Thursday, May 15
Johnny Reagan Field
4 p.m.
Murray State
35-13, 17-8
16
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5
Missouri State
27-23, 17-8
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Missouri State
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Murray State
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Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics
Racers Move into MVC 1st Place Share – Skirka Wins #200
5/15/2025 9:58:00 PM | Baseball
The Racers and Missouri State Bears dodged rain drops in game one of their series Thursday in Murray
The Murray State Racers had a 10-run third inning on their way to a 16-5 victory Thursday over the Missouri State Bears in the opening game of their Missouri Valley Conference series that decides the regular season championship at Johnny Reagan Field in Murray, Kentucky.
The game also marked the 200th career win for Murray State Head Coach Dan Skirka, who took a moment post-game to reflect on his hiring seven seasons ago by MSU Athletics Director Allen Ward.
"I actually texted Allen today and thanked him for taking a chance in hiring a junior college assistant, that was a bold move," Skirka said. "And here we are this weekend at Johnny Reagan Field competing for a championship. Kudos to Allen and I've told him how much I appreciate the opportunity that was given to me. But it's the players that make it happen, it's the guys who put on the Murray State uniform. I love these guys and this university."
Dan Hogart and Carson Garner each cracked their 14th home runs of the season as the Racers put 16 runs on the board in the first three innings, which included 10 runs in the third inning. MSU had 16 hits by five different players and seven Racers were able to score a run in the shortened game of seven innings.
Game two of the series is played at noon on Friday at JRF and the Racers (35-13) can clinch at least a share of the MVC title with a win when Isaac Silva takes to the mound. The Racers and Bears are each 17-8 in the MVC.
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.
Game Notes
The game also marked the 200th career win for Murray State Head Coach Dan Skirka, who took a moment post-game to reflect on his hiring seven seasons ago by MSU Athletics Director Allen Ward.
"I actually texted Allen today and thanked him for taking a chance in hiring a junior college assistant, that was a bold move," Skirka said. "And here we are this weekend at Johnny Reagan Field competing for a championship. Kudos to Allen and I've told him how much I appreciate the opportunity that was given to me. But it's the players that make it happen, it's the guys who put on the Murray State uniform. I love these guys and this university."
Dan Hogart and Carson Garner each cracked their 14th home runs of the season as the Racers put 16 runs on the board in the first three innings, which included 10 runs in the third inning. MSU had 16 hits by five different players and seven Racers were able to score a run in the shortened game of seven innings.
Game two of the series is played at noon on Friday at JRF and the Racers (35-13) can clinch at least a share of the MVC title with a win when Isaac Silva takes to the mound. The Racers and Bears are each 17-8 in the MVC.
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.
Game Notes
- Saturday's first pitch will be thrown by Murray State BOR member Dr. Robbie Fitch.
- The series lead is in favor of the Bears 9-6, but this marks the first time in the Racers/Bears history that one team has won back-to-back games as the Racers won the last meeting May 4, 2024.
- The Racers lead the Bears 5-4 in all-time MVC games.
- With the lead of the MVC now shared with two games to play, one team will come away from the weekend as the No. 1 seed at next week's MVC Tournament in Normal, Illinois (May 20-24).
- Garner's six RBI is his season-high for the Racers with the fourth instance this season for the Racers.
- Dan Tauken has two games of six RBI this season, vs Evansville and Kentucky State and Brady Grabowski also had six RBI vs KSU.
- Garner (44 career HR, third all-time at MSU) and Hogart (28 Career HR) are tied for the Racers' team lead each with 14 homers.
- Hogart's shot to dead center field in the first inning travel 410 feet and had an exit velocity of 108MPH.
- Dom Decker extended his on-base streak to 31 with a walk and he was hit by a pitch twice today.
- The Racers had an 11-run fifth inning against Kentucky State at home (April 9).
- Dan Skirka becomes the fourth coach in MSU history to reach 200 wins, following legendary Johnny Reagan who coached the program to 776 wins from 1958 to 1993 and also Rob McDonald (2004-14, 247 wins) and Mike Thieke (1994-03, 231 wins).
- Skirka's mark in his seventh season stands at 200-148 (.574) and 48-31 (.607) in three MVC games.
- During this program-first run of 5-straight 30-win seasons, Skirka's teams at Murray State are averaging 33.2 wins per season.
- Another win gives the Racers their MVC regular season with eight straight series wins.
- It would also make MSU 16-6 at home this season for a winning percentage of .727, the best in Reagan Field II history of seasons when 10 or more games were played.
- The 2025 season is the 35th for Reagan Field II, after it was moved from the first location on Chestnut Street that cuts through the MSU campus.
- Reagan Field II was dedicated April 15, 1989.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Schutte, Nic (7-3)
L: Schaaf,Jason (4-2)
Batting:
2B: Gollert,Taeg 1
3B: Fyffe,Logan 1
HR: McCutcheon,Jake 1
RBI: McCutcheon,Jake 2 ; Gollert,Taeg 1 ; Fyffe,Logan 1 ; Zareh,William 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rodriguez,Nick 2 ; McCutcheon,Jake 1 ; Kragel,Brant 1 ; Fyffe,Logan 1
CS: Bogenpohl,Caden 1
Batting:
2B: Garner, Carson 2 ; Tauken, Dan 2
3B: Cunningham, Conner 1
HR: Hogart, Jonathan 1 ; Garner, Carson 1
RBI: Hogart, Jonathan 2 ; Garner, Carson 6 ; Decker, Dom 1 ; Mistone, Luke 1 ; Vierling, Will 1 ; Jury, Charlie 1 ; Tauken, Dan 3 ; Cunningham, Conner 1
SF: Garner, Carson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hogart, Jonathan 3 ; Mercer, Dustin 4 ; Garner, Carson 3 ; Decker, Dom 2 ; Mistone, Luke 1 ; Tauken, Dan 1 ; Cunningham, Conner 2
HBP: Hogart, Jonathan 1 ; Mercer, Dustin 1 ; Decker, Dom 2 ; Jury, Charlie 1 ; Cunningham, Conner 2
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
3
H
3
RBI
6
AB
5
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
4
R
3
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
3
Players Mentioned
INF
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