Racers To Make 2019 Home Debut at Racer Classic

Dates: March 10-11
Site (Venue): Murray, Kentucky (Racer Field)
TV/Web Stream: N/A
Live Stats: Game 1 vs Northern Iowa: https://bit.ly/2tQseCG (The rest of the weekend's live stat links can be found on the schedule page at goracers.com)
Tournament Home Page: https://bit.ly/2SKRILY
MSU Record (Streak): 6-10 (Lost 1)
Racers All-Time vs. The Field: 6-3 (5-2 vs. Samford, 1-1 vs. Purdue Fort Wayne)
Northern Iowa Record (Streak): 7-7 (Lost 2)
Purdue Fort Wayne Record (Streak): 4-8 (Lost 3)
Samford Record (Streak): 7-15 (Won 1)
MSU Next Games: Memphis Tournament (March 15-17)
MSU Next Home: March 27 vs. Memphis

The Racers will make their 2019 home debut on Sunday as hosts of the Racer Classic. To avoid rain that is expected on Friday and Saturday, the tournament has been moved entirely to Sunday and Monday, with the Racers competing in four games over the two days. Murray State is set to face Northern Iowa, Purdue Fort Wayne, and the Bulldogs of Samford University in this year's tournament action.

Last Time Out:
The Racers took two of three last weekend at the Coach B Classic in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The tournament began with a win against Southern Illinois, who lost their home field advantage when games were relocated to avoid inclement weather conditions in Carbondale. The 5-3 victory featured three Racer home runs, while the Salukis were held to just five hits in the game.

Day two of the tournament saw the Racers split a pair of outings, beginning with a 13-12 victory over Saint Louis. Behind 17 Racer hits, Murray State was able to pull off the thrilling comeback in extra innings after falling behind 9-2 early in the competition.

To conclude the tournament, the second game on Saturday would be a meeting with #17 Kentucky. While the Racers fell to the Wildcats 14-4, they strung together eight hits in a game that was closer than the final score indicated. The Racers were within three runs through six innings, before Kentucky assembled seven runs in the final frame to close the ballgame.

Going 2-1 at the Coach B Classic, the Racers had a productive showing at the plate, batting .326 on the weekend. Averaging 7.3 runs per contest, their nine extra-base hits included four home runs to round out an admirable weekend offensively.

Lillie Goetz led the Racers with a .500 weekend average, five RBIs, and a pair of home runs. Lindsey Carroll also turned in a .455 average with a pair of extra-base hits, while Sierra Gilmore and Logan Braundmeier each hit .400 respectively at the Coach B Classic.

In the circle, the Racers got a solid outing from Hannah James, who did not allow an earned run through her complete game performance in the 5-3 win over Southern Illinois. Additionally, Ellison Barrett notched her first win of 2019, throwing four scoreless innings while striking out a pair in the 13-12 victory over Saint Louis.

Entering The Weekend:
The Racers enter the weekend at 6-10, while hitting .283 on the season. Their 4.94 runs per game rank in the top third of NCAA Division I programs, while they continue to be efficient on the base paths with 18 stolen bases over 21 attempts.

Brenna Finck has been a handful for opposing pitchers, batting .392 with 13 runs scored in 2019. Providing the power for the Racers, Madison Culver comes into the weekend with four home runs on the season, while Lillie Goetz has driven in a team-high 16 runs.

In the circle, Murray State is anchored by freshman Hannah James who carries a 3.05 ERA with 38 strikeouts in her 55 innings of work on the season.

Scouting Northern Iowa:
The Panthers are coming off a 1-3 showing at the OSU/UT Invitational this past weekend. The tournament featured a win against Tulsa alongside defeats from the trio of Illinois, McNeese State, and Oklahoma State. Northern Iowa, who competes as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference, will meet Murray State for first time in school history on Sunday at the Racer Classic.

Leading the Panthers offensively is Sammey Bunch, who enters the weekend batting .400 with four long balls, while scoring a team-high 19 runs. Her .875 slugging percentage and seven stolen bases have fueled a Panther offense that is hitting .283 in 2019.

Four Northern Iowa pitchers have combined to carry the workload in the circle, with Brooke Craig posting a 4.30 ERA through her 27.2 innings pitched thus far. The Panthers have a team ERA of 4.32, while opposing hitters have batted .308 against them on the year.

Scouting Purdue Fort Wayne:
The Mastodons of Purdue Fort Wayne enter the Racer Classic on a three game skid after two losses at the ASU Invitational in Montgomery, Alabama over the weekend. They managed just a single run in each of their losses, dropping a 3-1 duel with Southeastern Louisiana, before falling to Eastern Kentucky 11-1. A member of the Summit League, the Mastodons will face the Racers for the third time in school history, with the all-time series split at two games apiece. The last meeting was on March 10, 2014 where the Racers fell 4-0 at the Aces Invitational in Evansville, Indiana.

Morganne Denny has put up quality numbers in 2019, turning in a .361 average with a team-high nine RBIs. The Mastodons enter the tournament batting .268 as a team, while averaging 3.08 runs per game.

Pitching for Purdue Fort Wayne, Lauren McConnell has seen the largest workload to this point in 2019. Her 2.85 ERA and 18 strikeouts through 34.1 innings leads the Mastodons, who have allowed a .281 average to opposing hitters in 2019.

Scouting Samford:
Samford enters the weekend after a 5-3 mid-week victory on the road against Troy. The Bulldogs, who compete as a member of the Southern Conference, have seen the Racers seven times in their history, with Murray State holding the all-time series as winners of five of the seven prior encounters. The last meeting came in 2017, where the Racers came out on top in extra-innings with a 3-2 victory at the Samford/UAB Classic in Birmingham, Alabama.

Heading into the mid-week matchup with Troy, Madison Couch led the Samford offense with a .317 average through 21 games in 2019. Also leading the team in on-base percentage, RBIs, slugging percentage, and home runs, she is a valuable asset to a Bulldog lineup that is hitting just .209 on the year.

In the circle for Samford, Taylor DeCelles has worked a team-high 41.1 innings and carries a 5.59 ERA entering the Racer Classic. The Bulldogs come in with a 5.03 team ERA, while opposing hitters have managed a .297 average against Samford pitching before the mid-week contest with Troy.

Weather Forecast:
Both days should bring mild conditions with a high of 57 on Sunday afternoon. Clouds will cover the sky for most of the action, but no rain is expected. A high of 54 degrees on Monday will be the high temperature for day two of the Racer Classic, with winds blowing to the north at around 10 mph.

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Players Mentioned

Ellison Barrett

Logan Braundmeier

Lindsey Carroll

Madison Culver

Brenna Finck

Sierra Gilmore

Lillie Goetz

Hannah James

Murray State University Athletics