Racers Set for Conference Opener at Eastern Illinois

Dates: March 23, 2019 – 1:00 p.m. (DH)
Site (Venue): Charleston, Ill. (Glenn & Joan Williams Field)
Live Audio: http://mixlr.com/msusoftball/
Live Stats: https://bit.ly/2HRt9ez
MSU Record (Streak): 10-15 (Lost four)
Racers All-Time vs. EIU: 10-19
Eastern Illinois Record (Streak): 9-19 (Won two)
MSU Next Games: March 27 vs. Memphis
MSU Next Home: Same

The Racers will travel to Charleston, Illinois on Saturday to begin Ohio Valley Conference competition against the Panthers of Eastern Illinois University. With the first pitch of the doubleheader scheduled for 1:00 p.m., the second game of the day will mark the 31^st all-time meeting between the two schools as they kick-off their conference schedules at Glenn & Joan Williams Field in Charleston.

Last Time Out:
The Racers are set to begin their Ohio Valley Conference schedule after competing in five games at the Tiger Classic in Memphis, Tennessee last weekend. While the Racers opened the tournament with a victory over the host Tigers of Memphis, they came up short in hard-fought battles throughout the remainder of the weekend. The ensuing results, which featured two one-run defeats in extra innings, were heartbreaking losses for a Racer team that came into Memphis as winners of three straight games after a trio of triumphs at the Racer Classic in Murray, Kentucky.

While the results were not ideal, the Racers did see exceptional performances from a few key individuals on the weekend. Sierra Gilmore went .385 over the five games, recording a .529 on-base percentage while scoring a team-high six runs in the tournament. Supplying the power in the Racer lineup, Lexi Jones turned in a .375 average while highlighting box scores with three home runs and a team-best eight runs batted in.

In the circle, Hannah James tallied the Racer win as she surrendered just two earned runs while striking out six in her complete game performance against Memphis. She would carry a 3.38 ERA on the weekend, while striking out 15 and issuing just three walks through her 18.2 innings of work.

Amber Van Duyse also looked sharp in the circle for Murray State, holding opponents to a .143 average while posting a 2.47 ERA through her three appearances at the Tiger Classic.

Entering the Weekend:
The Racers enter OVC competition batting .266 with 15 home runs on the year. Scoring 4.6 runs per game, Murray State ranks just outside the top third of Division I programs across the country in scoring, as they prepare to take on their conference opponents in the weeks ahead.

Individually, Brenna Finck leads the Racers at the plate, cruising into the weekend with a .341 average and a team-high 18 runs in 2019. Lillie Goetz is also turning in quality numbers for the Racers, leading the team in RBIs (21) extra-base hits (10) and slugging percentage (.563) while hitting .338 at the dish on the year. Finally, Madison Culver and Lexi Jones have both launched four home runs in 2019 to lead a Racer team that has turned in a .385 slugging percentage through non-conference competition thus far.

In the circle, the Racers also rank just outside the top third of NCAA Division I programs with a 1.8 K/BB ratio over their 168.2 innings in 2019. Playing a major part in that statistic is Hannah James, who leads the Racers with six wins on the season. She carries a 3.36 ERA with 59 strikeouts and just 18 walks through her 81.1 innings of work on the year.

Scouting Eastern Illinois:
The Panthers enter OVC competition coming off wins against Buffalo and Seton Hall in a pair of games in Clearwater, Florida on Friday. At 9-19 on the year, Eastern Illinois has seen their share of struggles, but appear to be finding a rhythm after going .500 over their last 10 opportunities.

Batting .251 as a team, the Panthers are producing 3.96 runs per contest through their 28 games in 2019. While EIU does not necessarily stand out in any particular statistical category, they have been guided by a few impressive individuals through their non-conference schedule to begin the season. Breya Cooper spearheads the Panther offense with a .324 average, scoring 16 runs and recording 15 RBIs on the year. Eastern Illinois has also seen great production from Mia Davis, whose .303 average and team-high 19 RBIs have played a significant role in Panther victories this season.

In the circle, Eastern Illinois carries a 4.23 ERA while issuing 95 walks and recording 86 strikeouts through their 180.1 innings on the season. They surrender an average of 4.93 runs per contest, while opposing hitters have managed a .279 average against Panther arms in 2019.

Murray State could expect to see McKenna Coffman in the circle for EIU this weekend, who carries a 2.70 ERA to lead a side that has utilized three pitchers to tackle the bulk of their innings in 2019.

All-Time Series:
The Racers and Panthers have met 29 times in their history, with Eastern Illinois entering Saturday as winners of 19 of those prior encounters. 2018 saw the Racers drop a pair of 5-4 contests during their most recent confrontation - a home doubleheader at Racer Field in Murray, Kentucky.

Weather Forecast:
The weather forecast in Charleston is calling for a mostly sunny afternoon with a high of 51 degrees. Winds are expected out of the east at 5-10 miles per hour. Chance of rain: 10%

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Players Mentioned

Madison Culver

Brenna Finck

Sierra Gilmore

Lillie Goetz

Hannah James

Lexi Jones

Amber Van Duyse

Murray State University Athletics