Racers Complete Dream Season - Win MVC Tournament Championship

Saturday, May 24

Normal, Ill.

6 p.m.

Murray State

39-13

Missouri State

30-25

Missouri State

Murray State

Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics

Racers Complete Dream Season - Win MVC Tournament Championship

5/24/2025 11:36:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score MVC Tournament Central MVC Championship Game Box Photo Gallery

The Racers’ advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003

The Murray State Racers won the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Championship Saturday with a 0-0 win over the Missouri State Bears at Duffy Bass Field in Normal, Illinois.

The win gives the Racers their first tournament title as members of The Valley on the heels of winning their first MVC regular season title last week. MSU advanced to the NCAA Baseball Tournament next week. The appearance in the NCAAs marks the Racers fourth all-time following trips in 1975, 1979 and 2003.

The Racers (39-13) won four-straight games in the MVC Tournament with wins over Belmont, Southern Illinois, UIC and Missouri State.

Isaac Silva posted his seventh win of the season on short rest with five innings on the mound in which he gave only two runs on four hits to give the MSU offense to grab the lead.

Dustin Mercer, who was named the Tournament MVP, brought home the first Racer run in the first inning with a triple and cleared a bases loaded situation for three more runs in the second inning and a 4-0 lead. MSU got a pair of solo home runs from Will Vierling, his 10^th, in the third and the sixth homer of the season from Connor Cunningham, in the fourth. Mercer was at it again in the sixth with his fifth run driven home on the day when the Racers took a 10-4 lead,

When Cunningham caught the final out, a pop up by Missouri State's Taeg Gollert, the Racers' 22-year drought in participating in the NCAA Tournament was over as the team rushed the field for an emotional post-game celebration.

Game Notes

The Racers scored in each the first four innings of the game.
MSU scored five runs in the first three innings today and for the four games of the tournament, scored 18 runs in the first three innings.
Dustin Mercer was named the Tournament MVP with a big game against the Bears of 4-for-5 at the plate with a double and a triple with five RBI.
In the four games of the MVC Tournament, Mercer hit .500 (9-for-18) with three extra base hits and seven RBI.
Dan Tauken (OF), Jonathan Hogart (OF) and Jacob Hustedde (RHP) were also named to the All-Tournament Team.
Dom Decker pushed his streak of reaching base to 34 games with a pair of walks.
Decker leads the MVC in on base percentage at .510, 23^rd in NCAA D-I.
As a team, the Racers batted .315, while opponents hit .272.
MSU out-homered the opponent 7-4 and had an edge in runs 40-26.
The Racers have 39 wins, second-most for a single season in program history, as the Racers are chasing the 40 wins that the team from 1975 had as the most in program history.
The Racers are 6-4 in the MVC Tournament in their third appearance in the event.
The Racers were the No. 2 seed in 2024 and the No. 6 seed in their first season in the MVC in 2023.
MSU freshman, Brady Grabowski, was honored at the winner of the Elite 18 Academic Award at the MVC Baseball Tournament.

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.

2025 MVC BASEBALL ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Dustin Mercer, Murray State – Tournament MVP
Dan Tauken, Murray State
Jonathan Hogart, Murray State
Jacob Hustedde, Murray State
Noah Smith, Illinois State
Mike Sprockett, Belmont
Landon Godsey, Belmont
Lucas Smith, UIC
Luke Nowak, UIC
Caden Bogenpohl, Missouri State
Jason Schaaf, Missouri State
Curry Sutherland, Missouri State

2025 MVC Baseball Championship (All Times Central)
Schedule for Tuesday (May 20)
Game 1: No. 5 Illinois State def. No. 8 Indiana State 14-4 (8 inn.)

Schedule for Wednesday (May 21)
Game 2: No. 6 Belmont def. No. 7 Bradley 11-7
Game 3: No. 4 UIC def. No. 3 Southern Illinois 19-17
Game 4: No. 1 Murray State def. No. 6 Belmont 15-14 (11 inn.)

Schedule for Thursday (May 22)
Game 5: No. 2 Missouri State def. No. 5 Illinois State 7-2
Game 6: No. 6 Belmont def. No. 5 Illinois State 7-3
Game 7: No. 1 Murray State def. No. 3 Southern Illinois 10-5

Schedule for Friday (May 23)
Game 8: No. 4 UIC def. No. 2 Missouri State 11-5
Game 9: No. 2 Missouri State def. No. 6 Belmont 20-10 (7 inn.)
Game 10: No. 1 Murray State def. No. 4 UIC 5-2

Schedule for Saturday (May 24)
Game 11: No. 2 Missouri State def. No. 4 UIC 4-1
Game 12: No. 1 Murray State def. No. 2 Missouri State 10-5