Baseball | 4/10/2024 11:29:00 AM

• Second-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (34-4, 22-2 MIAA) is set to travel to Emporia, Kan., for a three-game MIAA series at Emporia State (16-23, 7-17 MIAA) April 12-14 at the Trusler Sports Complex. The series opener is slated for Friday, April 12, at 6 p.m., with game two at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 13 and the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 14. 
• The Mules, who have won 12 straight games entering Friday, are coming off a 12-4 victory at Missouri Western Tuesday in St. Joseph. 
• Through 38 games, UCM is paced at the plate by designated hitter Vance Tobol (.376 avg., 36 R, 47 H, 10 2B, 5 3B, 8 HR, 46 RBI, .728 SLG%, 18 BB, 16 SB), outfielders Jack Schark (.351 avg., 34 R, 46 H, 11 2B, 8 HR, 34 RBI, .618 SLG%, 21 BB, 12 SB), Brennen van Breusegen (.419 avg., 44 R, 52 H, 8 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 46 RBI, .871 SLG%, 25 BB, 14 SB) and Carter Young (.389 avg., 57 R, 58 H, 19 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 37 RBI, .725 SLG%, 33 BB, 20 SB), infielders Josh Patrick (.352 avg., 39 R, 38 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 22 RBI, .639 SLG%, 23 BB, 12 SB), Jacob Steele (.372 avg., 50 R, 51 H, 9 2B, 9 HR, 38 RBI, .635 SLG%, 22 BB, 16 SB), Cole Moore (.345 avg., 39 R, 41 H, 9 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 35 RBI, 18 BB, 8 SB) and Max Holy (.382 avg., 53 R, 47 H, 8 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 52 RBI, .699 SLG%, 22 BB, 23 SB) and catcher Chase Heath (.391 avg., 32 R, 34 H, 9 2B, 10 HR, 40 RBI, .839 SLG%, 19 BB, 4 SB).
• Van Breusegen leads the MIAA in hitting (.419) through 38 contests, while Chase Heath is fifth (.391), Carter Young is seventh (.389) and Max Holy is 10th (.382). Van Breusegen is also tops in the MIAA in slugging percentage (.871) while Heath is second (.839), Vance Tobol is seventh (.728), Young is eighth (.725) and Holy is 10th (.699). Young leads the conference in doubles (19) and runs scored (57), and is third in hits (58), while van Breusegen is second in on-base percentage (.529), and Holy is second in runs scored (53). Holy leads the MIAA in RBIs with 52. 
• On the mound through 38 contests, the Mules are led by Conner Wolf (7-0, 3.05 ERA, 4 CG, 59.0 IP, 40 H, 20 R, 20 ER, 8 BB, 56 SO), Jack Kriesman (3-0, 4.50 ERA, 30.0 IP, 32 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 11 BB, 27 SO) and Jake Wilson (4-0, 4.66 ERA, 38.2 IP, 34 H, 21 R, 20 ER, 11 BB, 29 SO). 
• Wolf currently ranks third in the MIAA in ERA (3.05), strikeouts (56) and innings pitched (59.0), and second in opposing batting average (.191). 
• As a team through 38 games, Central Missouri is hitting .366 while holding opponents to a .258 average. In addition, UCM has a .986 fielding percentage and 5.45 team ERA with 38 games in the books. UCM ranks first in the MIAA in hitting (.366 avg.), fourth in pitching (5.45 ERA) and first in fielding (.986 pct.). 

• Through 38 games, UCM has outscored its opponents, 427-209. The Mules have scored at least 10 runs in 24 of their 38 contests this season. 

• Hitting streaks: Carter Young (9 games), Jacob Steele (8 games), Max Holy (7 games)
• Reached base safely: Jacob Steele (17 games), Carter Young (9 games), Vance Tobol (9 games), Max Holy (7 games), Adamo Stornello (7 games)

• Through 38 games, the Mules lead all of NCAA-II in batting average (.366), fielding percentage (.986), homers (83), on-base percentage (.467), slugging percentage (.663) and runs (427), and are second in hits (473) and stolen bases (138).
• Individually, Carter Young is second in doubles (19) and runs (57), and Conner Wolf is third in complete games (4). 

• No. 2-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball upped its winning streak to 12 games and completed a three-game, season series sweep of Missouri Western with a 12-4 victory over the Griffons Tuesday, April 9, at Griffon Baseball Field.
• Brennen van Breusegen had two hits, including his team-best 14th home run of the season and drove in two runs, Jack Schark posted his eighth homer of 2024 and compiled two RBIs, Carter Young had two hits, including a double, and three RBIs, Max Holy hit a triple and drove in three runs, and Chase Heath posted two hits, pacing Central Missouri at the plate.
• UCM starting pitcher Jake Wilson (4-0) earned the win on the mound after allowing no earned runs on just two hits in six innings.

• March 12: Max Holy (Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week)
• March 18: Brennen van Breusgen (MIAA Hitter of the Week) 
• April 1: Brennen van Breusegen (MIAA Hitter of the Week)

• Central Missouri is No. 2 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Poll released April 10.
• The Mules were picked first in the MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll.

• The weekend series at Emporia State will mark meetings 180-182 in the all-time series going back to 1965. UCM leads the series, 125-54. Last season, the Mules won two of three games against the Hornets in Emporia, Kan., winning game one, 10-4, and the series finale, 10-2, and dropping game two, 3-2. 

• Kyle Crookes has a 380-127 (.750) 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.

• The 2024 season marks the 68th in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span the Mules have compiled a 2,138-813-9 record in 2,960 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.

• 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

• Central Missouri totaled 43 wins in 2023. The Mules have won at least 30 games in all 10 full seasons under Coach Crookes. They won 20 of 23 games in 2020 before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 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).

• Central Missouri travels to Quincy for a midweek non-conference game Tuesday, April 16, at 2 p.m.