Game 35: No. 2 Central Missouri (30-4, 18-2 MIAA) vs. Pittsburg State (23-11, 13-7 MIAA)
Friday, April 5 | 6 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp)
**Military Appreciation Night**
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Live Stats |
Live Audio
Game 36: No. 2 Central Missouri vs. Pittsburg State
Saturday, April 6 | 2 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp)
Live Video |Â
Live Stats |
Live Audio
Game 37: No. 2 Central Missouri vs. Pittsburg State
Sunday, April 7 | 1 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
Radio: 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp)
**Youth Day**
Live Video |Â
Live Stats |
Live Audio
2024 UCM Stats (XML) |
NCBWA Poll |
2024 UCM Roster |
Record Book
First Pitch
- Second-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (30-4, 18-2 MIAA) is scheduled to return home for a three-game MIAA series against the Pittsburg State Gorillas (23-11, 13-7 MIAA) April 5-7 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg. The series opener is slated for 6 p.m. Friday, April 5, with game two at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 6, at the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 7.
- Friday's contest will be the annual Military Appreciation Game. All active/retired military personnel and their families will receive FREE admission to the game with a valid military ID. In addition, UCM Athletics/baseball will be offering military hats to all active/retired military personnel who show a valid military ID at entry.Â
- Sunday's game is Youth Day at the ballpark. All kids (ages 6-17) who wear their youth team uniforms will receive FREE admission! All kids must be accompanied by a parent, who will receive 50 percent off admission to the game. A special appearance will be made by Mo the Mule and Central Missouri's live Mules.
- Through 34 games, UCM is paced at the plate by designated hitter Vance Tobol (.368 avg., 31 R, 42 H, 9 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 44 RBI, .711 SLG%, 13 BB, 13 SB), outfielders Jack Schark (.360 avg., 32 R, 41 H, 11 2B, 7 HR, 29 RBI, .640 SLG%, 20 BB, 12 SB), Brennen van Breusegen (.440 avg., 40 R, 48 H, 7 2B, 3 3B, 13 HR, 41 RBI, .917 SLG%, 22 BB, 9 SB) and Carter Young (.388 avg., 51 R, 50 H, 16 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 32 RBI, .713 SLG%, 32 BB, 17 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 (.350 avg., 44 R, 42 H, 7 2B, 9 HR, 33 RBI, 21 BB, 14 SB), Cole Moore (.356 avg., 33 R, 36 H, 7 2B, 4 3B, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 17 BB, 8 SB) and Max Holy (.382 avg., 47 R, 42 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 46 RBI, .718 SLG%, 18 BB, 19 SB) and catcher Chase Heath (.387 avg., 29 R, 29 H, 8 2B, 10 HR, 36 RBI, .893 SLG%, 17 BB, 4 SB).
- Van Breusegen leads the MIAA in hitting (.440) through 34 contests, while Carter Young is seventh (.388) and Chase Heath is eighth (.387). Van Breusegen is also tops in the MIAA in slugging percentage (.917) while Heath is third (.893), Max Holy is seventh (.718), Young is eighth (.713) and Vance Tobol is ninth (.711). Young leads the conference in doubles (16) and runs scored (51), while van Breusegen is first in on-base percentage (.547).Â
- On the mound through 34 contests, the Mules are led by Conner Wolf (6-0, 3.23 ERA, 4 CG, 53.0 IP, 36 H, 19 R, 19 ER, 7 BB, 50 SO), Jack Kriesman (3-0, 4.21 ERA, 25.2 IP, 26 H, 13 R, 12 ER, 10 BB, 23 SO) and Jake Wilson (5.29 ERA, 3-0, 32.1 IP, 31 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 9 BB, 29 SO).Â
- Wolf currently ranks third in the MIAA in ERA (3.23) and innings pitched (53.0), second in opposing batting average (.193) and fourth in strikeouts (50).Â
- As a team through 34 games, Central Missouri is hitting .368 while holding opponents to a .262 average. In addition, UCM has a .985 fielding percentage and 5.69 team ERA with 34 games in the books. UCM ranks first in the MIAA in hitting (.368 avg.), fifth in pitching (5.69 ERA) and first in fielding (.985 pct.).Â
Scorching Offense
- Through 34Â games, UCM has outscored its opponents, 385-195. The Mules have scored at least 10 runs in 22Â of their 34Â contests this season.Â
Notable Streaks
National Leaders
- Through 34 games, the Mules lead all of NCAA-II in batting average (.368), fielding percentage (.985), homers (79), on-base percentage (.471), slugging percentage (.674) and runs (385), and are second in hits (423) and stolen bases (121).
- Individually, Brennen van Breusegen is third in slugging percentage (.917), Carter Young is third in doubles (16) and Conner Wolf is second in complete games (4).Â
Last Time Out: No. 2 Mules Keep Rolling, Sweep Newman Saturday, 6-5
- Second-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball upped its winning streak to eight games, completing a three-game MIAA series sweep over the Newman Jets with a 6-5 victory Saturday, March 30, at McCarthy Field.
- Carter Young went 2-for-4 with a double and RBI, Jack Schark was 3-for-4 with a double and RBI, and Jacob Steele compiled two hits in three at bats, pacing Central Missouri at the plate in the win.
- UCM reliever JD McReynolds (3-1) earned the win on the mound, allowing no earned runs on no hits in a third of an inning while Harrison Babbitt secured his first save of 2024 after throwing two innings in relief and giving up no earned runs on just one hit with one strikeout.
Weekly Honors
- March 12: Max Holy (Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week)
- March 18: Brennen van Breusgen (MIAA Hitter of the Week)Â
- April 1: Brennen van Breusegen (MIAA Hitter of the Week)
Mules in the Rankings
- Central Missouri is No. 2Â in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Poll released April 3.
- The Mules were picked first in the MIAA Baseball Preseason Coaches' Poll.
Series History
- The three-game series against Pittsburg State will mark meetings 104-106 in the all-time series going back to 1991. UCM leads the series, 87-16, after going 3-1 against the Gorillas in 2023. UCM won two of three games in Pittsburg, Kan., winning games two and three, 9-5 and 7-5 and dropping the opener, 6-5, and posted a 13-2 victory over the Gorillas in the MIAA baseball tournament.Â
UCM During the Crookes Era
- Kyle Crookes has a 376-127 (.748) 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 2024Â season marks the 68th in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span the Mules have compiled a 2,134-813-9 record in 2,956 games played.
- The Mules have won 40 or more games 22Â times, including 14 straight seasons from 1999-2012, and have won 50 or more games nine times.
- The Mules have won or shared 29Â MIAA regular season championships, 16Â MIAA tournament championships, captured 19 regional titles and two national championships.
Mules Baseball by the Numbers
- 33Â NCAA Regional Appearances (25Â of the last 28Â years)
- 29Â MIAA Regular Season Titles (20 of the last 28)
- 16Â MIAA Tournament Titles
- 19 Regional Championships
- 19Â 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 43Â wins in 2023. The Mules have won at least 30 games in all 10Â 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 36Â seasons.
- The Mules have won back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back MIAA Tournament Championships (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023).
Up Next
- Central Missouri travels to St. Joseph, Mo., for a midweek MIAA game at Missouri Western Tuesday, April 9, at 5 p.m.
