JD McReynolds
Andrew Mather | University Photographer

Baseball

No. 2 Mules Baseball Takes On No. 7 Northwood in NCAA-II World Series Opener Friday Afternoon

2025 NCAA-II World Series Game One (double-elimination)
Game 55: No. 2 Central Missouri (43-11) vs. No. 7 Northwood (40-20)
Friday, May 30 | 2:30 p.m. CT (3:30 p.m. ET) | Cary, N.C. (USA Baseball National Training Complex)
Radio: 98.5 The BAR FM (Alex Kent, play-by-play)
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2025 UCM Stats (XML) | 2025 UCM Roster | NCAA-II World Series Program | Record Book | Full Bracket
First Pitch
  • NCAA-II Central Regional and MIAA Regular Season Champion University of Central Missouri Mules Baseball (43-11) is set to open play in the 2025 NCAA-II College World Series in Cary, N.C., on Friday, May 30, at 2:30 p.m. CT (3:30 p.m. ET) at the USA Baseball National Training Complex against the Northwood (Mich.) Timberwolves (40-20). 
  • This will be the Mules second consecutive and 21st overall appearance in the World Series. 
  • Central Missouri is the number two seed in the eight-team field while Northwood is the number seven seed. 
  • UCM has qualified for 35 NCAA-II tournaments in program history. 
  • Central Missouri swept the number three seed Pittsburg State Gorillas in a best-of-three Super Regional May 22-23 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg, winning 7-5 and 12-2, to punch its ticket to the World Series. 
  • The Mules went a perfect 3-0 in the NCAA-II Central Regional tournament May 15-18 in Warrensburg, defeating No. 8 seed Harding twice, 8-7 in 12 innings and 13-6, and No. 5 seed Arkansas Tech, 21-8. 
  • Through 54 games, UCM is led at the plate by infielders Jacob Steele (.389 avg., 70 R, 86 H, 15 2B, 3 3B, 13 HR, 62 RBI, .661 SLG%, 36 BB, .483 OB%, 11 SB), Cole Kreisel (.354 avg., 47 R, 58 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 26 RBI, .470 SLG%, 35 BB, .498 OB%, 13 SB) and Grant Hollister (.322 avg., 33 R, 48 H, 14 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 39 RBI, .490 SLG%, 11 BB, .422 OB%, 9 SB), catcher Chase Heath (.374 avg., 39 R, 46 H, 11 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 50 RBI, .691 SLG%, 15 BB, .434 OB%, 8 SB), and outfielders Vance Tobol (.371 avg., 70 R, 82 H, 16 2B, 3 3B, 20 HR, 70 RBI, .742 SLG%, 27 BB, .451 OB%, 23 SB), Dayvin Johnson (.345 avg., 66 R, 70 H, 15 2B, 4 3B, 15 HR, 58 RBI, .680 SLG%, 26 BB, .426 OB%, 15 SB) and Isaiah Keller (.315 avg., 41 R, 62 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 12 HR, 53 RBI, .548 SLG%, 20 BB, .374 OB%, 17 SB). On the mound, the Mules are paced by right-handers Jack Scott (4-1, 4.46 ERA, 70.2 IP, 84 H, 39 R, 35 ER, 23 BB, 59 SO, .298 opp. avg.), Evan O'Toole (5-0, 3.86 ERA, 51.1 IP, 44 H, 26 R, 22 ER, 21 BB, 49 SO, .233 opp. avg.), JD McReynolds (7-0, 1.52 ERA, 3 SV, 47.1 IP, 26 H, 11 R, 8 ER, 14 BB, 77 SO, .155 opp. avg.) and Jake Wilson (5-1, 4.72 ERA, 1 SV, 47.2 IP, 45 H, 30 R, 25 ER, 29 BB, 64 SO), and left-hander Sawyer Allen (6-0, 4.07 ERA, 1 SV, 42.0 IP, 36 H, 25 R, 19 ER, 18 BB, 37 SO, .229 opp. avg.). 
  • As a team, UCM is hitting .324 while limiting opponents to .248 hitting. The Mules have a 4.58 team ERA and a .973 fielding percentage. 
  • In the latest NCAA-II statistics, Tobol is 186h in home runs (20), 22nd in runs per game (1.32), 25th in RBI (70) and 26th in RBI per game (1.32) while Steele is 17th in hits per game (1.62) and 22nd in runs per game (1.32). The Mules are sixth in win-loss percentage (.796), ninth in home runs (86), 12th in scoring (9.4 runs per game) and run (508), 15th in strikeouts per nine innings (9.1), 17th in slugging percentage (.540), 18th in stolen bases (144) and 22nd in batting average (.324).
Series History vs. Northwood
  • This will be the first-ever meeting on the diamond between the Mules and Timberwolves. 
Mules in the Rankings
  • Central Missouri is ranked number two in the latest American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division II Poll released May 27 and is third in the most recent National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Division II Poll unveiled May 14.  
Notable Streaks Late-Game Dominance
  • Through 54 games, UCM is outscoring its opponents in the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth innings, 229-110. Overall, the Mules are outscoring their adversaries, 508-288. 
  • When leading after six innings this season, the Mules are 32-1. 
Getting on the Board Early
  • Central Missouri is 26-2 on the season when it scores in the first inning and 29-5 when it scores first in a game. 
Four Mules Garner All-America Honors Steele, Johnson, Tobol, McReynolds Earn All-Region Accolades
  • Third baseman Jacob Steele, outfielder Vance Tobol, designated hitter Dayvin Johnson and relief pitcher JD McReynolds earned All-Central Region honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Division II Conference Commisioners Association (D2CCA).
  • ABCA First Team All-Region accolades went to Steele while Tobol, Johnson and McReynolds were all second team selections. 
  • NCBWA First Team All-Region honors went to Steele, Tobol and McReynolds while Johnson earned second team recognition.
  • Steele and Johnson were D2CCA First Team All-Region recipients, and Tobol and McReynolds received second team honors. 
Fourteen Mules Earn All-MIAA Honors; Steele Co-Player of the Year, Kreisel Freshman of the Year (full details)
  • Jacob Steele was voted the Co-Player of the Year and Cole Kreisel was tabbed Freshman of the Year, highlighting numerous All-MIAA postseason accolades for the 2025 MIAA Regular Season Champion University of Central Missouri Mules Baseball Team, it was announced Tuesday, May 6, by the conference office.
  • Steele (3B), Vance Tobol (OF) and Dayvin Johnson (DH) all earned First Team All-MIAA honors while Evan O'Toole (SP), JD McReynolds (RP) and Isaiah Keller (OF) were Second Team All-MIAA selections and Jack Scott (SP), Jack Kreisman (SP), Jake Wilson (RP), Chris Massey (RP), Chase Heath (C), Grant Hollister (2B) and Kreisel (SS) garnered Honorable Mention All-MIAA recognition.
  • Steele (3B) and Chase Wilcox (1B) both were selected to the All-MIAA Gold Glove Team for their defensive performances throughout the regular 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 World Series, Crookes has a career record of 441-144. 
UCM During the Crookes Era
  • Kyle Crookes has a 441-144 (.754) 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 while the Mules' 2025 regular season title marks Crookes's seventh as head coach. 
  • Crookes is up to 13 MIAA Championships, seven regular season and six tournament.
  • He also has five regional championships to his credit in 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2025.
  • During his 10 seasons at the helm, 116 players have earned All-MIAA honors, including 36 First Team nods, Players of the Year in Erik Webb in 2019, Dusty Stroup in 2021, Brennen van Breusegen in 2022 and 2024, and Jacob Steele in 2025, Pitcher of the Year Conner Wolf in 2024, and Co-Freshman of the Year Jack Scott in 2024 and Freshman of the Year Cole Kreisel in 2025. Thirty-seven players have earned All-Region honors, 17 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 2,199-830-9 record in 3,038 games played.
  • The Mules have won 40 or more games 24 times, including 14 straight seasons from 1999-2012, and have won 50 or more games 10 times.
  • The Mules have won or shared 31 MIAA regular season championships, 16 MIAA tournament championships, captured 21 regional titles and two national championships (1994, 2003).
Mules Baseball by the Numbers
  • 35 NCAA Regional Appearances (27 of the last 30 years)
  • 31 MIAA Regular Season Titles
  • 16 MIAA Tournament Titles
  • 21 Regionals as host site
  • 21 Regional Championships
  • 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 Mules have finished with a winning record in each of the last 37 seasons.
Up Next
  • If the Mules win Friday, they'll advance in the winner's bracket of the College World Series and face the winner of the No. 3 Lenoir-Rhyne vs. No. 6 East Stroudsburg contest Sunday, June 1, at 5 p.m. CT (6 p.m. ET). A UCM loss would drop it into the elimination bracket and a 12:30 p.m. CT (1:30 p.m. ET) elimination game Sunday vs. the loser of the Lenoir-Rhyne/East Stroudsburg contest.
 
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Players Mentioned

Brennen van Breusegen

#48 Brennen van Breusegen

OF
6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
Ayden Blachowicz

#9 Ayden Blachowicz

OF
6' 2"
Senior
L/R
Chase Heath

#10 Chase Heath

C
5' 10"
Senior
R/R
Jack Kreisman

#19 Jack Kreisman

RHP
6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
Will Krzykowski

#23 Will Krzykowski

OF
6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
Chris Massey

#14 Chris Massey

LHP
5' 9"
Sophomore
L/L
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

Players Mentioned

Brennen van Breusegen

#48 Brennen van Breusegen

6' 0"
Redshirt Junior
R/R
OF
Ayden Blachowicz

#9 Ayden Blachowicz

6' 2"
Senior
L/R
OF
Chase Heath

#10 Chase Heath

5' 10"
Senior
R/R
C
Jack Kreisman

#19 Jack Kreisman

6' 0"
Sophomore
R/R
RHP
Will Krzykowski

#23 Will Krzykowski

6' 1"
Redshirt Sophomore
R/R
OF
Chris Massey

#14 Chris Massey

5' 9"
Sophomore
L/L
LHP
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