Alex Backhaus
Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator | 8th Season
Alex Backhaus is now in his eighth year with the Mules Baseball in 2025 after spending two years at Lindenwood University. He works primarily with the Mules position players and is the program’s recruiting coordinator.
In Backhaus's eight seasons with UCM, Central Missouri has won six MIAA Championships and three NCAA-II Central Region Titles, and advanced to the College World Series three times, including a runner-up finish in 2021.
Backhaus helped lead the Mules to the MIAA Regular Season and NCAA Division II Central Regional Championships in 2024 as UCM compiled an overall record of 52-10 and a MIAA mark of 29-4. Central Missouri advanced to the College World Series for the 20th time in program history. He was named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) 2024 NCAA Division II National Assistant Coach of the Year.
UCM hit a single-season record 126 homers and 38 triples and stole a season-record 197 bases. The 38 triples, 126 home runs and 197 stolen bases are also MIAA records. In addition, Central Missouri compiled program and MIAA single season records for RBIs (605), runs (662) and total bases (1,344).
Outfielder Brennen van Breusegen was named the MIAA Player of the Year and was a consensus First Team All-American while fellow outfielder Carter Young and pitcher Conner Wolf also earned All-America accolades from various Division II baseball organizations. In addition, Wolf was the MIAA and D2CCA Central Region Pitcher of the Year.
Van Breusegen, Young and designated hitter Vance Tobol all earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-American honors for their successes both on the field and in the classroom.
In 2023, the Mules compiled an overall mark of 43-15 and went 27-6 in the MIAA. UCM captured both the MIAA Regular Season and Postseason Tournament Titles and hosted the NCAA-II Central Regional. Central Missouri advanced to the regional title game before dropping an 8-6 decision to Augustana (S.D.). Thirteen Mules garnered All-MIAA accolades. Closer JD McReynolds and outfielders Carter Young and Vance Tobol earned All-American recognition. Young, McReynolds, Tobol, starting pitcher Conner Wolf and infielder Jack Schark all garnered All-Region honors. In addition, UCM had five student-athletes earn College Sports Communicators Academic All-District accolades, including Jacob Beauchamp, Chase Heath, Schark, Cole Schroeder and Brennen van Breusegen.
In 2022, Backhaus assisted Central Missouri to another MIAA regular season and tournament title and a 46-9 overall record. He coached 2022 All-American and CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American, and MIAA and D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year Brennen van Breusegen, in addition to D2CCA First Team All-Central Region selection Garrett Pennington and All-MIAA honorees John Prudhom, Harrison Schnurbusch, Michael Chrisman, Cole Moore, Isaiah Pani, Donovan Ditto, Sam Tatum and Jacob Steele. UCM paced the MIAA in batting, compiling a .357 average with 661 hits, 131 doubles, 26 triples, 83 homers, 503 RBI, 230 walks, a .592 slugging and .444 on-base percentage and 118 stolen bases in 154 attempts.
In his fourth season in 2021, Backhaus helped guide the Mules to MIAA regular season and tournament championships, in addition to the NCAA-II Central Region crown and a runner-up showing at the NCAA Division II College World Series and a 46-8 overall record. It was the best finish for Mules baseball since the 2003 national championship team.
Backhaus coached seven Mules who earned All-MIAA accolades in 2021, including the MIAA Player of the Year Dusty Stroup, first team All-MIAA honorees Cole Taylor, Alex Madera, Josh Schmacher and Erik Webb, second team All-MIAA selection Micah Evans and Honorable Mention All-MIAA honoree Scott Wolverton. Stroup was also named a D2CCA First Team All-American and was the D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year.
Stroup (second team), Wolverton (second team) and Evans (third team) all garnered CoSIDA/Division II Baseball Academic All-America honors.
In his first year, Backhaus had seven position players named to the All-MIAA team. The Mules went 39-17 for the season, going 2-2 at the NCAA Central Region Championship and won the MIAA Tournament after finishing third in the regular season. The Mules also had four All-American and All-Region selections in Backhaus’s first year and two were named Academic All-Americans.
Backhaus helped the Mules to their best finish since 2005, placing third at the NCAA Division II National Championship. The Mules were 46-16 and earned 11 All-MIAA awards, eight from position players. Outfielders Erik Webb and Mason Janvrin were named All-Americans with Janvrin being drafted by the Baltimore Orioles.
At Lindenwood, he helped coached honorable mention All-American Nathan Prindle, as well as first-team All-MIAA Wes Degener and three other honorable mention All-MIAA hitters. Lindenwood had its top baseball season in school history in 2017. The Lions finished the regular season by winning 15 of 17 games, and they finished third in the conference regular season standings. Lindenwood then won the MIAA Tournament, and the NCAA Division II Central Regional Championship. The Lions finished fifth at the NCAA Division II World Series.
Prior to his stop at Lindenwood, Backhaus was an assistant coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College, where he assisted with catchers, hitters, and runners. He helped the team win 33 games and advance to the Region VI Sub-Regional.
Backhaus spent two seasons prior to that as a graduate assistant coach at Ottawa University. Among the players he coached was Aaron Marshall, a first-team All-KCAC and honorable mention NAIA All-American.
Backhaus played baseball at William Jewell College. The Cardinals participated in the NAIA Regional Tournament his first three seasons before the program entered its transition season to the NCAA Division II level in his senior year. Backhaus was also a recipient of the R.E. “Dad” Bowles Scholarship Award. The scholarship is given to the male athlete that exemplifies outstanding qualities of sportsmanship, perseverance, and dedication to a sport.
Backhaus graduated from William Jewell in 2012 with a degree in Physical Education, and earned his master’s in Education Intervention from Ottawa in 2014.
Alex and his wife, Jaimie, were married in 2015 and have a son, Ty, and daughter, Mae, as well as two dogs, Lebowski and Elphie. Backhaus’s dog, Lebowski, serves as the official Crane Stadium Perimeter Protector.
