Baseball | 4/10/2025 12:08:00 PM
Game 35: No. 2 Central Missouri (25-9, 16-6 MIAA) vs. Central Oklahoma (29-8, 19-6 MIAA)
Friday, April 11 | 6 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
**Dollar Hot Dog Night at the Ballpark**
Radio: 98.5 The BAR FM (Alex Kent, play-by-play)
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Game 36: No. 2 Central Missouri vs. Central Oklahoma
Saturday, April 12 | 2 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
**Molly the Mule's Birthday/Youth Day**
Radio: 98.5 The BAR FM (Alex Kent, play-by-play)
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Game 37: No. 2 Central Missouri vs. Central Oklahoma
Sunday, April 13 | 1 p.m. | Warrensburg, Mo. (Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field)
Radio: 98.5 The BAR FM (Jason Ketz, play-by-play)
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Game 38: No. 2 Central Missouri at Northwest Missouri State (17-18, 11-11 MIAA)
Tuesday, April 15 | 3 p.m. | Maryville, Mo. (Bearcat Baseball Field)
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2025 UCM Stats (XML) |
2025 UCM Roster |
ABCA Poll |
NCBWA Poll
First Pitch
- No. 2-ranked Central Missouri Mules baseball (25-9, 16-6 MIAA) is scheduled to host the Central Oklahoma Bronchos (29-8, 19-6 MIAA) in a key three-game MIAA series April 11-13 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg before trekking to Maryville, Mo., for a midweek conference tilt at Northwest Missouri State (17-18, 11-11 MIAA) on Tuesday, April 15, at 3 p.m. at Bearcat Baseball Field. UCM's series opener against the Central Oklahoma Bronchos is slated for 6 p.m. Friday, April 11, with game two at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12 and the series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 13.
- Friday's home game vs. Central Oklahoma is Dollar Hot Dog Night at the ballpark while Saturday's contest is Molly the Mule's Birthday/Youth Day. Saturday, any child who wears a youth baseball/softball uniform will receive free admission!
- Central Missouri is coming off a 14-7 loss at Washburn in a midweek MIAA game Wednesday, April 9, in Topeka, Kan.
- Through 34 games, UCM is led at the plate by infielders Jacob Steele (.409 avg., 36 R, 56 H, 8 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 34 RBI, .606 SLG%, 18 BB, .481 OB%, 4 SB), Cole Kreisel (.341 avg., 29 R, 31 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 21 BB, .496 OB%, 8 SB) and Grant Hollister (.333 avg., 18 R, 28 H, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 18 RBI, .464 SLG%, 5 BB, .426 OB%, 8 SB), and outfielders Vance Tobol (.370 avg., 42 R, 51 H, 10 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 47 RBI, .790 SLG%, 13 BB, .443 OB%, 12 SB), Dayvin Johnson (.336 avg., 36 R, 43 H, 10 2B, 3 3B, 8 HR, 37 RBI, .648 SLG%, 7 BB, .374 OB%, 9 SB) and Isaiah Keller (.313 avg., 23 R, 36 H, 6 2B, 3 HR, 19 RBI, .443 SLG%, 14 BB, .382 OB%, 13 SB). On the mound, the Mules are paced by right-handers Jack Scott (3-1, 3.46 ERA, 41.2 IP, 41 H, 19 R, 16 ER, 18 BB, 38 SO, .261 opp. avg.), Evan O'Toole (4-0, 4.31 ERA, 41.2 IP, 37 H, 22 R, 20 ER, 18 BB, 44 SO, .240 opp. avg.), JD McReynolds (4-0, 1.11 ERA, 24.1 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 39 SO, .143 opp. avg.) and Jake Wilson (3-0, 3.96 ERA, 25.0 IP, 24 H, 16 R, 11 ER, 13 BB, 36 SO, .253 opp. avg.).
- As a team, UCM is hitting .316 while limiting opponents to .238 hitting. The Mules have a 4.63 team ERA and a .972 fielding percentage.
- Through 34 games, Central Missouri is second in the MIAA in hitting (.316) and pitching (4.63 ERA) and is fifth in fielding (.972 pct.).
- UCM in the latest MIAA individual statistics:
- Hitting: Jacob Steele (3rd in batting average, .409; 4th in hits, 56; T-9th in on-base percentage, .481), Vance Tobol (2nd in slugging percentage, .790; T-2nd in homers (14); 3rd in RBI, 47; T-6th in runs, 32; 7th in stolen bases, 12); Cole Kreisel (5th in on-base percentage, .496); Chase Wilcox (T-3rd in stolen bases, 13); Isaiah Keller (T-3rd in stolen bases, 13)
- Pitching: Jack Scott (8th in ERA, 3.46); Evan O'Toole (T-8th in opp. batting avg., .240)
- In the latest NCAA-II statistics, Tobol is 18th in home runs (14), 25th in slugging percentage (.790) and 27th in RBI (47) while Steele is 14th in hits per game (1.70).
Series History
- Central Oklahoma: The three-game series against the Bronchos will mark meetings 69-71 in the all-time series dating back to 1995. UCM leads the series, 43-25. Last season, the Mules wen 2-1 against Central Oklahoma in Warrensburg, winning games one and two, 15-2 in seven innings and 6-5, and dropping game three, 17-7 in eight innings.
- Northwest Missouri State: Tuesday's midweek contest against the Bearcats will be meeting number 236 in the all-time series going back to 1965. The Mules lead the series, 161-74, but have lost two straight games to Northwest Missouri State this season, falling in Maryville, Mo., March 18, 6-3, and in Warrensburg April 1, 13-4.
Tobol, Steele Approaching 200 Career Hits
- Vance Tobol is six hits shy of tallying 200 for his career as a Mules. He has 194 hits going into the series against Central Oklahoma.
- Jacob Steele is 17 hits away from 200 in his UCM tenure. He has 183 entering the weekend series against UCO.
Notable Streaks
Eighth-Inning Dominance
- Through 34 games, the Mules are outscoring their opponents in the eighth-inning, 50-18. Overall, UCM is outscoring its adversaries, 289-177 on the season.
Crookes Becomes All-Time Winningest Coach in Mules Baseball History
- Eleventh-season head coach Kyle Crookes became the winningest coach in Mules baseball history after earning career win number 419 Friday, March 28, vs. No. 24 Fort Hays State (recap).
- Crookes passed former UCM head coach Brad Hill, who went 418-91 from 1995-2003. Entering the weekend, Crookes has a career record of 423-142.
Mules in the Rankings
- Central Missouri is ranked number two in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Division II Poll released April 9 and number three in the most recent American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division II Poll unveiled April 8.
- The Mules were picked first in the 2025 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.
UCM During the Crookes Era
- Kyle Crookes has a 423-142 (.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 winningest coach in program history.
- 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 12 MIAA Championships, six regular season and six 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 2,181-828-9 record in 3,018 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 travel to Missouri Southern for a three-game MIAA series April 17-19 in Joplin, Mo.
