Racers Hit The Road For Conference Series In Carbondale

Date (Time): Apr. 12-14 (6 p.m. CT, 2 p.m. CT, 1 p.m. CT)
Site (Venue): Carbondale, Ill. (Itchy Jones Stadium)
Opponent: Southern Illinois Salukis
TV: N/A
Live Stats/Radio: GoRacers.com
All-Time Record vs. SIU: 24-53

The Racers are slated for a three-game series with the Southern Illinois Salukis on April 12-14 at Itchy Jones Stadium in Carbondale, Illinois.

The Racers are 24-53 all-time against the Salukis since their first meeting during the 1974 season. Murray State is 8-30 in games played in Carbondale and are 4-6 in its last 10 matchups with SIU. In 2023, the Racers won the series in Murray 2-1 in their first MVC matchup.

Scouting Report
The Salukis enter the weekend with a 19-14 record this season under SIU skipper Lance Rhodes, having dropped their last four matchups in a midweek against Southeast Missouri State and getting swept at UIC. Rhodes is in his fifth season with Southern Illinois, totaling a 145-83 career record during his tenure. Prior to the 2024 season, Rhodes amassed 114 wins with two 40-win seasons and a 30-win season in 2023.

Steven Loden and Hesston Gray have been the two main run producers for the Salukis, with both players tied for the team lead with eight home runs and the only two players on Southern Illinois' roster with at least 30 RBIs this year. Mathieu Vallee (41) and Trey Cutchin (40) have totaled the most base hits on the team. Seven SIU players have recorded at least 30 base hits on the year thus far.

SIU's pitching staff is led by Aidan Foeller, Alec Nigut and Ben Riffe. Foeller leads the team with 57 punch outs through 35 2/3 innings and holds a 2-2 record in eight starts. Nigut has recorded a team-best 4-1 record through seven starts in nine appearances. Riffe currently holds a 1.88 ERA allowing just three earned runs through 14 1/3 innings in 14 relief appearances.

Weekly Notes
Graduate Jacob Pennington is just five strikeouts away from tying the third-most career strikeouts in program history. Carson Garner is tied for the most home runs in the conference with 12 and sits among the top three in the MVC in slugging percentage (.712), on-base percentage (.503) and OPS (1.215). The junior also leads the league with 33 walks and has the sixth-most RBIs with 35.

Garner's 12 home runs are tied for the 23rd-most in a season in the history of the Murray State baseball program.

MSU holds steady among the top 60 in Division I RPI, coming in at 58th entering the weekend. They are among four MVC schools in the top 100 and one of two in the top 60. The Racers enter the series among the top 75 nationally in base hits (318), home runs (51), runs scored (245), slugging percentage (.489), strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.45:1), WHIP (1.47) and walks allowed per nine innings (3.56).

For more information on the Murray State baseball program, visit GoRacers.com or @RacersBaseball on Instagram and X.

Racers Hit The Road For Conference Series In Carbondale

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Players Mentioned

Carson Garner

Jacob Pennington

Murray State University Athletics