Racer Baseball Success to be Built on Depth in 2021

2/19/2021 5:14:00 PM | Baseball

Murray State opens the season in Nashville, Tennessee against Lipscomb on February 21 and 22.

The Racers are back after their season came to an unexpected end on March due the global pandemic.

It has been just under a year since their last competition when Murray State finished the 2020 season with a 10-7 overall record which included a 7-0 record at Reagan Field.

"With the way things ended last year, we're ready to get going. We can't wait to get out and play somebody else," said Head Coach Dan Skirka.

Head coach Dan Skirka and his coaching staff enter their 3rd season with the program and will use depth and experience to lead the team into the 2021 season. The Racers return 23 players and bring in 15 newcomers, seven freshman and eight juco transfers.

Due to the COVID-19 NCAA eligibility rules, the Racers were able to return all of their position player starters from the previous year, most notably 2020 Collegiate Baseball News Third-Team All-American redshirt senior Jordan Cozart and fellow 2021 Preseason All-OVC pick, senior Brock Anderson, who slugged eight home runs and 23 RBIs in 2020.

Joining Anderson in the outfield is five-year starter Ryan Perkins and graduate Jake Slunder. Perkins has been a fixture in a Racers uniform, playing in 183 games in his career while Slunder led the Racers on the base paths, swiping five bags a season ago.

"Anytime those guys can come back and you don't lose them to graduation, you feel pretty good about it. Having those guys, captains to come back is huge," said Skirka.

In the dirt, the Racers return every infielder. Bryson Bloomer has solidified his place at the hot corner, hitting a team-high .429 batting average.

Bringing the most depth are middle infielders graduate Jordan Holly and Jordan Cozart. Holly hit .353 and tallied 10 RBIs in 2020. Cozart was named a 2021 Collegiate Baseball News Preseason Third-Team All-American, hitting .417 with five home runs and 19 RBIs.

On the first base side, Trey Woosley and Wes Schad give the Racers great opportunities as power hitters at the plate.

Offensively, Murray State finished first in the OVC in home runs, home runs per game, runs, runs per game, RBIs, slugging percentage and total bases.

Moving into the 2021 season, Murray State will have many familiar faces appearing for them on the mound. Sophomore preseason All-OVC selection Shane Burns and graduate Sam Gardner will use their knowledge and confidence on the mound to lead the charge.

Gardner posted a 1.47 ERA in four starts spanning 18.1 innings while Burns led the Racers with 24 strikeouts and a 2.60 ERA in 17.1 innings during the shortened 2020 season.

A significant loss for the Racers was right-handed pitcher, Trevor McMurray. McMurray went 3-0 with a 0.35 ERA over 25.2 innings pitched and 23 strikeouts. Not only did McMurray contribute on the field but also was a leader off it.

"You don't replace Trevor McMurray but he influenced a lot of guys, leading them in the right direction. We have guys who I think will step up and we're going to need them to, to replace a guy like Trevor," said Skirka.

Additionally, Murray State will look to hand the ball to experienced relievers Jake Jones, Alec Whaley and Connor Holden.

"It's always nice to have some pieces that had success come back and to build on that," said Skirka. "I'm excited to see those guys hopefully do the same but also take a step forward."

One of the tasks facing the Racers is the difficult non-conference schedule and the new format for OVC games, a double header and a single game over a two-day period. Murray State will face tough competition, including Arkansas and Louisville who both advanced to the College World Series in 2019.

"It's going to be a challenging schedule but our guys are excited tee it up and get going."

The Racers open the 2021 season in Nashville, Tennessee against Lipscomb with a doubleheader on Sunday, February 21^st and will play a single game versus the Bison the following day. The first pitch is slated for noon on Sunday.