Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
University of North Texas
Racers Head South to The Snowman - Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament
2/12/2026 11:43:00 AM | Softball
Murray State to face North Texas, Rutgers, and Mississippi State in Starkville.
Dates (Times): Friday, Feb. 13 (10 a.m. / 12:30 p.m. CT); Saturday, Feb. 14 (10 a.m. / 5:30 p.m. CT); Sunday, Feb. 15 (10 a.m. CT)
Opponents: North Texas Mean Green, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Mississippi State Bulldogs
Locations (Venues): Starkville, Miss. (Nusz Park)
Streaming: SEC Network+ (Mississippi State game only)
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
Murray State softball (3-2) continues its 2026 non-conference schedule this weekend in Starkville, Mississippi, at The Snowman: Alex Wilcox Memorial Tournament at Nusz Park.
The Racers will open the weekend at 10 a.m. CT against North Texas before facing Mississippi State at 12:30 p.m. on Friday. They play another two on Saturday at 10 a.m. against Rutgers and 5:30 p.m. against North Texas before wrapping up the weekend on Sunday at 10 a.m. against Rutgers.
Murray State is coming off an opening weekend at the Alabama State University Stinger Classic that saw the team pick up three wins across five games, beating Nicholls, Southern Indiana and Alabama State. Raylee Roby earned the season-opening win in the circle against Nicholls for the Navy & Gold, pitching five scoreless innings. The Owensboro, Kentucky, native picked up three strikeouts across 16 batters faced. Karlye Graber pitched two innings as the starter, allowing two earned runs and striking out four.
Adison Hicks led the way at the plate in her return, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk. Kynadee Warner went 2-for-4 with a run scored in her Murray State debut. The win handed head coach Kara Amundson her 350th career win. In the loss to Northern Kentucky, Kenley Minor provided the lone run and went 2-for-3 on the day with an RBI. Ava Ozment provided the lone RBI in the loss to Lindenwood, while Courtney Sandy also scored a run.
On the final day of the tournament, the Racers picked up two wins with several strong performers. In the win over Southern Indiana, Bailey Broemmer went 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of runs scored. Katy Huels went 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI, while Minor and Warner each had one hit. Graber (1-1) earned the win in relief, pitching 3 2/3 innings and allowing just one earned run. Emily Siurek received the start in the circle and pitched 3 1/3 innings, striking out five, allowing two earned runs and walking two.
Against Alabama State, freshman Allie Waldron exploded, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, four RBIs and three runs scored. Warner went 3-for-3 with an RBI, Broemmer went 2-for-2 and drew one walk, and Ozment went 2-for-3 with an RBI as well. Hailey Brereton started in the circle and picked up her first career win after pitching five innings and striking out two while allowing a pair of earned runs. Roby pitched two scoreless innings, struck out one and walked one.
Scouting the Mean Green
North Texas is currently 1-4 after opening weekend, coming off a 2025 season that saw the team go 36-21 and 16-11 in the American Athletic Conference. The Mean Green opened their season at the Twisted Vines Bayou Bash in Lake Charles, Louisiana, with a pair of losses to Texas Tech and McNeese before getting their first win over Louisiana-Monroe. They also picked up a pair of losses to Jacksonville State and Louisiana-Lafayette. Cody White is in his first season at the helm of the Mean Green after 12 years at Central Oklahoma, where he amassed a career record of 498-171 and made two trips to the Division II Women's College World Series. This season marks the first meeting between the Racers and Mean Green.
Scouting the Scarlet Knights
Rutgers is currently 3-2 after opening its season at the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic, picking up wins over North Carolina Central, South Alabama and Notre Dame, but falling to Tennessee and Southeastern Louisiana. Last season, the Scarlet Knights finished with a record of 20-36 and a 3-19 mark in Big Ten play. Head coach Kristen Butler enters her eighth season at Rutgers in 2026 with a 160-191 record and a 261-311 record as a head coach, having spent four years at Toledo prior to accepting the Rutgers job. The Racers and Scarlet Knights have never faced off prior to this season.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Sitting at 5-0 on the season and ranked No. 21 in the nation, the Mississippi State Bulldogs are coming off a successful opening weekend at the Getterman Classic. The Bulldogs picked up wins over Baylor, Northwestern State, Wichita State and New Mexico at the tournament before returning home to defeat Southern Miss on Tuesday. In 2025, the Bulldogs finished the year 39-19 with a 13-11 mark in SEC play. After being eliminated by LSU in the SEC Tournament, the Bulldogs fell in the Lubbock Regional to No. 10 Texas Tech. Samantha Ricketts has spent 12 years at Mississippi State and has been the head coach since 2019. In her six years at the helm, the Bulldogs have amassed a 198-119 record. The Racers trail in the all-time series 1-3, with the last Murray State win coming in 2023 by a score of 4-1.
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 Murray State Softball on Twitter and Instagram (@RacersSoftball).
