Murray State University Athletics
Players Mentioned
C
/ Baseball
Racer Baseball Adds 13
11/11/2015 1:14:00 PM | Baseball
Murray State head baseball coach Kevin Moulder has announced the additions of 13 student-athletes to the Racers beginning in the fall of 2016. 12 of the 13 newcomers are currently in their senior years of high school.
According to the Prep Baseball Report, the Racers have signed the top two left-handed pitchers in the state of Kentucky, the top catcher in the state and three of the top 10 and five of the top 17 prospects in the state of Missouri.
"I'm extremely excited about the new additions to the Murray State baseball program," said Moulder.
"In this year's class we focused heavily on high school recruiting to compliment last year's transfer heavy class. We have been working on this class since I took the job last summer and I'm really proud of the type of class we were able to put together. Coach Morgan and Coach Dulin did a great job helping to identify these players and getting them to campus," continued Moulder.
"This class will form the foundation for our program to be built on, so it was a really important class to us. We were able to get some good players from our region, which we feel is important. A lot of these student-athletes are highly ranked, but most importantly, I believe that we recruited a bunch of players and people that are winners."
Below is a list of the incoming student-athletes and their bios:
Keegan Breese, 5-11, 160 lbs., IF/P, Paducah, Ky., McCracken County HS
Breese hit .333, scored 25 runs and recorded 15 RBIs in 2015 at McCracken County HS. Breese collected 11 extra-base hits, drew 18 walks and stole 12 bases for the Mustangs who made it to the KHSAA State Baseball Tournament last summer.
"Keegan was the first player from this 2016 class to commit to us and is one of the main players in this region we focused on in this class," said Moulder.
"Breese is best described as a ball player and a winner. He can play all over the infield at a high level and also pitches. He comes from a program that is very well coached and is used to winning."
Luke Brown, 5'10, 150 lbs., LHP, Princeton, Ky., Caldwell County HS
Brown is a three-time all-district selection and two-time all-region performer for the Tigers. His freshman and sophomore year, he was named to the Perfect Game WWBA Underclass All-Tournament Team and was a Perfect Game All-American as a junior. Brown's father, David played baseball at Murray State. Brown was named the second-best left-handed pitching prospect in the state of Kentucky.
"Luke is an advanced left-handed pitcher," said Moulder.
"It is hard to find a high school pitcher with an advanced feel for pitching like Luke, let alone a left-handed one. He is a very athletic kid as well and will be expected to come in and compete immediately."
Hunter Childress, 5-10, 160 lbs., IF, Bardstown, Ky., Nelson County HS
Childress, who holds the Nelson County school record for career hits with 110, also holds the single-season hits record with 45. Childress was an all-district selection last season after hitting .459 as a junior and played in the East-West All-Star Game in 2015 and was selected to the PBR Kentucky Team in 2014.
"Hunter fits the hard-nosed player type mold," said Moulder.
"He is a very good defensive infielder and with some added strength, is going to be a good offensive player as well. If you had a team full of guys that played as hard as Hunter, you would be in really good shape."
Bryan Chilton, 5-11, 185 lbs., C, Hopkinsville, Ky., Christian County HS
Chilton, who is the top catching prospect in the state of Kentucky, was a Third Team All-State selection last year, is a two-time all-district team member and will be a five-year letterman at Christian County. Chilton, who was voted Christian County's Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015, hit .311 and collected 17 RBIs in 2015 for the Colonels. Chilton had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage his junior year and threw out 11 baserunners.
"We feel like we signed the best catcher in the state with Bryan," commented Moulder.
"He has the type of arm that can completely shut down a running game. He has a great feel for catching and everything that goes into that, including handling the pitching staff. He'll be the type of catcher that will be able to come in and call a game from behind that plate immediately. Bryan is a strong kid with a similar body type to (2015 All-OVC selection) Tyler Lawrence."
Braydon Cook, 6-1, 180 lbs., RHP, O'Fallon, Mo., Francis Howell HS
Cook, who is the ninth-rated prospect in the state of Missouri, according to Prep Baseball Report, is a two-time all-conference selection and was named Second Team All-District in 2014.
"Braydon is one of our more highly touted recruits," said Moulder.
"His armside run and sink on his fastball is as good as anyone's I've seen in his class. He's a mid-to-upper-80's guy who has been up to 90 and has the ability to throw three pitches for a strike anytime he wants. I've been watching Braydon for a long time and he is another player that is used to winning, in fact, the first time I saw him pitch was as a sophomore in the Missouri state finals, which they won that day."
Andrew Hayden, 6-4, 185 lbs., LHP, Owensboro, Ky., Daviess County HS
Hayden is the top-rated left-handed pitcher in the state of Kentucky. He was a First Team All-District and All-Region selection in 2015 after posting a record of 5-4 with a 1.30 ERA on the mound and hitting .358 at the plate. He is a four-year letterman with the Panthers and also plays basketball at Daviess County.
"Andrew is one of the players that I am most excited about seeing where he is at in a couple of years," commented Moulder.
"He is a tall, lanky pitcher that I believe has a really high ceiling. He is an A-plus kid whose best days are ahead of him on the mound."
Tyler Horsley, 6-1, 190 lbs., RHP, Louisville, Ky., Ballard HS
Horsley is a two-year letterwinner for the Bruins and helped lead them to a KHSAA District 28 and Region 7 title in 2015. Horsley was selected to the Junior East/West All-Star Game and posted an ERA of 2.82 and a perfect 5-0 record for the 18 and under Evansville Razorbacks.
"We first saw Tyler at one of our camps and have been following him ever since," said Moulder.
"He is another extremely projectable pitcher who is already in the upper-80s and is only going to get better. Tyler can really spin the breaking ball and we will be counting on him to come in and contribute immediately."
Trevor McMurray, 6-2, 180 lbs., RHP, Wildwood, Mo., Lafayette HS
McMurray is the 17th-ranked prospect in the state of Missouri after leading the Lancers in strikeouts his junior season and being named all-conference. He was named the Lancers' Pitcher of the Year in 2015 and has also been a letterman on the football team every year.
"McMurray is a big, physical athlete who is also the quarterback at Lafayette High School," said Moulder.
"As he begins to solely focus on baseball, the sky is the limit for him. He is a very projectable pitcher, with a good curveball. He is also an extremely gifted student and just a well-rounded individual."
Bobby Pennington, 6-4, 210 lbs., RHP, Park Ridge, Ill., John A. Logan College
Pennington helped lead John A. Logan to a 2015 GRAC conference championship and posted a 5-1 record and 2.97 ERA on the mound for the Volunteers. In high school, Pennington was an all-state pitcher and went 9-1 with a 1.06 ERA his senior season.
"Bobby is our lone junior college recruit, but is filling a very important role in this class," said Moulder.
"Adding an experienced arm that comes from a quality program like John A. Logan, who competes in an extremely competitive conference, Bobby should be able to come in and compete immediately for us. He's a big guy with some upside and is already a 90 MPH type arm and has a feel for pitching."
Justin Perkins, 6-2, 220 lbs., RHP/IF, Saint Charles, Mo., Francis Howell HS
Perkins is a two-time all-district and all-conference selection for the Vikings and helped lead Francis Howell to a state title his freshman year and a runner-up finish as a sophomore. Perkins is the eighth-rated prospect out of Missouri and is also an all-state football player for the Vikings. Perkins' brother Ryan has also signed with the Racers.
"Justin is going to help us out in a lot of different ways and we plan on him being a two-way player for us," said Moulder.
"He has barely scratched the surface of what he can do on the mound, so we are looking forward to working with him on that. He is also a power type bat that can change a game with one swing. Justin is a really good athlete, who could have decided to play major college football if he wanted to as a linebacker. I am probably the most excited about the mentality that he will bring to the team."
Ryan Perkins, 6-2, 210 lbs., OF, Saint Charles, Mo., Francis Howell HS
Perkins is the seventh-ranked prospect in the state of Missouri according to PBR. Perkins was a First Team All-State and All-Metro selection as a junior and helped lead the Vikings to a runner-up finish as a sophomore. Perkins was named a Second Team High School All-American as a junior by Louisville Slugger after hitting .495 at the plate. Perkins, like his brother Justin, is also an all-state football player at Francis Howell.
"Ryan is a dynamic hitter and is going to be a special player for us," said Moulder.
"Like his twin brother, he could have decided to play linebacker at the college level and both play baseball like they are on the football field, which is probably the best way to describe it. "Ryan and Justin are coached by their dad at Francis Howell and I have been fortunate enough to briefly coach their two older brothers, who both play college baseball, Zac (Lindenwood) and Nic (Ole Miss). You can tell they have been around it their entire lives."
Jake Slunder, 6-1, 170 lbs., Cabot, Ark., Cabot HS
Slunder is a three-year letterwinner with the Panthers and helped lead Cabot to a state semifinal appearance in 2014. Last season, Slunder recorded a .344 on-base percentage and had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage to go along with four stolen bases.
Jake is another player we saw at our camp a couple of times and fell in love with," commented Moulder.
"He is a big time runner, but is also pretty physical. He has the ability to play centerfield at a high level. With his speed and ability to play all three outfield spots, Jake is the type of player who has a good chance to have an immediate role in the program. He is an exciting athlete that will be fun to watch."
Alec Whaley, 6-2, 205 lbs., RHP, O'Fallon, Mo., Christian Brothers College HS
Whaley is the 15th-ranked prospect by PBR in the state of Missouri. He helped lead the Cadets to a 2015 state championship. He is a two-year letterwinner at Christian Brothers and is also a member of the football team.
"Alec is the son of a coach and is a workaholic," said Moulder.
"His high school team won state last year and he was a major contributor for them both on the mound and at the plate. Alec has a great work ethic and a good overall knowledge of the game. We are looking for Alec to be able to come in and help us on the mound immediately."
Â
According to the Prep Baseball Report, the Racers have signed the top two left-handed pitchers in the state of Kentucky, the top catcher in the state and three of the top 10 and five of the top 17 prospects in the state of Missouri.
"I'm extremely excited about the new additions to the Murray State baseball program," said Moulder.
"In this year's class we focused heavily on high school recruiting to compliment last year's transfer heavy class. We have been working on this class since I took the job last summer and I'm really proud of the type of class we were able to put together. Coach Morgan and Coach Dulin did a great job helping to identify these players and getting them to campus," continued Moulder.
"This class will form the foundation for our program to be built on, so it was a really important class to us. We were able to get some good players from our region, which we feel is important. A lot of these student-athletes are highly ranked, but most importantly, I believe that we recruited a bunch of players and people that are winners."
Below is a list of the incoming student-athletes and their bios:
Keegan Breese, 5-11, 160 lbs., IF/P, Paducah, Ky., McCracken County HS
Breese hit .333, scored 25 runs and recorded 15 RBIs in 2015 at McCracken County HS. Breese collected 11 extra-base hits, drew 18 walks and stole 12 bases for the Mustangs who made it to the KHSAA State Baseball Tournament last summer.
"Keegan was the first player from this 2016 class to commit to us and is one of the main players in this region we focused on in this class," said Moulder.
"Breese is best described as a ball player and a winner. He can play all over the infield at a high level and also pitches. He comes from a program that is very well coached and is used to winning."
Luke Brown, 5'10, 150 lbs., LHP, Princeton, Ky., Caldwell County HS
Brown is a three-time all-district selection and two-time all-region performer for the Tigers. His freshman and sophomore year, he was named to the Perfect Game WWBA Underclass All-Tournament Team and was a Perfect Game All-American as a junior. Brown's father, David played baseball at Murray State. Brown was named the second-best left-handed pitching prospect in the state of Kentucky.
"Luke is an advanced left-handed pitcher," said Moulder.
"It is hard to find a high school pitcher with an advanced feel for pitching like Luke, let alone a left-handed one. He is a very athletic kid as well and will be expected to come in and compete immediately."
Hunter Childress, 5-10, 160 lbs., IF, Bardstown, Ky., Nelson County HS
Childress, who holds the Nelson County school record for career hits with 110, also holds the single-season hits record with 45. Childress was an all-district selection last season after hitting .459 as a junior and played in the East-West All-Star Game in 2015 and was selected to the PBR Kentucky Team in 2014.
"Hunter fits the hard-nosed player type mold," said Moulder.
"He is a very good defensive infielder and with some added strength, is going to be a good offensive player as well. If you had a team full of guys that played as hard as Hunter, you would be in really good shape."
Bryan Chilton, 5-11, 185 lbs., C, Hopkinsville, Ky., Christian County HS
Chilton, who is the top catching prospect in the state of Kentucky, was a Third Team All-State selection last year, is a two-time all-district team member and will be a five-year letterman at Christian County. Chilton, who was voted Christian County's Defensive Player of the Year in 2014 and 2015, hit .311 and collected 17 RBIs in 2015 for the Colonels. Chilton had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage his junior year and threw out 11 baserunners.
"We feel like we signed the best catcher in the state with Bryan," commented Moulder.
"He has the type of arm that can completely shut down a running game. He has a great feel for catching and everything that goes into that, including handling the pitching staff. He'll be the type of catcher that will be able to come in and call a game from behind that plate immediately. Bryan is a strong kid with a similar body type to (2015 All-OVC selection) Tyler Lawrence."
Braydon Cook, 6-1, 180 lbs., RHP, O'Fallon, Mo., Francis Howell HS
Cook, who is the ninth-rated prospect in the state of Missouri, according to Prep Baseball Report, is a two-time all-conference selection and was named Second Team All-District in 2014.
"Braydon is one of our more highly touted recruits," said Moulder.
"His armside run and sink on his fastball is as good as anyone's I've seen in his class. He's a mid-to-upper-80's guy who has been up to 90 and has the ability to throw three pitches for a strike anytime he wants. I've been watching Braydon for a long time and he is another player that is used to winning, in fact, the first time I saw him pitch was as a sophomore in the Missouri state finals, which they won that day."
Andrew Hayden, 6-4, 185 lbs., LHP, Owensboro, Ky., Daviess County HS
Hayden is the top-rated left-handed pitcher in the state of Kentucky. He was a First Team All-District and All-Region selection in 2015 after posting a record of 5-4 with a 1.30 ERA on the mound and hitting .358 at the plate. He is a four-year letterman with the Panthers and also plays basketball at Daviess County.
"Andrew is one of the players that I am most excited about seeing where he is at in a couple of years," commented Moulder.
"He is a tall, lanky pitcher that I believe has a really high ceiling. He is an A-plus kid whose best days are ahead of him on the mound."
Tyler Horsley, 6-1, 190 lbs., RHP, Louisville, Ky., Ballard HS
Horsley is a two-year letterwinner for the Bruins and helped lead them to a KHSAA District 28 and Region 7 title in 2015. Horsley was selected to the Junior East/West All-Star Game and posted an ERA of 2.82 and a perfect 5-0 record for the 18 and under Evansville Razorbacks.
"We first saw Tyler at one of our camps and have been following him ever since," said Moulder.
"He is another extremely projectable pitcher who is already in the upper-80s and is only going to get better. Tyler can really spin the breaking ball and we will be counting on him to come in and contribute immediately."
Trevor McMurray, 6-2, 180 lbs., RHP, Wildwood, Mo., Lafayette HS
McMurray is the 17th-ranked prospect in the state of Missouri after leading the Lancers in strikeouts his junior season and being named all-conference. He was named the Lancers' Pitcher of the Year in 2015 and has also been a letterman on the football team every year.
"McMurray is a big, physical athlete who is also the quarterback at Lafayette High School," said Moulder.
"As he begins to solely focus on baseball, the sky is the limit for him. He is a very projectable pitcher, with a good curveball. He is also an extremely gifted student and just a well-rounded individual."
Bobby Pennington, 6-4, 210 lbs., RHP, Park Ridge, Ill., John A. Logan College
Pennington helped lead John A. Logan to a 2015 GRAC conference championship and posted a 5-1 record and 2.97 ERA on the mound for the Volunteers. In high school, Pennington was an all-state pitcher and went 9-1 with a 1.06 ERA his senior season.
"Bobby is our lone junior college recruit, but is filling a very important role in this class," said Moulder.
"Adding an experienced arm that comes from a quality program like John A. Logan, who competes in an extremely competitive conference, Bobby should be able to come in and compete immediately for us. He's a big guy with some upside and is already a 90 MPH type arm and has a feel for pitching."
Justin Perkins, 6-2, 220 lbs., RHP/IF, Saint Charles, Mo., Francis Howell HS
Perkins is a two-time all-district and all-conference selection for the Vikings and helped lead Francis Howell to a state title his freshman year and a runner-up finish as a sophomore. Perkins is the eighth-rated prospect out of Missouri and is also an all-state football player for the Vikings. Perkins' brother Ryan has also signed with the Racers.
"Justin is going to help us out in a lot of different ways and we plan on him being a two-way player for us," said Moulder.
"He has barely scratched the surface of what he can do on the mound, so we are looking forward to working with him on that. He is also a power type bat that can change a game with one swing. Justin is a really good athlete, who could have decided to play major college football if he wanted to as a linebacker. I am probably the most excited about the mentality that he will bring to the team."
Ryan Perkins, 6-2, 210 lbs., OF, Saint Charles, Mo., Francis Howell HS
Perkins is the seventh-ranked prospect in the state of Missouri according to PBR. Perkins was a First Team All-State and All-Metro selection as a junior and helped lead the Vikings to a runner-up finish as a sophomore. Perkins was named a Second Team High School All-American as a junior by Louisville Slugger after hitting .495 at the plate. Perkins, like his brother Justin, is also an all-state football player at Francis Howell.
"Ryan is a dynamic hitter and is going to be a special player for us," said Moulder.
"Like his twin brother, he could have decided to play linebacker at the college level and both play baseball like they are on the football field, which is probably the best way to describe it. "Ryan and Justin are coached by their dad at Francis Howell and I have been fortunate enough to briefly coach their two older brothers, who both play college baseball, Zac (Lindenwood) and Nic (Ole Miss). You can tell they have been around it their entire lives."
Jake Slunder, 6-1, 170 lbs., Cabot, Ark., Cabot HS
Slunder is a three-year letterwinner with the Panthers and helped lead Cabot to a state semifinal appearance in 2014. Last season, Slunder recorded a .344 on-base percentage and had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage to go along with four stolen bases.
Jake is another player we saw at our camp a couple of times and fell in love with," commented Moulder.
"He is a big time runner, but is also pretty physical. He has the ability to play centerfield at a high level. With his speed and ability to play all three outfield spots, Jake is the type of player who has a good chance to have an immediate role in the program. He is an exciting athlete that will be fun to watch."
Alec Whaley, 6-2, 205 lbs., RHP, O'Fallon, Mo., Christian Brothers College HS
Whaley is the 15th-ranked prospect by PBR in the state of Missouri. He helped lead the Cadets to a 2015 state championship. He is a two-year letterwinner at Christian Brothers and is also a member of the football team.
"Alec is the son of a coach and is a workaholic," said Moulder.
"His high school team won state last year and he was a major contributor for them both on the mound and at the plate. Alec has a great work ethic and a good overall knowledge of the game. We are looking for Alec to be able to come in and help us on the mound immediately."
Â
Indiana State VS Murray State | MVC Baseball Tournament | Game Highlights
Friday, May 22
Evansville VS Murray State | Women's Basketball Game Highlights
Saturday, February 28
Head Coach Rechelle Turner | Racer Basketball | 2/26/26 Post Game Press Conference
Friday, February 27
Thomas & Pena | Racer Basketball | 2/26/26 Post Game Press Conference
Friday, February 27
