Racers Trek Across Commonwealth for Spring Break

Dates: March 23, 25-26
Sites: Lexington, Richmond, Morehead, Ky.
Audio: Mixlr.com (MOR DH)
TV/Web Stream: SEC Network+/Watch ESPN.com (UK); OVCDigitalNetwork.com (EKU DH)
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
MUR Record (Streak): 10-13, 1-2 OVC (W1)
UK Record (Streak): 26-4, 5-1 SEC (W3)
EKU Record (Streak): 18-6, 3-0 OVC (W2)
MOR Record (Streak): 13-9, 3-0 OVC (W4)
All-Time Series vs. UK (Streak): UK leads 2-0 (L2)
All-Time Series vs. EKU (Streak): MUR leads 11-7 (W3)
All-Time Series vs. MOR (Streak): MUR leads 9-4 (W3)
MUR Next Game: Mar. 30 at Memphis
MUR Next Home: Apr. 2-3 vs. Eastern Ill.

This Week
The Racers will continue their nine game road swing with five game inside the Commonwealth for spring break. On Wednesday, the Racers will play at 15^th-ranked Kentucky, followed by doubleheaders Friday and Saturday at Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State, respectively.

Previously On Racer Softball
The Racers were 2-3 last week, splitting a doubleheader at home against Evansville and taking just one of three on the road at SEMO. Murray State won the first game against Evansville, 3-1, but a bad fourth inning in game two gave the Purple Aces a 5-0 lead. MSU would battle back and score four runs, but despite having a runner on third in two different innings, the Racers could not tie the game and fell, 5-4.

On Saturday at Southeast Missouri, the Racers fell in another one run game in the opener and in the second game, mustered just one run and fell, 9-1, in six innings. On Sunday however, the Racers' bats came alive as they reeled off five straight hits and never looked back, picking up a 16-5, five-inning win to avoid the sweep. Maggie Glass led MSU on the week with a .429 average, while Calya Levins batted .353 and drove in eight runs.

All-Time vs. Kentucky
Murray State and the Wildcats met for the first time last season in a doubleheader at Racer Field in Murray. The Racers came very close to pulling the upset over then 13th-ranked Kentucky in both games, but ultimately fell, 5-2 and 1-0. Wednesday will mark MSU's first-ever trip to John Cropp Stadium.

Scouting The Wildcats
Kentucky is currently 26-4 on the year and 5-1 in the SEC. The Wildcats dropped last weekend's opener to Ole Miss, but battled back to take the final two games and win the series, followed by a win Wednesday against Northern Kentucky.

The Kentucky pitching staff currently sports the sixth lowest ERA in the nation at 1.54 and is limiting opponents to a .179 average. Kelsey Nunley leads the staff at 10-2 and has the 10th lowest ERA in the country at 0.81 to go along with 91 strikeouts and just 16 walks. Megan Prince is currently undefeated for UK at 12-0 and has a 1.38 ERA after tossing a no-hitter Wednesday against NKU.

The Wildcats are currently hitting .317 as a team and are averaging 1.31 stolen bases per game with 40 in 44 attempts. At .422 Katie Reed leads the way offensively for Kentucky and is followed by Brooklin Hinz and Sylver Samuel who are also hitting over .400 at .406 and .403, respectively. Hinz leads the team .766 slugging percentage that includes eight doubles and five home runs, while Abbey Cheek leads in RBIs at 32, to go along with a .338 average.

All-Time vs. Eastern Kentucky
After a doubleheader sweep last season in Murray, the Racers currently lead the all-time series with the Colonels, 11-7. However, on their last trip to Richmond in 2013, Murray State ran into trouble and dropped two games to even the series at four games each at Gertrude Hood Field.

Scouting The Colonels
Eastern Kentucky is currently 18-6 on the season and 3-0 in the OVC, after a three-game sweep of Tennessee State this past weekend in Nashville. The best hitting team in the conference, the Colonels are batting .326 this season are led by Kayla Joyce's .422. Sarah Fobbs is the current leader for RBIs for EKU with 20 to go along with a .313 average.

With a 1.83 ERA, runs are hard to come by against Eastern Kentucky, as are hit with opponents' batting just .223. Hayley Flynn has been EKU's go-to this season at 12-3 and also a 2.58 ERA with 86 strikeouts. Another key component for the Colonel's staff has been Alex Sallberg who is 5-2 with 1.83 ERA and a nation leading four saves.

All-Time vs. Morehead State
After a pair of shutouts against the Eagles last season in Murray, the Racers currently lead the all-time series 9-4 and have won the last three in a row. In their last trip to Morehead in 2013, the Racers spit a doubleheader with the Eagles to give Murray State just a one-game advantage at University Softball Field at 3-2.

Scouting The Eagles
Morehead State swept Belmont on the opening weekend of OVC play in Nashville last weekend and enters Tuesday's contest at Appalachian State at 13-9 overall and 3-0 in the conference. Robyn Leighton and Karly Thompson currently lead the Eagles offensively, at .407 and .404, on the year. As a team, Morehead State is hitting .292, while its opponents are batting an even .300.

Pitching wise, Allison Rager leads the way with a team-low ERA of 4.16 to go with a 6-2 record. Mackenzie Grossman follows Rager with a 4.20 ERA, a 5-4 record and a team-high 54 strikeouts. As a staff, the Eagles have an ERA of 5.02 and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 1.1:1.

Weather Forecast
On Wednesday in Lexington, temps should be around the mid-to-high 60's, followed low 50's in Richmond Friday. However, Saturday in Morehead things will warm back up with a high of 66°F. One thing all three days have in common, however, is that all three look clear from precipitation with the greatest chance on Saturday at just 13 percent.

The Hits Keep Coming
In Sunday's win over SEMO, Murray State set a program record with 20 hits. The previous record of 18 had been achieved twice, first against Austin Peay in 2013, then again last season at Tennessee Tech.

Missed It By That Much
The 16 runs scored by the Racers Sunday at SEMO will go down as the second-most in school history. The runs most ever scored by MSU is 19. The record came in the second game of a doubleheader against Tennessee State, just hours after the previous record of 16 had been set in game one.

New Members Welcome
Junior Cayla Levins hit the 14th grand slam in Racer history Sunday, when she did so in the fourth at-bat of the game. Now the 10th Racer to accomplish the feat, she went on to finish the game at 3-for-4 with two doubles, a grand slam and six RBIs.

Perfecto
In just the third start of her collegiate career, freshman Leah Kesel finished Sunday's game at SEMO a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate. All four hits for Kesel went down as singles on the day, including two on bunts and were paired with three runs.

These Racers Go To 11
MSU set the all-time record for runs scored in an inning Sunday at SEMO, when they scored 11 in the opening stanza. The previous record of 10 was set last season in the seventh inning at Tennessee Tech.

Just Short
In game one of Thursday's doubleheader against Evansville, Jessica Twaddle's 17-game hit streak came to an end. The streak ended just two shy of tying the school record of 19, which she set from Feb. 6 to March 15 of last season.

Worldwide Audience
Wednesday's game against Kentucky will be broadcast on SEC Network+. SEC Network+ is available through select cable providers and can also be found on WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app.

Free For All
Currently, Friday's doubleheader at Eastern Kentucky is scheduled to be broadcast on OVCDigitalNetwork.com. As always, all games broadcast on the OVCDN are free of charge.

In The Mix
Select Murray State softball away games, including Saturday's doubleheader at Morehead State, will once again be broadcast this season on the internet via Mixlr. Fans can listen, free of charge, on any computer at mixlr.com/msuracers or by downloading the Mixlr app, available on Apple and Android devices, and searching msuracers. The games will be broadcast by MSU softball media relations contact, Parker Griffith.

Up Next
Murray State will travel to the home of the blues and the birthplace of rock 'n' roll when it takes on Memphis Wednesday at 4 p.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Maggie Glass

Leah Kesel

Cayla Levins

Jessica Twaddle

Murray State University Athletics