Game 43: No. 22 Central Missouri (31-11, 21-9 MIAA) at Central Oklahoma (23-21, 14-16 MIAA)
Friday, April 24 | 5 p.m. | Edmond, Okla. (Wendell Simmons Field)
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Game 44: No. 22 Central Missouri at Central Oklahoma
Saturday, April 25 | 3 p.m. | Edmond, Okla. (Wendell Simmons Field)
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Game 45: No. 22 Central Missouri at Central Oklahoma
Sunday, April 26 | 1 p.m. | Edmond, Okla. (Wendell Simmons Field)
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2026 UCM Stats (XML) | 2026 UCM Roster | 2026 Central Oklahoma Roster | Record Book

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First Pitch

• No. 22-ranked Central Missouri Mules Baseball (31-11, 21-9 MIAA) is set to travel to Edmond, Okla., for its final MIAA road series of the regular season against the University of Central Oklahoma Bronchos (23-21, 14-16 MIAA) April 24-26 at Wendell Simmons Field. The series opener is scheduled for 5 p.m. Friday, April 24, with game two at 3 p.m. Saturday, April 25, and the series finale at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 26. 
• The Mules are coming off a 7-6 victory over the Washburn Ichabods in a midweek MIAA contest on Tuesday, April 21, in Topeka, Kan. 
• Through 42 games, UCM is paced at the plate by infielders Chase Wilcox (.360 avg., .973 OPS, 30 R, 45 H, 6 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 31 BB, .485 OB%, 14 SB), Grant Hollister (.386 avg., 1.072 OPS, 28 R, 39 H, 15 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 31 RBI, .604 SLG%, 11 BB, .468 OB%, 10 SB), Cole Funkhouser (.346 avg., .992 OPS, 47 R, 47 H, 11 2B, 1 3B, 4 HR, 41 RBI, .529 SLG%, 25 BB, .463 OB%, 18 SB), Cole Kreisel (.344 avg., 1.043 OPS, 40 R, 33 H, 7 2B, 3 HR, 24 RBI, .510 SLG%, 19 BB, .533 OB%, 17 SB), and Collin Dobson (.333 avg., .971 OPS, 23 R, 25 H, 5 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 21 RBI, .507 SLG%, 11 BB, .464 OB%, 3 SB), and outfielders Ryker Edwards (.386 avg., .984 OPS, 30 R, 49 H, 6 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 21 RBI, .535 SLG%, 17 BB, .449 OB%, 11 SB), Brock Kobel (.333 avg., .968 OPS, 28 R, 40 H, 10 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 29 RBI, .525 SLG%, 23 BB, .443 OB%, 12 SB), and Kaiden Ashton (.339 avg., .906 OPS, 34 R, 42 H, 7 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 35 RBI, 31 BB, .454 OB%, 10 SB).
• On the mound, Central Missouri is led by left-handers Sawyer Allen (5-1, 2.42 ERA, 48.1 IP, 34 H, 16 R, 13 ER, 11 BB, 52 SO, .193 opp. avg.) and Chris Massey (2-0, 3.75 ERA, 24.0 IP, 19 H, 16 R, 10 ER, 11 BB, 30 SO, .209 opp. avg.), and right-handers Gavin Williams (5-0, 3.37 ERA, 1 CG, 1 SV, 34.2 IP, 19 H, 13 R, 13 ER, 13 BB, 30 SO, .167 opp. avg.) and Greyson Chappel (1-2, 2.73 ERA, 33.0 IP, 19 H, 13 R, 10 ER, 23 BB, 45 SO, .170 opp avg.).
• Through 42 contests, the Mules are hitting .327 while holding opponents to .224. The Central Missouri pitching staff has a 4.66 ERA in 348 innings pitched, while the Mules' opponents have an ERA of 8.74 in 337.2 innings. 
• The Mules lead the MIAA in fielding (.979 pct.), rank third in hitting (.327 avg.) and pitching (4.66 ERA) through 42 games. 
• In the latest NCAA-II National Statistics, UCM ranks second in triples (21), sacrifice flies (37), and stolen bases (160), fifth in fielding percentage (.979), and 10th in walks (265).

Going for Three

• The Mules lead the MIAA and are second in NCAA Division II in triples through 42 contests with 21. In UCM's 19-12 win over Arkansas-Fort Smith on March 22, UCM tied the single-game record for triples with four. It was the first time since 2007 that Central Missouri has hit four triples in a game. 

Swiping Bases

• Through 42 games, Central Missouri has 160 stolen bases in 190 attempts. The Mules have held their opponents to just 39 stolen bags in 53 attempts so far this season. UCM's 160 stolen bases are second in NCAA Division II this season.

Mules in the Rankings

• The Mules are No. 18 in the most recent D2 Baseball Top 25 Poll (April 20), No. 22 in the latest America Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Top 25 (April 21), and No. 21 in the latest National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Top 25 (April 22). 
• The first NCAA-II Central Regional Rankings were unveiled on Wednesday, April 22, and UCM is listed alphabetically among the 10 teams under consideration. 
• UCM was picked first in the 2026 MIAA Preseason Coaches Poll. 

Milestone Watch

• Cole Kreisel is four hits away from tallying 100 in his UCM career (2025-26). He stands at 96 hits entering the UCO series.
• Grant Hollister is two hits shy of compiling 100 as a Mule (2025-26). He is at 98 hits going into the weekend at Central Oklahoma.
• Sawyer Allen is eight strikeouts away from 100 in his Central Missouri career (2025-26). Going into the series against the Bronchos, he is at 92 Ks. He's also three innings shy of 100 in his career. 
• Chase Wilcox is one hit away from 150 in his UCM career (2023-26). He's at 149 going into the weekend at UCO. 

Series History vs. Central Oklahoma

• The three-game series against the Bronchos will mark meetings 72-74 in the all-time series going back to 1995. The Mules lead the series, 46-25. Last season, Central Missouri swept a three-game series vs. UCO in Warrensburg, winning 8-3, 7-6, and 3-2 in 10 innings.
• The Mules have not played in Edmond since the 2022 season. In 2022, UCM fell to Central Oklahoma in two of three games, dropping games one and two, 9-8 in 11 innings and 11-10, before winning the series finale, 19-4 in seven innings. 

UCM During the Crookes Era

• Kyle Crookes has a 477-158 (.751) record in his 12th season as head coach at Central Missouri.
• Crookes is the winningest coach in Mules Baseball history with his 477 victories.
• 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 the seventh for Crookes as head coach. 
• Crookes has won 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 11 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 Freshman of the Year Jack Scott in 2024 and Cole Kreisel in 2025. Thirty-three players have earned All-Region honors, 17 All-American, and eight 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 2026 season marks the 70th in the storied history of Mules Baseball. During that span, the Mules have compiled a 2,235-844-9 record in 3,088 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
• 3 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 each of the 12 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 38 seasons.

Up Next

• The Mules wrap up their 2026 regular season schedule with a three-game MIAA series at home against Missouri Southern on April 30-May 2 at Crane Stadium/Tompkins Field in Warrensburg.