No. 3 Mules Baseball Travels to Quincy for Doubleheader Friday, Faces No. 18 Davenport in Twin Bill Saturday in Quincy

Baseball | 3/12/2025 2:51:00 PM

• Third-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (14-3) will step away from MIAA action this weekend for a pair of non-conference doubleheaders in Quincy, Ill. UCM is scheduled to face the Quincy Hawks (10-8) out of the GLVC Friday, March 14, at 11 a.m. at QU Stadium before taking on the No. 18-ranked Davenport Panthers (11-4) out of the GLIAC Saturday, March 15, at noon in Quincy. 
• The Mules are coming off a three-game, MIAA series sweep over the Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions March 7-9 in Fort Smith, Ark., winning 14-3, 10-1 and 14-4 in seven innings. 
• Through 17 games, UCM is led at the plate by catcher/first baseman Chase Heath (.420 avg., 22 R, 29 H, 7 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 21 RBI, .681 SLG%, 6 BB, .449 OB%, 6 SB), infielders Jacob Steele (.406 avg., 17 R, 28 H, 3 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 17 RBI, .551 SLG%, 10 BB, .481 OB%, 2 SB) and Cole Kreisel (.368 avg., 16 R, 14 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 5 RBI, 8 BB, .510 OB%, 4 SB), and outfielders Vance Tobol (.343 avg., 20 R, 24 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 23 RBI, .743 SLG%, 8 BB, .420 OB%, 4 SB) and Dayvin Johnson (.340 avg., 15 R, 18 H, 6 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, .642 SLG%, 4 BB, .400 OB%, 3 SB). On the mound, the Mules are paced by right-handers Evan O'Toole (2-0, 3.86 ERA, 21.0 IP, 17 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 7 BB, 25 SO, .227 opp. avg.), Jack Scott (1-1, 4.12 ERA, 19.2 IP, 17 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 8 BB, 19 SO, .236 opp. avg.), JD McReynolds (2-0, 2.08 ERA, 13.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 18 SO, .156 opp. avg.) and Jake Wilson (1-0, 2.77 ERA, 13.0 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 BB, 18 SO, .213 opp. avg.). 
• As a team, UCM is hitting .324 while limiting opponents to .231 hitting. The Mules have a 4.14 team ERA and a .981 fielding percentage. 
• Through 17 games, Central Missouri leads the MIAA in hitting (.324), and ranks second in both pitching (4.14 ERA) and fielding (.981 pct.). Individually at the plate, Heath is fourth in the conference in batting (.420), third in hits (29), sixth in runs scored (22) and eighth in slugging (.681), Steele is sixth in hitting (.406), tied for fourth in hits (28) and tied for fourth in triples (2), Tobol tied for third in homers (7), ranks fifth in slugging (.743) and tied for ninth in RBI (23), and Johnson is is tied for fourth in triples (2). Individually on the mound, Jack Kreisman leads the conference in innings pitched (43.2) and strikeouts (59). 

• Quincy: Friday's doubleheader at Quincy will mark meetings 15 and 16 in the all-time series with the Hawks. UCM leads the series, 11-3. Last season, Central Missouri went 2-0 against Quincy, winning 10-6 in Warrensburg and 15-6 in Quincy, Ill. 
• Davenport: Saturday's twin bill against the Davenport Panthers will be meetings 15 and 16 in the all-time series. The Mules lead the series, 10-4. Last season, UCM swept a four-game series with the Panthers in Warrensburg, winning 3-2 in seven innings, 10-2, 12-3 in seven innings, and 10-4. 

• Hitting streaks: Dayvin Johnson, 7 games; Jacob Steele, 7 games
• On-base streaks: Chase Wilcox, 10 games; Jacob Steele, 8 games; Dayvin Johnson, 7 games; Cole Kreisel, 7 games; Cody Moore, 5 games

• Mules baseball swept the MIAA Hitter and Pitcher of the Week awards for the week of March 3-9, as outfielder Vance Tobol was tabbed the Hitter of the Week and starting pitcher Jack Kreisman earned Pitcher of the Week accolades, the conference office announced Monday, March 10. 
• Tobol was named the league's hitter of the week after hitting a sizzling .545 with five runs, six hits, one double, three homers, seven RBI, one walk and just three strikeouts in 11 at bats in UCM's three-game, MIAA series of the Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions March 7-9 in Fort Smith, Ark. In addition, Tobol posted a 1.455 slugging percentage and .615 on-base percentage in the series. In the Mules' 14-3, game one victory March 7, he went 3-for-5 with two runs, four RBI and a pair of home runs before going 3-for-4 with a double, homer, three RBI and two runs in Central Missouri's 14-4, run-rule triumph in the series finale March 9.
• Kreisman secured pitcher of the week recognition after earning the win on the mound in UCM's 10-1, game two win over the Lions Saturday. Kreisman went five innings, allowing just one earned run on three hits with a career-best nine strikeouts and zero walks on 70 pitches. 
• In addition to being the MIAA Hitter of the Week, Tobol was also named the NCBWA Central Region Player of the Week March 12. 

• 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.

• 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. 

• Central Missouri moved up to number three in the most recent ABCA and NCBWA Division II Polls released the week of March 10-16. 
• The Mules were picked first in the 2025 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

• Kyle Crookes has a 412-136 (.75) 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 2,170-822-9 record in 3,001 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.

• Central Missouri travels to Maryville, Mo., for a midweek MIAA contest at Northwest Missouri State Tuesday, March 18, before trekking to Claremore, Okla., for a three-game conference series at Rogers State March 21-23.