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No. 3 Mules Travel to Drury Tuesday for Midweek Action

Game 19: No. 3 Central Missouri (15-3) at Drury (2-6)
Tuesday, March 5 | 3 p.m. | Springfield, Mo. (Mark Worley Field at Meador Park)
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2024 UCM Stats (XML) | NCBWA Poll | 2024 UCM Roster | Record Book
First Pitch
  • No. 3-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (15-3) is set to travel to Springfield, Mo., for a 3 p.m. midweek game against the Drury Panthers (2-6) Tuesday, March 5, at Mark Worley Field at Meador Park. 
  • The Mules are coming off a three-game MIAA series sweep at Northeastern State March 1-3 in Tahlequah, Okla. UCM won game one, 18-2 in seven innings, game two 19-14, and the series finale, 17-7 in seven innings. 
  • Central Missouri has won 14 of its last 15 games going into Tuesday. 
  • Through 18 games, UCM is paced at the plate by designated hitter Vance Tobol (.413 avg., 15 R, 26 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 20 RBI, .730 SLG%, 6 BB, 6 SB), outfielders Jack Schark (.418 avg., 20 R, 28 H, 9 2B, 5 HR, 22 RBI, .776 SLG%, 11 BB, 7 SB), Brennen van Breusegen (.412 avg., 18 R, 21 H, 4 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 17 RBI, .863 SLG%, 14 BB, 3 SB) and Carter Young (.362 avg., 20 R, 25 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 17 RBI, .681 SLG%, 14 BB, .6 SB), infielders Josh Patrick (.397 avg., 23 R, 25 H, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 HR, 15 RBI, .762 SLG%, 14 BB, 8 SB), Jacob Steele (.350 avg., 21 R, 21 H, 3 2B, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 11 BB, 7 SB), Cole Moore (.333 avg., 15 R, 19 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 4 BB, 4 SB) and Max Holy (.302 avg., 20 R, 16 H, 1 2B, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 9 BB, 8 SB) and catcher Chase Heath (.455 avg., 18 R, 15 H, 5 2B, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 1.061 SLG%, 13 BB, 3 SB).
  • On the mound through 18 contests, the Mules are led by Conner Wolf (4-0, 2.89 ERA, 28.0 IP, 14 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 5 BB, 30 SO) and Bryce Taylor (1-0, 2.13 ERA, 12.2 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 14 SO). 
  • As a team through 18 games, Central Missouri is hitting .372 while holding opponents to a .255 average. In addition, UCM has a .980 fielding percentage and 5.88 team ERA with 18 games in the books. UCM ranks first in the MIAA in hitting (.372 avg.), sixth in pitching (5.88 ERA) and first in fielding (.980 pct.). 
  • Central Missouri is coming off a 2023 season that saw it post an overall record of 43-15 and a MIAA tally of 27-6. UCM captured both the MIAA Regular Season and Postseason Tournament Championships and advanced to the NCAA-II Central Region Championship game.
Notable Streaks Last Time Out: No. 3 Mules Baseball Sweeps Northeastern State with 17-7 "W" Sunday
  • No. 3-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball compiled 17 hits as it rolled to a 17-7, seven-inning win over the Northeastern State RiverHawks Sunday, March 3, at Rousey Field.
  • Jack Schark, Jacob Steele and Max Holy each hit home runs in the game, increasing their season homer totals to five (Schark), four (Steele) and two (Holy).
  • Vance Tobol went 3-for-4 with a double, Cole Moore was 3-for-5 with two RBIs, Schark added three RBIs, and Chase Wilcox, Steele and Chase Heath all drove in two runs.
  • UCM reliever Bryce Taylor (1-0) earned the victory on the mound after giving up one earned run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Preseason Honors Mules in the Rankings
  • Central Missouri is No. 3 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Poll released February 28. 
  • The Mules were picked first in the MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Series History
  • Tuesday's midweek game at Drury will mark the 17th meeting in the all-time series dating back to the first encounter in 1973. UCM leads the series, 11-5. Last season, the Mules went 1-1 against the Panthers, winning in Springfield, 13-1 in seven innings, and falling in Warrensburg, 11-5. 
UCM During the Crookes Era
  • Kyle Crookes has a 361-126 (.741) 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 2,119-812-9 record in 2,940 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 host Northwest Missouri State in a three-game MIAA series March 8-10 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg. 
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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
JD McReynolds

#47 JD McReynolds

RHP
6' 4"
Junior
L/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
Chase Wilcox

#25 Chase Wilcox

INF
6' 0"
Sophomore
L/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
JD McReynolds

#47 JD McReynolds

6' 4"
Junior
L/R
RHP
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
Chase Wilcox

#25 Chase Wilcox

6' 0"
Sophomore
L/R
INF