Racers Set For Two-Game Series With UT Martin

Date (Time): Apr. 30-May 1 (5 p.m. CT, 3 p.m. CT)
Site (Venue): Martin, Tenn. (Skyhawk Baseball Field), Murray, Ky, (Reagan Field)
Opponent: UT Martin Skyhawks
TV: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
All-Time Record vs. UT Martin: 81-37

The Racers travel to Martin, Tennessee to start off a two-game midweek series with the UT Martin Skyhawks at 5 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 30 at the Skyhawk Baseball Field. After Tuesday's game, Murray State and UT Martin close out the midweek series on Wednesday, May 1 at 3 p.m. CT at Reagan Field in Murray, Kentucky.

Tuesday's game will be the 119th time the two programs face off on the diamond, with the Racers leading the all-time series at an 81-37 record. The Skyhawks have taken the last two games but Murray State were winners of eight-straight prior.

Scouting Report
The Skyhawks enter the midweek series with an 18-25 record under head coach Ryan Jenkins, who is in his seventh season leading UT Martin's baseball program. He holds a career record of 111-204 since his first head coaching season in 2018. Since then he has only totaled two 20-win seasons, most recently in 2023 when he led his team to a 22-34 record.

Andrew Fernandez leads UT Martin with a .319 batting average and 17 of his 52 hits have gone for extra bases; 10 doubles, two triples and five home runs. Mac Danford has proven to be one of the Skyhawks' lead power hitters, leading his team with 11 homers, 45 RBIs and a .576 slugging percentage.

Zac Rice (13-15) and Jalen Fithian (11-14) have been UT Martin's two most effective baserunners, having combined for 24 of the team's 40 stolen bases this season.

Tristan Walton is one of the Skyhawks' main starting arms with starts in all 11 appearances in 2024. He leads the team with 71 strikeouts through 65 2/3 innings with a team-best five wins on the mound while holding a 3.02 ERA. Along with Walton, Eric Steensma, Jeb Bartle and Tucker Reed are the only players on UT Martin's roster to have recorded at least 30 strikeouts thus far this year.

Weekly Notes
The Racers went 3-1 last week securing their first conference series win at home this season. With their midweek win on Tuesday over Bellarmine, Murray State is now 4-2 in midweek games played at home.

After Drew Vogel and Taylor Howell blasted their 14th home runs of the year, the Racers are one of five schools in Division I to have at least three players hit 14 home runs or more. Murray State's six home runs as a team against Illinois State on Sunday was the sixth time the Racers hit at least six homers in a single game and the first time they have reached the feat since the 2022 season.

With Vogel now at six home runs in conference play, he is tied for seventh in Missouri Valley games. Vogel and Garner are also tied for the third-most stolen bases at seven apiece in conference play. Dan Tauken, along with Vogel and Garner, sit amongst the top 10 in the MVC in overall slugging percentage for the season.

Jonathan Hogart currently leads The Valley in runs scored (50) while Dustin Mercer (45) and Vogel (45) also sit amongst the top five. After Nathan Holler earned his fifth and sixth save of the season last week, he is among the top three in the MVC and among the top 40 in Division I in saves, as well as moving into a tie for the sixth-most single-season saves in Murray State history.

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

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Players Mentioned

Jonathan Hogart

Nathan Holler

Taylor Howell

Dustin Mercer

Dan Tauken

Drew Vogel

Murray State University Athletics