Mules baseball had four student-athletes named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) All-Central Region Teams, it was announced Wednesday, May 15.
In addition, UCM head coach Kyle Crookes was tabbed the Central Region Coach of the Year and starting pitcher Conner Wolf was voted the region's Pitcher of the Year.
Joining Wolf on the first team were outfielders Brennen van Breusegen and Carter Young while first baseman Josh Patrick was a second team selection.
A junior right-hander from Tipton, Mo., and the 2024 MIAA Pitcher of the Year, Wolf is a perfect 11-0 on the mound in 15 appearances and 14 starts this season. He has allowed just 35 earned runs on 68 hits with 77 strikeouts and only 14 walks in 81 2/3 innings pitched.
Van Breusegen, the 2024 MIAA Player of the Year and a redshirt senior who hails from Columbia, Ill., is hitting .384 with 73 hits, 65 runs, 12 doubles, five triples, a team-high 19 homers, 61 RBIs, a team-best .800 slugging percentage, 33 walks, a .481 on-base percentage, and 17 stolen bases in 54 games this season.
A redshirt junior and All-MIAA First Team honoree from Lee's Summit, Mo., Young is hitting .364 with a team-high 77 runs, 80 hits and 22 doubles, going along with three triples, 15 home runs, 56 RBIs, a .695 slugging percentage, 46 walks, a .474 on-base percentage and 27 stolen bases in his 54 games played in 2024.
Patrick, a redshirt junior and All-MIAA First Team selection from Kansas City, Mo., has a .356 batting average with 53 runs, 58 hits, six doubles, three triples, 10 homers, 40 RBIs, a .613 slugging percentage, 32 walks, a .469 on-base percentage and 18 stolen bases in 48 games played this season.
In his 10th season as head coach for Central Missouri, Crookes earned his sixth region Coach of the Year honor after leading the Mules to the 2024 MIAA Regular Season Championship and the top seed in the NCAA-II Central Regional. Going into the Central Region tournament, Crookes has a record of 393-131 (.750). He is the second-winningest coach in Mules' baseball history with his 393 victories in 10 seasons.
The No. 1 seed in the DII Central Region Tournament, Central Missouri began the postseason against No. 8 Minnesota State in an opening round game at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 16.
The regional continues Friday, May 17, with the opening round losers playing at 2 p.m. and the regional semifinals being played at 6 p.m.
Release courtesy of UCM Athletics.
