Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Evansville
Racers Head to Evansville for Regular Season Finale
5/13/2026 2:25:00 PM | Baseball
MURRAY, Ky. – Murray State Baseball is set to close out the regular season with a series at Evansville. The Racers currently sit third in the Missouri Valley Conference, one game behind UIC and Indiana State, both of which are tied for first in the Valley.
Despite a 2-6 start to the month of May, the Racers have won two straight as they head into the final series of the 2026 campaign.
"We just need everybody on the same page and competing," head coach Dan Skirka said. "That's when we're good, nobody's trying to do too much. Just kind of bought in and attacking as a group".
MSU sits at 29-24 overall, needing one win to make the 2026 season the sixth consecutive year with at least 30 wins. The Racers are the only program in the state of Kentucky to have won at least 30 the previous five seasons and one of 32 in the nation.
Murray State is one of two teams in the Missouri Valley to have five players with at least 30 RBI, alongside Indiana State. The Racers are led by Luke Mistone, second in the MVC with 51 RBI, and Kainen Jorge with 40.
UE has also secured a spot in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament with a 12-9 record in conference action this season.
Murray State and Evansville have an extensive history, with the Aces leading the all-time series 45-26, including a 26-10 advantage when playing in Evansville.
The Aces' lineup is headlined by junior outfielder Reid Haire, who leads their roster with 30 RBI to go along with eight homers on the year. Evansville's pitching staff is led by right-hander Max Hansmann, whose 3.38 ERA places him third in the MVC while his 77 strikeouts rank second in the conference.
The Racers will put out a rotation of Nic Schutte on Thursday, Jacob Hustedde on Friday, and Drew Deremer on Sunday.
MSU and UE will face off Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with games slated for 6 p.m., 6 p.m. and 1 p.m. across the series. All games will be available to stream on ESPN+.
