Racers Show Offensive Punch in Win Over Valparaiso

Friday, April 18

Valparaiso, IND.

1 p.m.

Murray State

26-9, 0

Valparaiso

8-25, 0

Murray State

Valparaiso

Photo by: Jon Hendricks - Valparaiso Athletics

4/18/2025 5:30:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

MSU wins for the 26th time in the season and are 9-5 in The Valley

The Murray State Racers had a banner offensive day Friday in a 16-2 win over the Valparaiso Beacons at Emory G. Bauer Field in Valparaiso, Indiana on Friday.

Now 26-9 the Racers are 9-5 in the Missouri Valley Conference and go for the sweep Saturday in a 1 p.m. Central Time first pitch. MSU has won 11 out of their last 12 games and the last four.

MSU pounded out 13 hits for their 23^rd game of double-digit safeties and their 16 runs solidifies their lead in the MVC in both runs and hits for the 2025 season.

Freshman shortstop, Connor Cunningham, led the MSU hit parade with a pair of home runs, while Jonathan Hogart led off the game with his 12th long ball of the spring to put him into a tie for the top spot in the MVC. Dan Tauken cracked his seventh homer of the season.

The Racers scored eight runs in the first four innings and put the game away with a seven-run sixth inning.

Nic Schutte won his third game for the Racers and went seven innings, scattering seven hits with two walks and eight strikeouts as he limited the Beacons to two runs.

The Racers have won the last six games with Valparaiso.

Game Notes

The Racers lead the Beacons 12-5 in their all-time series and are 4-1 at Emory G. Bauer Field.
The pitching matchup for Saturday's game-3 is MSU's Isaac Silva RHP vs VU Spencer Boynton RHP in the 1 p.m. first pitch.
Schutte (3-3) lowered his ERA of 3.32 today.
In his last three starts, he has struck out 25 batters in 21 innings.
Jonathan Hogart homered to lead off the game for the Racers for his 12^th long ball of the season.
Hogart is now tied for the MVC lead with Jake McCutcheon (MOST) and Matt Schark (SIU) each with 12.
The last instance of a Racer leading the game off with a home runs, came in the 2017 season opener when Kipp Moore did it against Hofstra in Hammond, Louisiana.
Dom Decker has the Racers' best current hit-streak of nine games and on-base streak of 17 games.
Carson Garner drew three walks today and leads the MVC with 42 for the season.
Garner may make a run at the MSU program record of 58 by Hall of Famer Jack Perconte in 1974.
There are three other instances of 50+ walks in a season at MSU, Perconte had 52 in 1976, Ty Stetson had 53 in 2012 and Grant Wood had 50 in 2018.

Follow the Racers on Twitter (@MSURacers), Instagram (@RacersAthletics) and Facebook to stay up-to-date on all that is happening with Murray State Athletics. Follow MSU Baseball on Twitter (@MSUBaseball) and on Instagram.

Racer Baseball Announces 2025 Fall Schedule

Tuesday, September 02

Murray State Athletics Receives $1 Million from Jim and Sue Cash

Friday, August 29

Racers Honored by Fiscal Court of Calloway County

Wednesday, August 20

Murray State to Host 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Tournament Presented by Credit Union 1

Thursday, August 14

Next Event

Valparaiso

W, 5-1

Apr 19 (Sat)

1 p.m.

Box Score Recap Box Score (PDF)Watch Live stats History

Full Schedule

Team Stats

Pitching:

W: Schutte, Nic (3-3)

L: Deliyannis, Harry (3-5)

Murray State

Batting:

2B: Mercer, Dustin 1 ; Mistone, Luke 1 ; Grabowski, Brady 1 ; Cunningham, Conner 1

3B: Decker, Dom 1

HR: Hogart, Jonathan 1 ; Tauken, Dan 1 ; Cunningham, Conner 2

RBI: Hogart, Jonathan 2 ; Mistone, Luke 1 ; Decker, Dom 1 ; Tauken, Dan 5 ; Grabowski, Brady 2 ; Cunningham, Conner 3

SF: Tauken, Dan 1

Base Running:

RUNS: Hogart, Jonathan 1 ; Mercer, Dustin 1 ; Garner, Carson 1 ; Mistone, Luke 3 ; Decker, Dom 3 ; Tauken, Dan 2 ; Grabowski, Brady 2 ; Cunningham, Conner 3