Andrew Mather | University Photographer

Baseball 4/30/2025 2:00:00 PM

No. 3 Mules Baseball Closes Out Regular Season Slate with Key MIAA Series at Newman May 1-3

First Pitch

Third-ranked University of Central Missouri Mules baseball (35-10, 26-7 MIAA) is slated to wrap up its 2025 regular season schedule with a key three-game MIAA series at Newman (10-33, 6-27 MIAA) May 1-3 at McCarthy Field in Wichita, Kan. The series opener is slated for 3 p.m. Thursday, May 1, with game two at 2 p.m. Friday, May 2, and the series and regular season finale at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 3.
Entering the final week of the regular season, the Mules are tied atop the MIAA conference standings with Fort Hays State at 26-7.
Central Missouri is coming off a 2-1 series win over Northeastern State April 25-27 in Warrensburg. UCM won games one and two, 17-5 (7 inn.) and 10-0 (7 inn.) but fell short in the series finale, 6-4.
Through 45 games, UCM is led at the plate by infielders Jacob Steele (.396 avg., 52 R, 74 H, 11 2B, 3 3B, 10 HR, 51 RBI, .647 SLG%, 23 BB, .468 OB%, 8 SB), Cole Kreisel (.377 avg., 39 R, 49 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 22 RBI, .523 SLG%, 30 BB, .523 OB%, 9 SB) and Grant Hollister (.333 avg., 27 R, 39 H, 10 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 31 RBI, .487 SLG%, 6 BB, .426 OB%, 8 SB), and outfielders Vance Tobol (.352 avg., 56 R, 63 H, 11 2B, 3 3B, 16 HR, 55 RBI, .715 SLG%, 23 BB, .440 OB%, 18 SB), Dayvin Johnson (.357 avg., 53 R, 60 H, 14 2B, 4 3B, 12 HR, 51 RBI, .702 SLG%, 17 BB, .419 OB%, 10 SB) and Isaiah Keller (.344 avg., 37 R, 56 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 49 RBI, .607 SLG%, 17 BB, .401 OB%, 15 SB). On the mound, the Mules are paced by right-handers Jack Scott (4-1, 3.63 ERA, 57.0 IP, 60 H, 26 R, 23 ER, 21 BB, 49 SO, .273 opp. avg.), Evan O'Toole (5-0, 3.93 ERA, 50.1 IP, 43 H, 26 R, 22 ER, 20 BB, 49 SO, .232 opp. avg.), JD McReynolds (6-0, 1.32 ERA, 3 SV, 34.0 IP, 19 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 7 BB, 55 SO, .157 opp. avg.) and Jake Wilson (4-0, 4.23 ERA, 38.1 IP, 37 H, 23 R, 18 ER, 21 BB, 54 SO, .255 opp. avg.), and left-hander Sawyer Allen (4-0, 3.66 ERA, 1 SV, 32.0 IP, 26 H, 19 R, 13 ER, 14 BB, 27 SO, .217 opp. avg.).
As a team, UCM is hitting .327 while limiting opponents to .241 hitting. The Mules have a 4.50 team ERA and a .971 fielding percentage.
Through 45 games, Central Missouri leads the MIAA in hitting (.328) and pitching (4.27 ERA) and is seventh in fielding (.971 pct.).
In the latest NCAA-II statistics, Tobol is 19th in home runs (16) while Steele is 13th in hits per game (1.68) and 26th in hits (68).

Series History vs. Newman

The three-game series at Newman will mark meetings 16-18 in the all-time series going back to 2020. UCM is 15-0 against the Jets all-time. Last season, the Mules defeated the Jets in Wichita, 20-10, 30-7 (7 inn.) and 6-5.

Mules in the Rankings

UCM checks in at No. 1 in the second NCAA-II Central Regional Rankings released Wednesday, April 30. The top eight teams in the final rankings unveiled on May 11 advance to the 2025 NCAA-II Baseball Central Region Tournament, with the top two teams each hosting a four-team, sub-regional.
Central Missouri is ranked number five in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division II Poll released April 29 and is third in the most recent National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Poll unveiled Wednesday, April 30.
The Mules were picked first in the 2025 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll.

Tobol, Steele Eclipse 200 Career Hits

Vance Tobol tallied his 200th career hit as a Mule on a single to left field in the fourth inning of game one of a doubleheader Friday, April 18, at Missouri Southern while Jacob Steele earned his 200th career knock on a lead-off double against Northeastern State on Saturday, April 26. Going into Thursday, Tobol has 206 career hits while Steele is at 201.

Notable Streaks

Hitting streaks: Cole Kreisel, 8 games; Chase Heath, 7 games; Will Krzykowski, 4 games
On-base streaks: Dayvin Johnson, 10 games; Will Krzykowski, 8 games; Isaiah Keller, 8 games; Cole Kreisel, 8 games; Chase Wilcox, 7 games; Chase Heath, 7 games; Kaleb Ceola, 6 games; Jacob Steele, 5 games; Ayden Blachowicz, 4 games

Second and Eighth-Inning Dominance

Through 45 games, the Mules are outscoring their opponents in the second inning, 54-22, and eighth-inning, 56-26. Overall, UCM is outscoring its adversaries, 408-230 on the season.

Getting on the Board Early

Central Missouri is 21-2 on the season when it scores in the first inning and 23-5 when it scores first in a game.

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 431-142.

UCM During the Crookes Era

Kyle Crookes has a 433-143 (.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 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 2,191-829-9 record in 3,029 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 11 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 will compete in the 2025 MIAA Baseball Championship May 8-10 in Joplin, Mo., at Warren Turner Field on the Missouri Southern State University campus.

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Players Mentioned

#48 Brennen van Breusegen: OF; 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#9 Ayden Blachowicz: OF; 6' 2"; Senior; L/R

#10 Chase Heath: C; 5' 10"; Senior; R/R

#23 Will Krzykowski: OF; 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R

#47 JD McReynolds: RHP; 6' 4"; Senior; L/R

#16 Jack Scott: RHP; 6' 4"; Sophomore; R/R

#8 Jacob Steele: INF; 6' 2"; Senior; R/R

#22 Vance Tobol: OF; 6' 1"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

#25 Chase Wilcox: INF; 6' 0"; Junior; L/R

#26 Jake Wilson: RHP; 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#48 Brennen van Breusegen
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: OF

#9 Ayden Blachowicz
: 6' 2"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#10 Chase Heath
: 5' 10"; Senior; R/R
: C

#23 Will Krzykowski
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Sophomore; R/R
: OF

#47 JD McReynolds
: 6' 4"; Senior; L/R
: RHP

#16 Jack Scott
: 6' 4"; Sophomore; R/R
: RHP

#8 Jacob Steele
: 6' 2"; Senior; R/R
: INF

#22 Vance Tobol
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: OF

#25 Chase Wilcox
: 6' 0"; Junior; L/R
: INF

#26 Jake Wilson
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Senior; R/R
: RHP