Baseball | 3/20/2025 9:00:00 AM

• Second-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (17-5, 8-2 MIAA) is scheduled to travel to Claremore, Okla., for a three-game MIAA series against the Rogers State Hillcats (16-6, 6-4 MIAA) March 21-23 at the RCB Bank Sports Complex. The series opener is slated for 3 p.m. Friday, March 21, with games two and three at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 22, and Sunday, March 23. 
• Central Missouri is coming off a 6-3 loss at Northwest Missouri State Tuesday afternoon in Maryville, Mo.
• Through 22 games, UCM is led at the plate by  infielders Jacob Steele (.425 avg., 22 R, 37 H, 4 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 21 RBI, .586 SLG%, 13 BB, .514 OB%, 3 SB), Cole Kreisel (.315 avg., 20 R, 17 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 11 BB, .471 OB%, 4 SB) and Grant Hollister (.321 avg., 11 R, 17 H, 3 2B, 8 RBI, 4 BB, .413 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 (.360 avg., 22 R, 27 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 26 RBI, .707 SLG%, 5 BB, .405 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, 1.47 ERA, 18.1 IP, 10 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 27 SO, .156 opp. avg.) and Jake Wilson (2-0, 2.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 11 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 8 BB, 25 SO, .172 opp. avg.). 
• As a team, UCM is hitting .322 while limiting opponents to .240 hitting. The Mules have a 4.55 team ERA and a .970 fielding percentage. 
• Through 22 games, Central Missouri is tied for first in the MIAA in hitting (.322), and ranks second in pitching (4.55 ERA) and seventh in fielding (.970 pct.). Individually at the plate, Steele is fifth in hits (37), fourth in batting average (.425), tied for fifth in triples (2) and sixth in on-base percentage (.514), Tobol is third in slugging (.767) and tied for third in homers (9), 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). 

• The three-game series at Rogers State will mark meetings 18-20 in the all-time series dating back to the inaugural encounter in 2020. Last season, the Mules went 3-0 against the Hillcats, sweeping a three-game series in Claremore, winning 14-8, 4-1 and 11-2. 

• Hitting streaks: Vance Tobol, 5 games; Chase Wilcox, 5 games; Grant Hollister, 5 games
• On-base streaks: Chase Wilcox, 15 games; Jacob Steele, 13 games; Vance Tobol, 10 games; Cody Moore, 8 games

• 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 two in the most recent ABCA and NCBWA Division II Polls released March 18 and 19. 
• The Mules were picked first in the 2025 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

• Kyle Crookes has a 415-138 (.750) 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 2,173-824-9 record in 3,006 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 finally returns home to Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field to begin an eight-game homestand with a midweek MIAA contest vs. Washburn Wednesday, March 26, at 3 p.m.