Murray State University Athletics
Friday, March 9
Racer Field
2 p.m.
Murray State
vs
Rhode Island
Players Mentioned
P
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
IF
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
P/IF
/ Softball
Racers Open Home Slate With Racer Classic
3/7/2018 10:10:00 PM | Softball
Dates & Time: Mar. 9-11
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Racer Field)Â
Audio: Mixlr.com/MSU Racers (Sun. Games)
TV/Web Stream: OVCDigitalNetwork.com (Fri. & Sat. Games)
Live Stats: GoRacersLive.com
MUR Record (Streak): 6-12 (Lost 3)
Racers vs. The Field: 11-8
URI Record (Streak): 1-8 (Lost 6)
OAK Record (Streak): 3-9 (Lost 2)
UIC Record (Streak): 5-4 (Won 1)
KENT Record (Streak): 9-6 (Lost 2)
UE Record (Streak): 6-12 (Won 2)
MSU Next Games: Mar. 16-18 at Rock Chalk Challenge
MSU Next Home: Mar. 30 vs. Jacksonville State (DH)
This Week
Murray State will open its 2018 home slate with the second annual Racer Classic. This year's event will include five other teams including Rhode Island, Oakland, Illinois-Chicago, Kent State and Evansville.Â
Last Time Out
The Racers went 1-4 last week in the Coach B Classic with their only win coming against Southern Illinois. Murray State held tough in multiple games on the weekend, but it was the latter innings that proved costly for the Racers, as they were outscored 12-5 on the weekend over the fifth through seventh innings. MSU hit just .205 on the weekend, while opponents hit .326 against them. Jensen Striegel led Murray State on the weekend with a .353 average, while Sierra Gilmore followed at .267 with the weekend's only home run. MSU's pitching staff allowed 4.24 earned runs per seven innings on the weekend, while opposing pitchers only gave up 0.82 earned runs per seven innings.
Against The Field
Murray State is 11-8 all-time against three of the five teams in this year's Racer Classic, having never faced Rhode Island or Oakland. MSU is 9-7 all-time against Evansville, 1-1 against Kent State and 1-0 against Illinois-Chicago.
Scouting The Rams
The Rams are just 1-8 on the year with their lone win coming on their opening weekend against Mount St. Mary's. Rhody will enter the Racer Classic on a six-game losing streak after going 0-5 at last weekend's EMU Madeira Beach Invitational. Erika Yeager is currently leading the Rams on the year with a .381 average, while Kylie Shivery follows at .346, while each have a team-high five RBIs. Riley Kernan currently sports lowest ERA on the team, at 3.68 and is 1-2 on the year. As a team, Rhode Island has a 5.83 ERA, a .259 opponent's batting average and a .215 team batting average.
Scouting The Golden Grizzlies
Oakland went 1-3 last weekend at the 49ers Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina last week and re now 3-9 on the year. As a team, the Golden Grizzlies are currently hitting .217, while their opponents are hitting .313. In the circle, Oakland is allowing 8.11 earned runs per seven innings and has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 0.9:1. Hayley Bartholomew has Oakland's lowest ERA on the year at 3.86, while its go-to, Haley Zinner sits at 8.27. Offensively, Madison Jones leads the Golden Grizzlies at the plate with a .333 average, while Jessie Munson follows at .270.
Scouting The Flames
Having already lost nine games on the season to weather, UIC comes into the Racer Classic at 5-4 after a 3-2 performance at last weekend's FAU "Strike-Out Cancer" Tournament. Lexi Watts is currently 11th in the nation batting average and leads the Flames with a .517 clip. Taylor Cairns follows Watts at .391, while Marley Hanlon leads the UIC pitching staff with a 1.71 ERA. As a staff, the Flames have a 2.30 ERA and limit opponents to a .211 average at the plate, while the offense is currently batting .238.
Scouting The Golden Flashes
Led by the second best hitter in the country, Kent State enters the weekend at 9-6. Holly Speers currently has the second-best batting average in Division I at .585 to power an offense that hits .285 as a team. In the circle, Madi Huck is 6-1 with a team-low ERA of 1.49, while the Golden Flashes as a team are currently allowing 3.8 earned runs per game and a .285 opponent's average.
Scouting The Purple Aces
At 6-12 overall, Evansville comes into the Racer Classic hitting .222 as a team and led by Eryn Gould's .373 average. The Purple Aces are coming off of their best weekend of the season so far, as they went 4-1 at the WKU Spring Fling. In the circle, Morgan Florey leads the way at 3-6 on the year, to go along with a 2.12 ERA. As a team, UE currently has a .366 ERA and allows opponents to hit .283 against them.
In Their Own Words With Jensen Striegel
You have come in as a true freshman and excelled, what do you attribute that success to?
There are several factors that have attributed to my success. I would say the first being the work ethic my parents have taught me to have from a very young age. I have a strong desire to be good at what I do. My dad especially has pushed me and helped me become the player and person I am today. He is always there to throw BP, put balls on the tee, and hit balls to me in the outfield. My teammates and coaches from high school and especially my teammates and coaches at Murray State have pushed me in every aspect of life including softball to work harder and find new limits within myself every day.Â
How has it been making the transition from high school softball to collegiate softball and all the athletic and academic demands that come with it?
With all the love and support from my family, friends, teammates, and coaches the transition has been fairly easy. I would say the biggest and hardest transition would be time management. Both the academic and athletic aspects have increased quite a bit so it has been a learning experience with time management.Â
How has it been bonding with a new team after playing with a different group for years?
Bonding with a new team has been easy. My teammates were very welcoming and this made it super easy to bond with each and every person on the team.Â
What has been your favorite part of being part of the Racer softball family so far?
In the question you said "Racer softball family" and that happens to be my favorite part of being a part of this team. I love that I have a team that will always have my back and that I have created friendships that will last a lifetime.
Weather Forecast
Temps will once again hover around the low-to-mid 50s this weekend, with a heightened chance of rain on Saturday. Chances for Friday and Sunday currently sit around 25-percent, while Saturday has a 67-percent chance of rain. Winds should be relatively low on the weekend at 6-9 mph, with gusts of up to 9-15.
Welcome Home!
The Racers are 3-5 all-time in home openers and are 2-3 under head coach Kara Amundson. After beating Evansville in 2016 and Austin Peay last season, MSU has now won two home openers in a row.Â
Let's Do It Again!
This season marks the second year for the Racer Classic, this time with six total teams. MSU ran the table at last year's event, going a perfect 5-0.
Bring The Bats, Get The Win
Murray State has outhit its opponent five times this season and the Racers are now 5-0 in those games. However, when they are outhit by their opponents, MSU is just 1-12 on the year.
Move 'Em Around
Sierra Gilmore, Brenna Finck and Jensen Striegel have all be highly successful at advancing runners around the bases this season. Gilmore currently leads the way at 21-for-32 (65.6), while Finck and Striegel follow at 18-for-28 (64.3) and 13-for-21 (61.9), respectively.
By Land Or By Air
Haven Campbell and Olivia Suski have almost retired the exact same number of batters this season, however they have each done it differently. Campbell has gotten her opponents to ground out 71 times and fly out 38, while Suski has gotten opposing batters to fly out 56 time and ground out 52.
Mixed Media
All 10 games on Friday and Saturday, including three for Murray State, of this weekend's Racer Classic will be video streamed live, free-of-charge on OVCDigitalNetwork.com (weather permitting. On Sunday, both MSU games will be audio streamed, also free-of-charge, on Mixlr.com/MSURacers.
OK, What's Next?
Murray State will wrap-up its pre-conference season with Kansas' Rock Chalk Challenge March 16-18 and a single game at Saint Louis March 20.
Â
Site (Venue): Murray, Ky. (Racer Field)Â
Audio: Mixlr.com/MSU Racers (Sun. Games)
TV/Web Stream: OVCDigitalNetwork.com (Fri. & Sat. Games)
Live Stats: GoRacersLive.com
MUR Record (Streak): 6-12 (Lost 3)
Racers vs. The Field: 11-8
URI Record (Streak): 1-8 (Lost 6)
OAK Record (Streak): 3-9 (Lost 2)
UIC Record (Streak): 5-4 (Won 1)
KENT Record (Streak): 9-6 (Lost 2)
UE Record (Streak): 6-12 (Won 2)
MSU Next Games: Mar. 16-18 at Rock Chalk Challenge
MSU Next Home: Mar. 30 vs. Jacksonville State (DH)
This Week
Murray State will open its 2018 home slate with the second annual Racer Classic. This year's event will include five other teams including Rhode Island, Oakland, Illinois-Chicago, Kent State and Evansville.Â
Last Time Out
The Racers went 1-4 last week in the Coach B Classic with their only win coming against Southern Illinois. Murray State held tough in multiple games on the weekend, but it was the latter innings that proved costly for the Racers, as they were outscored 12-5 on the weekend over the fifth through seventh innings. MSU hit just .205 on the weekend, while opponents hit .326 against them. Jensen Striegel led Murray State on the weekend with a .353 average, while Sierra Gilmore followed at .267 with the weekend's only home run. MSU's pitching staff allowed 4.24 earned runs per seven innings on the weekend, while opposing pitchers only gave up 0.82 earned runs per seven innings.
Against The Field
Murray State is 11-8 all-time against three of the five teams in this year's Racer Classic, having never faced Rhode Island or Oakland. MSU is 9-7 all-time against Evansville, 1-1 against Kent State and 1-0 against Illinois-Chicago.
Scouting The Rams
The Rams are just 1-8 on the year with their lone win coming on their opening weekend against Mount St. Mary's. Rhody will enter the Racer Classic on a six-game losing streak after going 0-5 at last weekend's EMU Madeira Beach Invitational. Erika Yeager is currently leading the Rams on the year with a .381 average, while Kylie Shivery follows at .346, while each have a team-high five RBIs. Riley Kernan currently sports lowest ERA on the team, at 3.68 and is 1-2 on the year. As a team, Rhode Island has a 5.83 ERA, a .259 opponent's batting average and a .215 team batting average.
Scouting The Golden Grizzlies
Oakland went 1-3 last weekend at the 49ers Classic in Charlotte, North Carolina last week and re now 3-9 on the year. As a team, the Golden Grizzlies are currently hitting .217, while their opponents are hitting .313. In the circle, Oakland is allowing 8.11 earned runs per seven innings and has a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 0.9:1. Hayley Bartholomew has Oakland's lowest ERA on the year at 3.86, while its go-to, Haley Zinner sits at 8.27. Offensively, Madison Jones leads the Golden Grizzlies at the plate with a .333 average, while Jessie Munson follows at .270.
Scouting The Flames
Having already lost nine games on the season to weather, UIC comes into the Racer Classic at 5-4 after a 3-2 performance at last weekend's FAU "Strike-Out Cancer" Tournament. Lexi Watts is currently 11th in the nation batting average and leads the Flames with a .517 clip. Taylor Cairns follows Watts at .391, while Marley Hanlon leads the UIC pitching staff with a 1.71 ERA. As a staff, the Flames have a 2.30 ERA and limit opponents to a .211 average at the plate, while the offense is currently batting .238.
Scouting The Golden Flashes
Led by the second best hitter in the country, Kent State enters the weekend at 9-6. Holly Speers currently has the second-best batting average in Division I at .585 to power an offense that hits .285 as a team. In the circle, Madi Huck is 6-1 with a team-low ERA of 1.49, while the Golden Flashes as a team are currently allowing 3.8 earned runs per game and a .285 opponent's average.
Scouting The Purple Aces
At 6-12 overall, Evansville comes into the Racer Classic hitting .222 as a team and led by Eryn Gould's .373 average. The Purple Aces are coming off of their best weekend of the season so far, as they went 4-1 at the WKU Spring Fling. In the circle, Morgan Florey leads the way at 3-6 on the year, to go along with a 2.12 ERA. As a team, UE currently has a .366 ERA and allows opponents to hit .283 against them.
In Their Own Words With Jensen Striegel
You have come in as a true freshman and excelled, what do you attribute that success to?
There are several factors that have attributed to my success. I would say the first being the work ethic my parents have taught me to have from a very young age. I have a strong desire to be good at what I do. My dad especially has pushed me and helped me become the player and person I am today. He is always there to throw BP, put balls on the tee, and hit balls to me in the outfield. My teammates and coaches from high school and especially my teammates and coaches at Murray State have pushed me in every aspect of life including softball to work harder and find new limits within myself every day.Â
How has it been making the transition from high school softball to collegiate softball and all the athletic and academic demands that come with it?
With all the love and support from my family, friends, teammates, and coaches the transition has been fairly easy. I would say the biggest and hardest transition would be time management. Both the academic and athletic aspects have increased quite a bit so it has been a learning experience with time management.Â
How has it been bonding with a new team after playing with a different group for years?
Bonding with a new team has been easy. My teammates were very welcoming and this made it super easy to bond with each and every person on the team.Â
What has been your favorite part of being part of the Racer softball family so far?
In the question you said "Racer softball family" and that happens to be my favorite part of being a part of this team. I love that I have a team that will always have my back and that I have created friendships that will last a lifetime.
Weather Forecast
Temps will once again hover around the low-to-mid 50s this weekend, with a heightened chance of rain on Saturday. Chances for Friday and Sunday currently sit around 25-percent, while Saturday has a 67-percent chance of rain. Winds should be relatively low on the weekend at 6-9 mph, with gusts of up to 9-15.
Welcome Home!
The Racers are 3-5 all-time in home openers and are 2-3 under head coach Kara Amundson. After beating Evansville in 2016 and Austin Peay last season, MSU has now won two home openers in a row.Â
Let's Do It Again!
This season marks the second year for the Racer Classic, this time with six total teams. MSU ran the table at last year's event, going a perfect 5-0.
Bring The Bats, Get The Win
Murray State has outhit its opponent five times this season and the Racers are now 5-0 in those games. However, when they are outhit by their opponents, MSU is just 1-12 on the year.
Move 'Em Around
Sierra Gilmore, Brenna Finck and Jensen Striegel have all be highly successful at advancing runners around the bases this season. Gilmore currently leads the way at 21-for-32 (65.6), while Finck and Striegel follow at 18-for-28 (64.3) and 13-for-21 (61.9), respectively.
By Land Or By Air
Haven Campbell and Olivia Suski have almost retired the exact same number of batters this season, however they have each done it differently. Campbell has gotten her opponents to ground out 71 times and fly out 38, while Suski has gotten opposing batters to fly out 56 time and ground out 52.
Mixed Media
All 10 games on Friday and Saturday, including three for Murray State, of this weekend's Racer Classic will be video streamed live, free-of-charge on OVCDigitalNetwork.com (weather permitting. On Sunday, both MSU games will be audio streamed, also free-of-charge, on Mixlr.com/MSURacers.
OK, What's Next?
Murray State will wrap-up its pre-conference season with Kansas' Rock Chalk Challenge March 16-18 and a single game at Saint Louis March 20.
Â
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2025 Murray State Hall of Fame Inductee Alexa Becker
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