
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
L/R
Jack Schark

#1 Jack Schark

INF
5' 10"
Junior
R/R
Jacob Steele

#8 Jacob Steele

INF
6' 2"
Junior
R/R
Vance Tobol

#22 Vance Tobol

OF
6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Brennen van Breusegen

#48 Brennen van Breusegen

OF
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Jake Wilson

#26 Jake Wilson

RHP
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Conner Wolf

#36 Conner Wolf

RHP
6' 3"
Junior
R/R

Players Mentioned

Brennen van Breusegen

#48 Brennen van Breusegen

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
OF
Chase Heath

#10 Chase Heath

5' 10"
Junior
R/R
C
Max Holy

#7 Max Holy

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
INF
Cole Moore

#11 Cole Moore

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
L/R
INF
Jack Schark

#1 Jack Schark

5' 10"
Junior
R/R
INF
Jacob Steele

#8 Jacob Steele

6' 2"
Junior
R/R
INF
Vance Tobol

#22 Vance Tobol

6' 1"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
OF
Brennen van Breusegen

#48 Brennen van Breusegen

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
OF
Jake Wilson

#26 Jake Wilson

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
RHP
Conner Wolf

#36 Conner Wolf

6' 3"
Junior
R/R
RHP