For the first time since 2003, the Murray State Racers are back in the NCAA Tournament, and they’re set to take on the No. 1 seed Ole Miss Rebels in the 2025 Oxford Regional on Friday, May 30, 2025. First pitch at Swayze Field is slated for 7:00 p.m. CT, marking the Racers’ fourth-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and a chance to make history in their 86th season of collegiate baseball.
A Historic Season for the Racers
Murray State (39-13) enters the weekend on the cusp of history, just one win shy of tying the program’s single-season record of 40 victories, set back in 1975. The Racers, the No. 4 seed in the regional, have been on a tear, winning their last five games and 24 of their last 29 contests since April. They shared the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) regular-season title with Missouri State (both 17-8) and went 4-0 last week to claim the MVC Tournament crown in Normal, Ill., with wins over Belmont (15-14 in 11 innings), Southern Illinois (10-5), UIC (5-2), and Missouri State (10-5).
“This team has been relentless,” head coach Dan Skirka said ahead of Friday’s matchup. “We’ve played our best baseball down the stretch, and now we’ve got a chance to show it on a big stage.”
Skirka, named MVC Coach of the Year, celebrated his 200th career win earlier this month—a 16-5 rout of Missouri State on May 15—becoming just the fourth coach in program history to reach that milestone. The Racers also saw 11 players earn All-MVC honors, with freshman standout Connor Cunningham named MVC Co-Freshman of the Year.
A Formidable Foe in Ole Miss
The Racers face a tall task against Ole Miss, the top seed in the Oxford Regional. Murray State already met the Rebels earlier this season, falling 8-7 in a 10-inning heartbreaker on March 7. But the Racers have proven they can hang with top-tier competition, boasting non-conference wins over Western Kentucky (2-1 in 12 innings on Feb. 24) and Kentucky (5-4 on March 18). They’ve been stellar across the board in 2025, going 15-6 at home, 14-6 on the road, and 10-1 at neutral sites.
Murray State’s pitching staff has been a key to their success, with Kane Elmy, Nic Schutte, and Isaac Silva ranking third, fourth, and fifth in the MVC for ERA. They’ll need to be at their best against an Ole Miss squad that’s been a mainstay in the postseason.
Regional Rundown
Friday’s matchup is the second game of the day at Swayze Field, following a clash between No. 2 seed Georgia Tech and No. 3 seed Western Kentucky. The Racers are no strangers to NCAA Tournament action, holding a 2-6 all-time record with appearances in 1975 (Starkville Regional), 1979 (Starkville Regional), and 2003 (Hattiesburg Regional). Their only NCAA wins came in 1979, and they’ll look to add to that total this weekend.
This season also marks Murray State’s fifth straight year with 30 or more wins—a program record—surpassing the previous streak of four consecutive 30-win seasons from 1973-76. The Racers turned their MVC campaign around after a 2-4 start, rattling off eight straight weekend series wins to close the regular season.
The Big Picture
For Murray State, this NCAA Tournament berth is a testament to their resurgence under Skirka, now in his seventh season. The Racers have a rich baseball history, with legendary coach Johnny Reagan’s 776 wins from 1958-1993 setting the standard. Skirka joins Reagan, Rob McDonald (247 wins from 2004-14), and Mike Thieke (231 wins from 1994-03) as the only MSU coaches to reach 200 victories.
As the Racers take on Ole Miss, they’ll look to channel their late-season momentum and make a deep run in Oxford.
