Racers Open OVC Play At Home With Morehead & EKU

Dates & Times: March 26 – 1 p.m. (DH); March 27 – 1 p.m. (DH)
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Racer Field)
Audio: None
TV/Web Stream: OVCDigitalNetwork.com
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
MUR Record (Streak): 23-8 (Lost 4)
MOR Record (Streak): 17-6 (Won 9)
EKU Record (Streak): 11-16 (Lost 1)
All-Time Series vs. MOR (Streak): MUR leads 10-5 (Lost 1)
All-Time Series vs. EKU (Streak): MUR leads 11-9 (Lost 2)
MUR Next Game: Mar. 29 at Western Ky., 6 p.m.
MUR Next Home Games: Apr. 14 vs. Tennessee Tech, 1 p.m. (DH)

This Week
After a rough outing in California, the Murray State softball team will look to bounce back as it opens the OVC portion of its schedule against Morehead State Sunday and Eastern Kentucky Monday.

Last Time Out
The Racers suffered their first major bump in the road of the 2017 when they went 1-4 last week at the 2017 Matador Classic. Murray State beat Bryant in the opener, but then fell in four consecutive games to Weber State, Quinnipiac and twice to host Cal State Northridge. The usually potent MSU offense was shutout three times and was limited to a .248 clip at the plate, almost .100 points under the .323 average it entered the weekend with. Kaylee Ranburger led the Racers over the five-game span by going 5-for-12 for a .417 average.

The Morehead State Series
The Racers have won double the number of games that the Eagles have in the series and hold a 10-5 advantage after splitting a doubleheader in Morehead last season. At home, Murray State has lost just two of seven meetings and has won three straight at the friendly confines.

Scouting The Eagles
Morehead State will enter the weekend at 16-7 on the year, batting .258 as a team and with a 2.35 team ERA. At the plate, Allison Rager and Robyn Leighton lead the way offensively for Morehead State with a .437 and .361 average, respectively. Pitching wise, Chelsea McManaway currently boasts the sixth-lowest ERA in all of Division I at 0.58 to go along with a 9-3 record, eight shutouts, 120 strikeouts, 34 walks and a .171 opponent's average.

The Eastern Kentucky Series
Murray State currently leads the all-time series with EKU, 11-9, after dropping two games in Richmond last season. In Murray, the Racers also hold the series lead 4-3 and have won the last two games at Racer Field.
Scouting The Colonels
The Colonels played four games in Memphis and last week and went 2-0 against Saint Louis, but 0-2 against the host Tigers and will enter the weekend at 11-16 on the season. As a team, EKU is batting .295 on the year in is led by Rachel Minogue's .468 average. Teams are currently batting .287 against the Colonels, while the EKU pitching staff is giving up 3.47 earned runs per game. Alex Sallberg has been the go-to in the circle for the Colonels this season where she is 5-7 with a 2.79 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 25 walks.

Weather Forecast
Highs on Sunday and Monday are forecasted for the high 70s. Precipitation on Sunday has just a 25-percent chance, while the chances are higher Monday at 55 percent.

The Second Season
The Racers begin OVC play this weekend, but have historically not fared well in league-play openers. The Racers are just 2-5 all-time in OVC openers and are 0-2 when those games are in Murray.

Three Times The Record
With her triple against Cal State Northridge, Brenna Fick set a new Murray State single-season record for triples with four. The previous record of three was shared by Alexa Becker (2012), Megan Belio (2010), Maggie Glass (2015) and Shelbey Miller (2015). Finck is now also fourth all-time in triples at six, with Miller and Glass holding the record at eight.

Wins By The Dozen
Last week's loss to Weber State put an end to a historic win streak by the Racers. MSU reeled off 12 wins in a row from March 4-18, surpassing the previous record of nine.

Free For All
Currently, all four games this weekend are scheduled to be broadcast on OVCDigitalNetwork.com. As always, all games broadcast on the OVCDN are free of charge. Please note that coverage is subject to change without notice due to weather conditions.

Ok, What's Next?
The Racers will hit the road for a seven-game road stretch beginning with a single-game Wednesday at Western Kentucky. First pitch in Bowling Green is scheduled for 6 p.m.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Maggie Glass

Shelbey Miller

Kaylee Ranburger

Murray State University Athletics