Mallory Murray

Baseball 4/8/2024 12:43:00 PM

No. 2 Mules Baseball on the Road at Missouri Western Tuesday Evening

First Pitch

No. 2-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (33-4, 21-2 MIAA) is scheduled to trek to St. Joseph, Mo., for a midweek MIAA game at Missouri Western (19-17, 10-13 MIAA) Tuesday, April 9, at 5 p.m. at Griffon Baseball Field.
UCM, winners of its last 11 games, is coming off a three-game, MIAA series sweep over Pittsburg State April 5-7 in Warrensburg, winning 9-1, 8-5 and 13-4.
Through 37 games, UCM is paced at the plate by designated hitter Vance Tobol (.379 avg., 35 R, 47 H, 10 2B, 5 3B, 8 HR, 46 RBI, .734 SLG%, 15 BB, 15 SB), outfielders Jack Schark (.357 avg., 33 R, 45 H, 11 2B, 7 HR, 32 RBI, .611 SLG%, 21 BB, 12 SB), Brennen van Breusegen (.417 avg., 42 R, 50 H, 7 2B, 3 3B, 13 HR, 44 RBI, .850 SLG%, 24 BB, 14 SB) and Carter Young (.392 avg., 57 R, 56 H, 18 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 34 RBI, .734 SLG%, 33 BB, 19 SB), infielders Josh Patrick (.356 avg., 39 R, 37 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 22 RBI, .644 SLG%, 23 BB, 12 SB), Jacob Steele (.371 avg., 48 R, 49 H, 9 2B, 9 HR, 38 RBI, .644 SLG%, 22 BB, 15 SB), Cole Moore (.360 avg., 39 R, 41 H, 9 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 35 RBI, 18 BB, 8 SB) and Max Holy (.383 avg., 50 R, 46 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 49 RBI, .692 SLG%, 20 BB, 22 SB) and catcher Chase Heath (.381 avg., 29 R, 32 H, 9 2B, 10 HR, 39 RBI, .845 SLG%, 17 BB, 4 SB).
Van Breusegen is second in the MIAA in hitting (.417) through 37 contests, while Carter Young is seventh (.392), Max Holy is eighth (.383) and Chase Heath is ninth (.381). 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 (18) and runs scored (57), and is third in hits (56), while van Breusegen is second in on-base percentage (.527), and Holy is third in runs scored (50).
On the mound through 37 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 (5.51 ERA, 3-0, 32.2 IP, 32 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 37 games, Central Missouri is hitting .369 while holding opponents to a .260 average. In addition, UCM has a .985 fielding percentage and 5.49 team ERA with 37 games in the books. UCM ranks first in the MIAA in hitting (.369 avg.), fourth in pitching (5.49 ERA) and first in fielding (.985 pct.).

Scorching Offense

Through 37 games, UCM has outscored its opponents, 415-205. The Mules have scored at least 10 runs in 23 of their 37 contests this season.

Notable Streaks

Hitting streaks: Carter Young (8 games), Jacob Steele (7 games), Max Holy (6 games)
Reached base safely: Cole Moore (24 games), Jacob Steele (16 games)

National Leaders

Through 37 games, the Mules lead all of NCAA-II in batting average (.369), fielding percentage (.985), homers (81), on-base percentage (.469), slugging percentage (.667) and runs (415), and are second in hits (462) and stolen bases (134).
Individually, Carter Young is second in doubles (18) and runs (57), and Conner Wolf is third in complete games (4).

Last Time Out: No. 2 Mules Completes Series Sweep of Pittsburg State with 13-14 Win Sunday

Carter Young and Josh Patrick each homered as second-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball completed a three-game, MIAA series sweep of the Pittsburg State Gorillas with a 13-4 victory Sunday afternoon, April 7, at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field.
Central Missouri jumped out to a 3-0 lead through three innings and never looked back enroute to the 13-4 triumph.
Young set the tone early for the Mules, belting a lead-off home run to left field in the first inning for the 1-0 lead. It was Young's ninth homer of 2024.
Young led-off the third inning with a triple to right-center before crossing the plate on a Pittsburg State wild pitch prior to Patrick crushing a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence for his eighth homer of the season, upping the UCM lead to 3-0.
Young, Jack Schark, Cole Moore and Jacob Steele each had two hits, with Young and Schark also driving in two runs while Moore and Brennen van Breusegen both had three RBIs, pacing Central Missouri offensively in the game.
Reliever JD McReynolds (4-1) picked up the win on the mound for the Mules, tossing two-thirds of an inning and giving up no earned runs with a strikeout and walk.

Weekly Honors

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)

Mules in the Rankings

Central Missouri is No. 2 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

Tuesday's game in St. Joseph against the Griffons will mark the 163rd meeting in the all-time series going back to 1970. The Mules lead the series, 125-37, and have won the last 12 meetings with Missouri Western. UCM has played Missouri Western twice this season, posting an 8-4 win in St. Joseph on March 12 and a 12-5 triumph in Warrensburg March 26.

UCM During the Crookes Era

Kyle Crookes has a 379-127 (.749) 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 2,137-813-9 record in 2,959 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 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).

Up Next

Central Missouri travels to Emporia, Kan., for a three-game MIAA series at Emporia State April 12-14.

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Players Mentioned

#48 Brennen van Breusegen: OF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#10 Chase Heath: C; 5' 10"; Junior; R/R

#7 Max Holy: INF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#47 JD McReynolds: RHP; 6' 4"; Junior; L/R

#11 Cole Moore: INF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior; L/R

#1 Jack Schark: INF; 5' 10"; Junior; R/R

#8 Jacob Steele: INF; 6' 2"; Junior; R/R

#22 Vance Tobol: OF; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#48 Brennen van Breusegen: OF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#26 Jake Wilson: RHP; 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#48 Brennen van Breusegen
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: OF

#10 Chase Heath
: 5' 10"; Junior; R/R
: C

#7 Max Holy
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: INF

#47 JD McReynolds
: 6' 4"; Junior; L/R
: RHP

#11 Cole Moore
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior; L/R
: INF

#1 Jack Schark
: 5' 10"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#8 Jacob Steele
: 6' 2"; Junior; R/R
: INF

#22 Vance Tobol
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: OF

#48 Brennen van Breusegen
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: OF

#26 Jake Wilson
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: RHP