No. 3 Mules Baseball Hosts Arkansas Tech Feb. 7-8 for Home-Opening Series

Baseball | 2/6/2025 9:01:00 AM

• No. 3-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (2-1) is scheduled to host the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys (0-3) for its 2025 home-opening series Feb. 7-8 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg. The Mules and Wonder Boys will play a pair of doubleheaders beginning at 1 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 7, and Saturday, Feb. 8. 
• UCM is coming off a 2-1 performance at the Houston Winter Invitational Jan. 31-Feb. 2 at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas. The Mules defeated No. 18-ranked Ashland, 15-5 in eight innings in its season opener Jan. 31, before falling to Arkansas-Monticello, 7-5, Saturday, Feb. 1, and taking down Jefferson in the Houston Finale Sunday, Feb. 2, 11-8.
• Through three games, UCM is led at the plate by outfielders Isaiah Keller (.545 avg., 4 R, 6 H, 2 2B, 1 RBI, .727 SLG%, 3 BB, .643 OB%, 3 SB), Dayvin Johnson (.375 avg., 4 R, 3 H, 2 3B, 3 RBI, .875 SLG%, 2 BB, .500 OB%, 1 SB) and Ayden Blachowicz (.364 avg., 4 R, 4 H, 2 2B, 4 RBI, .545 SLG%, 3 BB, .500 OB%, 1 SB), infielder Jacob Steele (.462 avg., 2 R, 6 H, 1 2B, 1 3B, 8 RBI, .692 SLG%, 2 BB, .533 OB%), and catcher Chase Heath (.375 avg., 4 R, 3 H, 1 2B, 5 RBI, .500 SLG%, 3 BB, .462 OB%, 2 SB). On the mound, the Mules are paced by right-hander Jack Kreisman (3.86 ERA, 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 SO). 
• As a team, UCM is hitting .340 while limiting opponents to .320 hitting. The Mules have a 6.58 team ERA and a 1.000 fielding percentage. 
• Central Missouri is coming off a 2024 season that saw it compile an overall record of 52-10 and a MIAA record of 29-4. The Mules captured their 30th overall and fifth straight MIAA Regular Season Championship and 20th NCAA-II Regional Title, advancing to the Division II World Series for the 20th time in program history. 

• A five-run eighth inning lifted third-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball to an 11-8 win over the Thomas Jefferson Rams in the final game of the Houston Winter Invitational Sunday afternoon, Feb. 2, at Daikin Park in downtown Houston, Texas.
• With the win, the Mules (2-1) gave 11th season head coach Kyle Crookes his 400th career win, as he improved his career tally at UCM to 400-134 (.749). Crookes is just 18 wins shy of tying former Central Missouri head coach Brad Hill (1995-2003) for most wins in program history (418).
• Trailing 7-6 going into the bottom of the eighth inning, Dayvin Johnson belted a pinch-hit, RBI triple to right center, scoring Cole Kreisel and tying the game, 7-7. Vance Tobol made it back-to-back RBI triples for the Mules, as crushed a triple to left center, plating Johnson and giving UCM the lead, 8-7. Jacob Steele kept the run scoring going for Central Missouri in the eighth, as he smacked a single up the middle which allowed Tobol to score, prior to Chase Heath hitting a sacrifice fly and Ayden Blachowicz scoring on a Jefferson passed ball for the fourth and fifth runs of the inning, upping the Central Missouri advantage to 11-7.
• Steele ended the game 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and run scored, Isaiah Keller was 2-for-5 with a double and RBI, Kreisel went 2-for-3 with a double a three runs scored, and Johnson, Tobol and Blachowicz all had extra base hits, pacing UCM at the plate in the victory.
• Reliever Sam Wyrick (1-0) earned the win on the mound after giving up two runs – one earned – on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks in two innings.

• The University of Central Missouri Mules baseball program has announced the newest class of inductees into the Mules Baseball Diamond Club as well as the keynote speaker for the annual First Pitch Banquet.
• Entering the Diamond Club this year are former Mules standout student-athletes Bret Schwartz, Mason Janvrin and Brad Wilson, and former longtime Mules baseball radio broadcaster Bob Jackson.  
• This year's keynote speaker at the First Pitch Banquet, which is scheduled for Saturday, April 5, at 5 p.m. inside the Jerry M. Hughes Athletics Center in Warrensburg, is MLB Hall of Famer George Brett.
• Register for the First Pitch Banquet by clicking here.

• Entering the 2025 season, UCM baseball welcomes back three position starters, including All-MIAA performers Chase Heath (.378 avg., 55 R, 59 H, 13 2B, 16 HR, 62 RBI, .769 SLG%, 25 BB, 15 SO, .466 OB%, 6 SB), Jacob Steele (.362 avg., 78 R, 77 H, 12 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 64 RBI, .610 SLG%, 34 BB, 30 SO, .450 OB%, 21 SB) and Vance Tobol (.342 avg., 60 R, 64 H, 15 2B, 6 3B, 11 HR, 59 RBI, .643 SLG%, 22 BB, 44 SO, .415 OB%, 22 SB). 
• On the mound, Central Missouri welcomes back four starting pitchers, including All-American and Central Region and MIAA Pitcher of the Year Conner Wolf (12-0, 4.05 ERA, 4 CG, 2 SHO, 97.2 IP, 82 H, 46 R, 44 ER, 16 BB, 90 SO, .226 opp. avg.), MIAA Freshman of the Year Jack Scott (5-2, 3.71 ERA, 53.1 IP, 46 H, 25 R, 22 ER, 16 BB, 49 SO, .224 opp. avg.), All-MIAA starting pitcher Jake Wilson (5-0, 4.26 ERA, 1 SV, 57.0 IP, 49 H, 29 R, 27 ER, 18 BB, 48 SO, .233 opp. avg.) and Jack Kreisman (6-1, 4.36 ERA, 64.0 IP, 68 H, 33 R, 31 ER, 23 BB, 50 SO). In addition, the Mules return three relievers who threw at least 15 innings last season, including All-American closer JD McReynolds (8-2, 3.25 ERA, 4 SV, 27.2 IP, 16 H, 10 R, 10 ER, 24  BB, 49 SO, .170 opp. avg.), Bryce Taylor (4-0, 5.48 ERA, 44.1 IP, 52 H, 30 R, 27 ER, 15 BB, 35 SO, .291 opp. avg.) and Jonah Walker (2-1, 5.77 ERA, 1 SV, 34.1 IP, 35 H, 23 R, 22 ER, 15 BB, 25 SO, .271 opp. avg.). 
• UCM will have several new faces for 2025, including 10 transfers and 13 high school freshmen. 

• Starting pitcher Conner Wolf was named a NCBWA Preseason First Team All-American. 
• Wolf and infielder Jacob Steele were both named to the National College Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Preseason All-Central Region Team. 

• The Mules are ranked in three preseason Division II top 25 poll. UCM checks in at No. 3 in the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Preseason Poll, and is fourth in both the NCBWA and Division II Baseball preaseason rankings. 
• UCM was picked first in the 2025 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

• Arkansas Tech: The four-game series vs. the Wonder Boys will mark meetings 32-35 in the all-time series dating back to the first meeting in 1995. UCM leads the series, 21-10. Last season, Central Missouri swept Arkansas Tech in a four-game series in Warrensburg, winning 10-2 (7 innings), 5-4 (12 innings), 11-3 (7 innings) and 2-1. 

• Kyle Crookes has a 400-134 (.749) record in his 11th season as head coach at Central Missouri. Crookes earned his 400th career win in UCM's 11-8 victory over Jefferson in Houston, Texas, Feb. 2. 
• Crookes is the second winningest coach in program history, trailing just former UCM head coach Brad Hill, who posted a 418-91 record from 1995-2003. 
• 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 was the sixth for Crookes. 
• Crookes is up to 11 MIAA Championships, six regular season and five tournament.
• He also has four regional championships to his credit in 2016, 2019, 2021 and 2024.
• During his 10 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-nine players have earned All-Region honors, 13 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 2025 season marks the 69th in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span the Mules have compiled a 2,158-820-9 record in 2,987 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 20 regional titles and two national championships (1994, 2003).

• 34 NCAA Regional Appearances (26 of the last 29 years)
• 30 MIAA Regular Season Titles
• 16 MIAA Tournament Titles
• 20 Regional Championships
• 20 Regionals as host site
• 16 Top Five national finishes
• 5 Third place finishes
• 2 National Runners Up finishes
• 2 National Championships

• Central Missouri totaled 52 wins in 2024. 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 20th trip to the NCAA-II College World Series in 2024. 
• The Mules have finished with a winning record in each of the last 37 seasons.

• The Mules are scheduled to travel to Springfield, Mo., for a midweek game against the Drury Panthers Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 3 p.m.