Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Eastern Kentucky
Racers Welcome EKU to Reagan Field
4/25/2019 4:39:00 PM | Baseball
Eastern Kentucky at Murray State
GAMES 38-40
April 26-28
First Pitch: Friday: 5:30 p.m., Saturday: 2 p.m., Sunday: 1 p.m.
Series History: EKU leads 66-60
Last Meeting: EKU 13, MSU 6 - May 23, 2018
Stadium: Reagan Field (Capacity: 500)
Dimensions: 330 (LF), 400 (CF), 330 (RF)
In-Game Twitter: @RacersBaseball
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First Pitch
The Racers are looking to get back in the win column after dropping three games to Belmont over the weekend. Eastern Kentucky lost two of three to Jacksonville State last weekend before falling to Cincinnati in a midweek matchup.
Inside the Series
The Racers and Colonels have met 126 times on the diamond before, most recently in the OVC Tournament last season, where EKU won 13-6. In Murray, Eastern Kentucky holds a 29-23 advantage.
Perkins Perks Up
Junior Ryan Perkins raised his batting average nearly 30 points to .298 last week after going 8-16. He also hit for power with three home runs, including a two home run performance against Belmont, Thursday.
Johnny Reagan Day
Saturday will be Johnny Reagan Day as the baseball program will honor the late former head coach with his number forever gracing the left field wall. The team will also be referred to as the Thoroughbreds, the nickname they were known as during Reagan's tenure.
McMurray Goes the Distance
Trevor McMurray pitched his best game as a Racer against Tennessee Tech. The junior threw a complete game, matching a career high with seven strikeouts. It was the first complete game for MSU since Brad Boegel against Eastern Illinois.Â
Schad's Strong Series
Redshirt-freshman Wes Schad had himself a weekend against Tennessee Tech, hitting three home runs including the go-ahead two-run shot in game three. Schad became the first Racer to hit three home runs in a series since Davis Sims hit four and Brandon Gutzler hit three against Morehead State in 2017.
Running Wild
Under a new coaching staff, the Racers have been showing their speed on the basepaths as they have stolen 72 bases. They are currently second in the OVC behind EKU, who has 87. The Racers also have the second-best stolen base success rate at 80.9%.
Two Straight for Ivey
Joe Ivey got the start on the mound for the Racers against Middle Tennessee. He also started MSU's last game six days ago at Austin Peay, meaning he will become the first Racer pitcher to start back-to-back games since John Lollar made two straight starts against Tennessee Tech and Arkansas State in 2016.
Duke Delivers
Not once but twice did Tyler Duke send the Racers home winners over the weekend against JSU. He began the series with a two-out bases-loaded walk-off single to win 8-7 before ending the weekend with a walk-off triple to win 9-8. Sean Darmafall also scored the winning run in both games.
Anderson Stays Hot
Brock Anderson extended his hitting streak to 10 games against Missouri. He was the first player for the Racers this season to reach a double-digit hitting streak and has since been joined by Tyler Duke, Ryan Perkins, and Jordan Cozart.
No Runs for You
Against Austin Peay, the Racers allowed just five runs in the three-game series. It was the lowest amount of runs the Racers have allowed in a three-game OVC series since allowing five runs against UT Martin in 1996.
Battle of the Border
With two wins against Austin Peay, the Racers now hold a 28-11 lead in the Heritage Bank Battle of the Border. The first team to 34 points will clinch the title. Murray State has won the first two years of the battle.
Anderson Plays Hero
Brock Anderson propelled the Racers to a 5-4 victory over Illinois State with a two-run walk-off double. It was the first walk-off for the Racers since Ramsey Scott had walk offs in two straight games against SIU Edwardsville on March 9th and 10th, 2018.
Triple Play
In the eighth inning against Miami (OH) in the final game of the series, the Racers pulled off one of the rarest plays in baseball, the triple play. A grounder right down the third-base line allowed MSU to go around the horn to get out of the jam. It was the third triple play in Racer history, previously done on March 8, 2006 at Ole Miss and March 16, 2016 vs. Kentucky State.
New Faces
In addition to a new coaching staff, the Racers will add 13 new players to the 2019 team.
Fresh Lineup
There will be significant changes to the Racer lineup as they will have to replace seven starters. Senior shortstop Jaron Robinson and junior outfielder/first baseman Ryan Perkins are the only returning starters.
Familiar Rotation
Unlike the lineup, the Racers will return a majority of their pitching staff, including their top nine pitchers in innings pitched in 2018, led by junior Trevor McMurray
Tournament Trip
MSU is looking to make their third straight trip to the OVC Tournament this season. The Racers went 1-2 down at Choccolocco Park in Oxford, Ala., defeating Eastern Illinois in the first round.'
Scouting Eastern Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky was picked sixth in the OVC preseason poll after making it to the final three of the OVC tournament a year ago. Currently, the Colonels are tied for fifth with Murray State at 10-8.
Nick Howie and Aaron Ochsenbein were both selected to the preseason All-OVC team and are both on their way to being All-OVC in 2019.
Howie leads the team with a .349 average and 11 home runs while Ochsenbein has given up just one run in 35.2 innings of work for a 0.25 ERA.
The Colonels have the rare combination of being both a speed and power team as they are currently in the top 20 nationally in home runs (50) and stolen bases (87).
Probable Starters
Logan Teague (RHP) (2-3, 6.80 ERA) vs. Trevor McMurray (RHP) (2-5, 5.51 ERA)
TBA vs. Shane Burns (LHP) (3-2, 3.60 ERA)
Brennan Kelly (LHP) (2-3, 5.33 ERA) vs. TBA
