WARRENSBURG, Mo. – University of Central Missouri Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Matt Howdeshell announced on Tuesday, March 10, that Central Missouri Mules Baseball will have a special celebration later this month.

On March 22, 1976, the Mules played their first game on the site that is now known as Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field. Exactly 50 years later, the Mules will host Arkansas-Fort Smith at 1 p.m. on Sunday, March 22, 2026, in the series finale of a three-game MIAA series. The program will celebrate by inviting anyone who has played baseball for the Mules back to the game that day and providing free admission to the contest.

"The 50th Anniversary of Crane Stadium is a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the incredible history of our program, and give a small thank you to the men who made it happen," Deputy Athletic Director for External Relations Joe Thuente said. "We look forward to having as many former Mules and their families back as possible." 

All former Mules Baseball players can get a free ticket to the game. They can get up to four (4) free tickets by filling out the form here. If they need more than four tickets, additional seats can be purchased here. Due to capacity limitations at Crane Stadium and to ensure current UCM players' families can attend the game, a limit of 500 free tickets will be available. First-come, first-served.

The UCM Athletics Department has also partnered with the UCM Bookstore to sell limited edition merchandise featuring marks and logos used by the 1976 team. The primary logo to be used is shown below. The merchandise will be sold at the game on the 22nd, and any remaining items will be sold at the bookstore in the days following the game until they're gone.

The game will also feature a throwback theme, with 70s music and other throwback-themed entertainment between innings.



More about the history of Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field
 
On March 22, 1976, the UCM Mules Baseball team played its first game on the site that is now known as Crane Stadium. The Mules christened the stadium with a doubleheader against Division I Kansas State University, winning the first game 2-1. Later that season, Jim Crane, the man for whom the stadium would ultimately be named, pitched his final game as a Mule, and it was a gem.

Crane would eventually become a business tycoon and the owner of Major League Baseball's Houston Astros. But on May 8, 1976, he was a college senior playing his final collegiate baseball game. He went out with a bang, throwing a complete game shutout for a 1-0 Mules victory over Lincoln.

Before the spring of 1976, the Mules Baseball team played at Grover Park and at a ballpark that is now the Hughes Center. Since moving into the facility, the Mules have won 28 MIAA titles (three more MIAA Championships predate the facility), and 20 regional titles (one more predates the facility). 

In the spring of 1998, the facility received a major upgrade as part of a $1.2 million project. The stadium, formerly known as "Mules Field",  was renamed "Crane Stadium" for its primary benefactor in Jim Crane, while the playing surface was named after legendary Mules coach Robert N. Tompkins. The Mules won the first game at the new stadium, 21-6 over Benedictine College. It was the first night game at the site after the installation of lights as part of the project.

The stadium received major upgrades again in 2004, 2006, 2015, and 2021. Today, it stands as one of the finest baseball facilities in all of NCAA Division II.