Top-Seeded Mules Baseball to Host Sixth-Seeded Arkansas-Monticello in NCAA-II Super Regional May 24-25

2024 NCAA-II Super Regional (best-of-three format)
Game 59: No. 1 Central Missouri (50-8) vs. No. 6 Arkansas-Monticello (35-22)
Friday, May 24 | 3 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
Radio: 1450 KOKO & 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp; Alex Kent, color commentary)
Live Video | Live Stats | Live Audio | Buy Tickets

Game 60: No. 1 Central Missouri vs. No. 6 Arkansas-Monticello
Saturday, May 25 | 2 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
Radio: 1450 KOKO & 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp; Alex Kent, color commentary)
Live Video | Live Stats | Live Audio | Buy Tickets

Game 61: No. 1 Central Missouri vs. No. 6 Arkansas-Monticello (if necessary)
Saturday, May 25 | 30 minutes after game two | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
Radio: 1450 KOKO & 98.5 The BAR (Bob Jackson, pxp; Alex Kent, color commentary)
Live Video | Live Stats | Live Audio | Buy Tickets

2024 UCM Stats (XML) | 2024 UCM Roster | Record Book | NCAA-II Super Regional Info

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First Pitch

• MIAA Regular Season Champion, second-ranked, and top-seeded Central Missouri Mules baseball (50-8) is set to host the sixth-seeded Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils (35-22) in a best-of-three NCAA-II Super Regional May 24-25 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg. 
• The winner of the best-of-three Super Regional will claim the Central Region Championship and secure a berth in the 2024 NCAA-II College World Series June 1-8 in Cary, N.C. 
• Central Missouri has qualified for 34 NCAA-II tournaments. 
• The Mules went a perfect 3-0 in the NCAA-II Central Regional tournament May 16-19 in Warrensburg, defeating No. 8 seed Minnesota State, 12-10, and No. 4 seed and 11th-ranked Augustana (S.D.) twice, 18-3 and 13-2. 
• Through 58 games, UCM is paced at the plate by designated hitter Vance Tobol (.346 avg., 49 R, 63 H, 14 2B, 6 3B, 9 HR, 56 RBI, .637 SLG%, 21 BB, 21 SB), outfielders Jack Schark (.335 avg., 50 R, 66 H, 15 2B, 2 3B, 9 HR, 49 RBI, .569 SLG%, 34 BB, 14 SB), Brennen van Breusegen (.380 avg., 69 R, 76 H, 13 2B, 5 3B, 21 HR, 68 RBI, .810 SLG%, 36 BB, 18 SB) and Carter Young (.377 avg., 84 R, 89 H, 23 2B, 5 3B, 16 HR, 61 RBI, .720 SLG%, 47 BB, 29 SB), infielders Josh Patrick (.364 avg., 57 R, 63 H, 6 2B, 3 3B, 11 HR, 42 RBI, .624 SLG%, 34 BB, 19 SB), Jacob Steele (.371 avg., 73 R, 75 H, 12 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 64 RBI, .634 SLG%, 28 BB, 19 SB), Cole Moore (.351 avg., 59 R, 66 H, 14 2B, 7 3B, 4 HR, 51 RBI, .564 SLG%, 34 BB, 8 SB) and Max Holy (.376 avg., 76 R, 76 H, 13 2B, 4 3B, 14 HR, 72 RBI, .688 SLG%, 39 BB, 30 SB) and catcher Chase Heath (.393 avg., 53 R, 55 H, 12 2B, 15 HR, 57 RBI, .800 SLG%, 24 BB, 6 SB).
• On the mound through 58 contests, the Mules are led by Conner Wolf (11-0, 4.11 ERA, 4 CG, 85.2 IP, 76 H, 42 R, 40 ER, 15 BB, 80 SO), Jack Scott (5-1, 3.72 ERA, 46.0 IP, 42 H, 21 R, 19 ER, 15 BB, 39 SO), Jack Kriesman (6-1, 4.11 ERA, 61.1 IP, 62 H, 29 R, 28 ER, 22 BB, 49 SO) and Jake Wilson (5-0, 4.33 ERA, 1 SV, 54.0 IP, 46 H, 28 R, 26 ER, 17 BB, 46 SO). 
• As a team through 58 games, Central Missouri is hitting .360 while holding opponents to a .259 average. In addition, UCM has a .982 fielding percentage and 5.45 team ERA with 58 games in the books. UCM ranks first in the MIAA in hitting (.360 avg.), fourth in pitching (5.45 ERA) and first in fielding (.982 pct.). 

Scorching Offense

• Through 58 games, UCM has outscored its opponents, 637-323. The Mules have scored at least 10 runs in 35 of their 58 contests this season. 
• The Mules have hit a single-season record 122 home runs and 37 triples, and stolen a season-record 185 bases. The 37 triples and 185 stolen bases are also MIAA records while the 122 homers is one off tying the MIAA single-season record. 
• Central Missouri is also one RBI shy of tying the MIAA single-season record of 584. 
• For the first time in program history, Central Missouri has compiled at least 100 doubles (133), 100 homers (122) and 100 stolen bases (185). 

Notable Streaks

• Hitting streaks: Brennen van Breusegen (6 games), Josh Patrick (6 games), Carter Young (6 games), Vance Tobol (6 games)
• Reached base safely: Cole Moore (19 games), Adamo Stornello (14 games), Josh Patrick (11 games), Carter Young (9 games), Jacob Steele (8 games), Max Holy (8 games), Vance Tobol (6 games)

National Leaders

• Through 58 games, the Mules lead all of NCAA-II in batting average (.360), fielding percentage (.982), homers (122), triples (37), hits (719), runs scored (637) and slugging percentage (.647).
• Individually, Cole Moore is fourth in triples (7) and Carter Young is fourth in runs scored (84) and sixth in doubles (23). 

Mules Baseball Has Four Tabbed NCBWA All-Central Region; Crookes, Wolf Earn Top Accolades

• The 2024 MIAA Regular Season Champion Mules baseball team had four student-athletes named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-Central Region Teams, it was announced Wednesday, May 15. In addition, UCM head coach Kyle Crookes was tabbed the Central Region Coach of the Year and starting pitcher Conner Wolf was voted the region's Pitcher of the Year.
• Joining Wolf on the first team were outfielders Brennen van Breusegen and Carter Young while first baseman Josh Patrick was a second team selection.

Mules Baseball Earns Numerous All-MIAA Accolades

• Brennen van Breusegen was voted the Player of the Year, Conner Wolf was tabbed the Pitcher of the Year, Jack Scott earned Co-Freshman of the Year and Kyle Crookes garnered Coach of the Year accolades to highlight numerous All-MIAA postseason accolades for the 2024 MIAA Regular Season Champion Central Missouri Mules baseball team, it was announced Thursday, May 2.
• Van Breusegen (OF), Wolf (SP), Chase Heath (C), Josh Patrick (1B), Max Holy (SS), Carter Young (OF) and Vance Tobol (DH) earned First Team All-MIAA honors while Jake Wilson (SP), Cole Moore (2B), Jacob Steele (3B) and Jack Schark (OF) were Second Team All-MIAA selections. Scott (SP) earned Third Team All-MIAA accolades while Harrison Babbitt (RP) was an Honorable Mention All-MIAA recipient.
• Van Breusegen (OF), Wolf (SP), Heath (C), Moore (2B) and Young (OF) all earned All-MIAA Gold Glove team honors for their defensive performance throughout the regular season.

Weekly Honors

• March 12: Max Holy (Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week)
• March 18: Brennen van Breusegen (MIAA Hitter of the Week) 
• April 1: Brennen van Breusegen (MIAA Hitter of the Week)
• April 22: Max Holy (Co-MIAA Hitter of the Week)

Mules in the Rankings

• Central Missouri is No. 2 in both the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) NCAA Division II Poll unveiled May 22 and the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) NCAA Division II Poll released May 20.

Series History

• The Super Regional against Arkansas-Monticello will mark meetings eight, nine, and, if game three is played, 10, in the all-time series. UCM leads the series, 5-2. The Mules and Boll Weevils last met in 2022 at the Houston Winter Invitational in Houston, Texas, with Central Missouri winning, 9-4. 

UCM During the Crookes Era

• Kyle Crookes has a 396-131 (.751) 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. The 2024 regular season crown is the sixth for Crookes. 
• Crookes is up to 11 MIAA Championships, six 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, 102 players have earned All-MIAA honors, including 33 First Team nods, Players of the Year in Erik Webb in 2019, Dusty Stroup in 2021 and Brennen van Breusegen in 2022 and 2024, Pitcher of the Year Conner Wolf in 2024, and Co-Freshman of the Year Jack Scott in 2024. 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 2,154-817-9 record in 2,980 games played.
• The Mules have won 40 or more games 23 times, including 14 straight seasons from 1999-2012, and have won 50 or more games 10 times.
• The Mules have won or shared 30 MIAA regular season championships, 16 MIAA tournament championships, captured 19 regional titles and two national championships.

Mules Baseball by the Numbers

• 34 NCAA Regional Appearances (26 of the last 29 years)
• 30 MIAA Regular Season Titles
• 16 MIAA Tournament Titles
• 19 Regional Championships
• 20 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 37 seasons.

Up Next

• If the Mules win the best-of-three Super Regional against Arkansas-Monticello, UCM will clinch its 20th regional title and a spot in the 2024 NCAA-II College World Series in Cary, N.C.