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Baseball

No. 3 Mules Baseball Treks to Northwest Missouri State Tuesday for MIAA Contest

Game 22: No. 3 Central Missouri (17-4, 8-1 MIAA) at Northwest Missouri State (9-12, 3-6 MIAA)
Tuesday, March 18 | 2 p.m. | Maryville, Mo. (Bearcat Field)
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First Pitch
  • No. 3-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (17-4, 8-1 MIAA) is scheduled to travel to Maryville, Mo., for a 2 p.m. MIAA, midweek contest against the Northwest Missouri State Bearcats (9-12, 3-6 MIAA) Tuesday, March 18, at Bearcat Field. 
  • The Mules went 3-1 last week, sweeping a doubleheader at Quincy Friday, winning 15-12 and 9-6, before splitting a twin bill against No. 18 Davenport in Quincy, Ill., Saturday, falling, 6-5, and winning, 7-5. 
  • Through 21 games, UCM is led at the plate by  infielders Jacob Steele (.440 avg., 22 R, 37 H, 4 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 21 RBI, .607 SLG%, 12 BB, .525 OB%, 3 SB), Cole Kreisel (.340 avg., 20 R, 17 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 11 BB, .500 OB%, 4 SB) and Grant Hollister (.327 avg., 11 R, 16 H, 3 2B, 8 RBI, 4 BB, .424 OB%, 6 SB), and outfielders Vance Tobol (.372 avg., 26 R, 32 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 29 RBI, .767 SLG%, 11 BB, .455 OB%, 6 SB), Dayvin Johnson (.361 avg., 21 R, 26 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 25 RBI, .681 SLG%, 4 BB, .400 OB%, 4 SB) and Isaiah Keller (.319 avg., 14 R, 22 H, 3 2B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, .449 SLG%, 11 BB, .407 OB%, 11 SB). On the mound, the Mules are paced by right-handers Jack Scott (1-1, 4.38 ERA, 24.2 IP, 27 H, 15 R, 12 ER, 9 BB, 24 SO, .281 opp. avg.), Evan O'Toole (2-0, 4.91 ERA, 25.2 IP, 25 H, 14 R, 14 ER, 11 BB, 28 SO, .227 opp. avg.), JD McReynolds (3-0, 1.76 ERA, 15.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 22 SO, .151 opp. avg.) and Jake Wilson (2-0, 2.25 ERA, 16.0 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 7 BB, 23 SO, .190 opp. avg.). 
  • As a team, UCM is hitting .328 while limiting opponents to .241 hitting. The Mules have a 4.51 team ERA and a .971 fielding percentage. 
  • Through 21 games, Central Missouri leads the MIAA in hitting (.328), and ranks second in pitching (4.51 ERA) and sixth in fielding (.971 pct.). Individually at the plate, Steele is second in hits (37), third in batting average (.440), tied for fifth in triples (2) and fifth in on-base percentage (.525), Tobol is second in slugging (.767), tied for second in homers (9), tied for seventh in RBI (29) and tied for sixth in runs scored (26), Johnson is tied for fifth in triples (2), and Keller and Chase Wilcox are tied for third in stolen bases (11). In individual pitching, Kreisman leads the conference in innings pitched (50.1) and is second in strikeouts (67). 
Series History
  • Tuesday's midweek contest at Northwest Missouri State will mark the 234th meeting in the all-time series dating all the way back to 1965. The Mules lead the series, 161-72. Last season, UCM swept a three-game series at home against the Bearcats, winning 14-0 in seven innings, 13-12 and 10-8. 
Notable Streaks Mules Baseball Announces 2025 Diamond Club Inductees, First Pitch Banquet Keynote Speaker
  • 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.
Preseason Honors
  • 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. 
Mules in the Rankings
  • 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. 
UCM During the Crookes Era
  • Kyle Crookes has a 415-137 (.752) 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.
Mules Baseball History
  • The 2025 season marks the 69th in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span the Mules have compiled a 2,173-823-9 record in 3,005 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).
Mules Baseball by the Numbers
  • 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
Quick Hits
  • 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.
Up Next
  • The Mules head to Claremore, Okla., for a three-game MIAA series at Rogers State March 21-23. 
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Players Mentioned

Brennen van Breusegen

#48 Brennen van Breusegen

OF
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
JD McReynolds

#47 JD McReynolds

RHP
6' 4"
Senior
L/R
Jack Scott

#16 Jack Scott

RHP
6' 4"
Sophomore
R/R
Jacob Steele

#8 Jacob Steele

INF
6' 2"
Senior
R/R
Vance Tobol

#22 Vance Tobol

OF
6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Chase Wilcox

#25 Chase Wilcox

INF
6' 0"
Junior
L/R
Jake Wilson

#26 Jake Wilson

RHP
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
Conner Wolf

#36 Conner Wolf

RHP
6' 3"
Senior
R/R
Grant Hollister

#13 Grant Hollister

INF
5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
Dayvin Johnson

#6 Dayvin Johnson

OF/LHP
6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
L/L

Players Mentioned

Brennen van Breusegen

#48 Brennen van Breusegen

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
OF
JD McReynolds

#47 JD McReynolds

6' 4"
Senior
L/R
RHP
Jack Scott

#16 Jack Scott

6' 4"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP
Jacob Steele

#8 Jacob Steele

6' 2"
Senior
R/R
INF
Vance Tobol

#22 Vance Tobol

6' 1"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
OF
Chase Wilcox

#25 Chase Wilcox

6' 0"
Junior
L/R
INF
Jake Wilson

#26 Jake Wilson

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
R/R
RHP
Conner Wolf

#36 Conner Wolf

6' 3"
Senior
R/R
RHP
Grant Hollister

#13 Grant Hollister

5' 10"
Freshman
R/R
INF
Dayvin Johnson

#6 Dayvin Johnson

6' 0"
Redshirt Senior
L/L
OF/LHP