Murray State University Athletics
Friday, February 9
Statesboro, Ga.
10:30 a.m.
Murray State
vs
ETSU
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
P/IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
Photo by: Nancy Homann
Racers Kickoff 2018 At Georgia Southern
2/8/2018 9:46:00 AM | Softball
Dates & Time: Feb. 9-11
Site (Venue): Statesboro, Ga. (Eagle Field)
Audio: Mixlr.com/MSURacers (Non-GSU Games)
TV/Web Stream: GSEagles.com (Games vs. GS)
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
MUR Record (Streak): 0-0 (---)
Racers vs. The Field: 1-1
ETSU Record (Streak): 0-0 (---)
GSU Record (Streak): 0-0 (---)
RU Record (Streak): 0-0 (---)
MSU Next Games: Feb. 16-18 at 2018 February Feezer (Mobile, Ala.)
MSU Next Home: Mar. 9-11 vs. Racer Classic
This Week
The Racers will open the 2018 season Friday at Georgia Southern's Eagle Round Robin Invitational in Statesboro, Georgia. While in the Peach State, MSU will take on the host Eagles, Radford and ETSU. The weekend marks the first five of MSU's 56 scheduled games for 2018, a schedule that will hopefully culminate in the Racers' ninth straight trip to the OVC tournament which will be held May 8-12 at Choccolocco Park, Oxford Alabama.
2017 Recap
The 2017 Murray State softball season saw several firsts including the Racers earn their first-ever postseason berth in the NISC, the crowning of the first-ever two-time OVC Player in Jessica Twaddle, who also became Murray State's first-ever All-American. The season also saw MSU claim its highest RPI rating of all-time at 67th and got off to the best start in school history at 20-4. In addition to Twaddle earning All-American honors, both Brenna Finck and Mason Robinson were named to the All-Mideast Region team. Murray State finished the season at 36-20 overall and 11-7 in league play which earned the Racers a fifth-seed in the OVC tournament, in which they went 0-2.
Against The Field
The Racers are 0-1 against Georgia Southern, 1-0 against ETSU and have never faced Radford.
Scouting The Eagles
After merging with Division II Armstrong State the Eagles enter a new era this season under the direction of the former ASU head coach Kim Dean. Before Dean, GSU was 24-29 last year and 12-15 in the Sun Belt. Mekhia Freeman leads all returners from last year with a .323 batting average and 25 RBIs, while Kierra Camp went 8-9 in the circle a year ago with a 4.93 ERA and 57 strikeouts.
Scouting The Bucs
After not having won a conference tournament game since 2008, ETSU got hot in last year's SoCon tournament and rode the wave all the way to the title and NCAA regionals. The Bucs finished the season and 29-26 overall and 10-7 in league play. ETSU returns two preseason All-Conference selections this season in Tiffany Laughren and Madison Ogle. Laughren hit .373 with 18 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 28 walks, 26 runs and 31 RBIs a year ago, while Ogle was 12-13 in the circle with a 3.55 ERA and 96 strikeouts.
Scouting The Highlanders
Hope Creasy takes over the reins of the Highlanders this season, after spending the past two seasons as an assistant for Radford. The Highlanders finished last season at 27-28 overall and 8-13 in the Big South. Marissa Gagliano leads all returners this season for RU with a .275 average last season and 22 stolen bases. Abby Morrow also returns this year after going 20-16 in the circle last season with a 3.05 ERA, 104 strikeouts, 39 walks and an opponent's average of .260.
Weather Forecast
Temps will be in the low 60s Friday before warming up significantly to the mid-70s the rest of the weekend. The bad news is there is over a 50-percent chance of rain each day.
Just Peachy
For the fourth year in a row, the Racers will kick off their season in the state of Georgia. In 2015, the Racers went 3-2 at Georgia's Red & Black Classic in Athens, in 2016, they went 2-2 at the Kennesaw State Kickoff Classic in Kennesaw and last year went 4-1 at the Mercer Invitational in Macon.
Out Of The Gates
Murray State is 4-4 all-time in season openers, having won four out of six under head coach Kara Amundson. The Racers are 1-1 in season openers in true away games and 3-3 in neutral site games.
Fall Report
Murray State went 8-0 in its non-traditional fall season this year with wins over Evansville, SIU and Saint Louis. As a team, the Racers hit .322, while the pitching staff posted a 1.75 team ERA and limited opponents to a .187 average. Freshman Sierra Gilmore led MSU with a .583 average, while junior Brenna Finck batted .400. Senior Haven Campbell went 4-0 in the short season, while freshman Olivia Suski went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA.
A New Era
Of its 10 starters from a year ago, only two return for Murray State in 2018. The seven offensive players lost represents 57.7 percent of MSU's hitting from a season ago, 65.2-percent of its scoring, 72.6-percent of its run production and 77.0-percent of its power hitting.
A Familiar Face
After spending four years as a player for Murray State, two-time OVC Player of the Year Jessica Twaddle returns to the Racers this season in a different role. Twaddle will serve as a volunteer for MSU while pursuing her Master's.
In The Mix
Select Murray State softball away games, including three games this weekend, 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. The two games against GSU this weekend will be broadcast free of charge on the GSU website, GSEagles.com.
OK, What's Next?
The Racers head to cowbell country for the February Freezer hosted by Mississippi State. While in Starkville, the Racers will take on South Alabama, Drake and the host Bulldogs.
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Site (Venue): Statesboro, Ga. (Eagle Field)
Audio: Mixlr.com/MSURacers (Non-GSU Games)
TV/Web Stream: GSEagles.com (Games vs. GS)
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
MUR Record (Streak): 0-0 (---)
Racers vs. The Field: 1-1
ETSU Record (Streak): 0-0 (---)
GSU Record (Streak): 0-0 (---)
RU Record (Streak): 0-0 (---)
MSU Next Games: Feb. 16-18 at 2018 February Feezer (Mobile, Ala.)
MSU Next Home: Mar. 9-11 vs. Racer Classic
This Week
The Racers will open the 2018 season Friday at Georgia Southern's Eagle Round Robin Invitational in Statesboro, Georgia. While in the Peach State, MSU will take on the host Eagles, Radford and ETSU. The weekend marks the first five of MSU's 56 scheduled games for 2018, a schedule that will hopefully culminate in the Racers' ninth straight trip to the OVC tournament which will be held May 8-12 at Choccolocco Park, Oxford Alabama.
2017 Recap
The 2017 Murray State softball season saw several firsts including the Racers earn their first-ever postseason berth in the NISC, the crowning of the first-ever two-time OVC Player in Jessica Twaddle, who also became Murray State's first-ever All-American. The season also saw MSU claim its highest RPI rating of all-time at 67th and got off to the best start in school history at 20-4. In addition to Twaddle earning All-American honors, both Brenna Finck and Mason Robinson were named to the All-Mideast Region team. Murray State finished the season at 36-20 overall and 11-7 in league play which earned the Racers a fifth-seed in the OVC tournament, in which they went 0-2.
Against The Field
The Racers are 0-1 against Georgia Southern, 1-0 against ETSU and have never faced Radford.
Scouting The Eagles
After merging with Division II Armstrong State the Eagles enter a new era this season under the direction of the former ASU head coach Kim Dean. Before Dean, GSU was 24-29 last year and 12-15 in the Sun Belt. Mekhia Freeman leads all returners from last year with a .323 batting average and 25 RBIs, while Kierra Camp went 8-9 in the circle a year ago with a 4.93 ERA and 57 strikeouts.
Scouting The Bucs
After not having won a conference tournament game since 2008, ETSU got hot in last year's SoCon tournament and rode the wave all the way to the title and NCAA regionals. The Bucs finished the season and 29-26 overall and 10-7 in league play. ETSU returns two preseason All-Conference selections this season in Tiffany Laughren and Madison Ogle. Laughren hit .373 with 18 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 28 walks, 26 runs and 31 RBIs a year ago, while Ogle was 12-13 in the circle with a 3.55 ERA and 96 strikeouts.
Scouting The Highlanders
Hope Creasy takes over the reins of the Highlanders this season, after spending the past two seasons as an assistant for Radford. The Highlanders finished last season at 27-28 overall and 8-13 in the Big South. Marissa Gagliano leads all returners this season for RU with a .275 average last season and 22 stolen bases. Abby Morrow also returns this year after going 20-16 in the circle last season with a 3.05 ERA, 104 strikeouts, 39 walks and an opponent's average of .260.
Weather Forecast
Temps will be in the low 60s Friday before warming up significantly to the mid-70s the rest of the weekend. The bad news is there is over a 50-percent chance of rain each day.
Just Peachy
For the fourth year in a row, the Racers will kick off their season in the state of Georgia. In 2015, the Racers went 3-2 at Georgia's Red & Black Classic in Athens, in 2016, they went 2-2 at the Kennesaw State Kickoff Classic in Kennesaw and last year went 4-1 at the Mercer Invitational in Macon.
Out Of The Gates
Murray State is 4-4 all-time in season openers, having won four out of six under head coach Kara Amundson. The Racers are 1-1 in season openers in true away games and 3-3 in neutral site games.
Fall Report
Murray State went 8-0 in its non-traditional fall season this year with wins over Evansville, SIU and Saint Louis. As a team, the Racers hit .322, while the pitching staff posted a 1.75 team ERA and limited opponents to a .187 average. Freshman Sierra Gilmore led MSU with a .583 average, while junior Brenna Finck batted .400. Senior Haven Campbell went 4-0 in the short season, while freshman Olivia Suski went 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA.
A New Era
Of its 10 starters from a year ago, only two return for Murray State in 2018. The seven offensive players lost represents 57.7 percent of MSU's hitting from a season ago, 65.2-percent of its scoring, 72.6-percent of its run production and 77.0-percent of its power hitting.
A Familiar Face
After spending four years as a player for Murray State, two-time OVC Player of the Year Jessica Twaddle returns to the Racers this season in a different role. Twaddle will serve as a volunteer for MSU while pursuing her Master's.
In The Mix
Select Murray State softball away games, including three games this weekend, 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. The two games against GSU this weekend will be broadcast free of charge on the GSU website, GSEagles.com.
OK, What's Next?
The Racers head to cowbell country for the February Freezer hosted by Mississippi State. While in Starkville, the Racers will take on South Alabama, Drake and the host Bulldogs.
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