Murray State defeated Ole Miss twice and Georgia Tech once in route to the program’s top moment in 86 seasons
The Murray State Racers brought home the program’s first NCAA Regional Championship in 86 seasons when they defeated the Ole Miss Rebels 12-11 Monday night at Swayze Field in Mississippi.The Racers (42-14) advance to the NCAA Super Regional where they meet the Duke Blue Devils in a best-of-three series this weekend in Durham, North Carolina. The schedule for games and start times will be announced soon.
Monday’s win culminates and amazing postseason run for Murray State Head Coach Dan Skirka and his team that won four games to take the Missouri Valley Conference Championship and three wins this week at the Oxford Regional. The Racers defeated the Rebels twice sandwiched around a victory over Georgia Tech.
The Racers had nearly every one of their top arms available, albeit on short rest, including Isaac Silva and Nic Schutte. The righty duo combined for 6.1 innings to start the game giving only one walk and striking out nine batters. The Racers had a 10-3 lead in the sixth when Schutte left the game.
MSU’s 10 runs were highlighted by a triple from Dustin Mercer who hit .556 in the four games.
With the game on the line, Graham Kelham came on to record his third save in the regional by getting the final eight outs (2.2 IP) on six hits, three runs, six strikeouts and only one walk.
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Game Notes
- The Racers’ first regional final since 1979 turns into the program’s first trip to the Super Regional in 86 seasons of the program.
- MSU was the 10th No. 4 seed to start 2-0 since the current format was adopted in 1999.
- MSU wins for the 42nd time in 2025, a program record.
- MSU has won 27 of their last 32 games. MSU started 15-5, but is 27-6 since.
- MSU is 22-2 when score 10 or more runs and 30-4 when scoring six or more runs.
- The two wins for the Racers in Oxford this weekend marked just the third time this season that the Rebels had lost a pair at home with the other two being Arkansas and Tennessee who also advanced to the NCAA Super Regional.
- The Racers did not commit an error today and only made four in the four games they played.
- MSU scored first today and are 19-3 when doing so.
- MSU’s regional title means the MVC has a Super Regional appearance in 4 of the past 5 seasons (Dallas Baptist (2021), Indiana State (2023), Evansville (2024) and Murray State (2025).
- The last College World Series appearance for The Valley was Missouri State in 2003.
- Before the Racers jumped on the scoreboard with two in the second, they went down in order in the first inning marking the first time in 12 innings that they had been retired one-two-three.
- Isaac Silva set down the first seven Rebels in order until Austin Fawley cracked his 21st homer of the season in the third.
- In the 6th inning, the Racers reached 16 hits for the game.
- MSU’s 19 hits tied their season-high of 19 vs a NCAA DI team (at Little Rock & Illinois State).
- The Racers were 7-of-19 today with runners in scoring position.
- Will Vierling and Luke Mistone combined to start the game 8-for-8 as each had four-straight hits.
- The Racers are 5-7 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
- Through three games of the Oxford Regional, Dustin Mercer is hitting .556 on 10-of-18 and seven of his hits are doubles, a triple and three walks and one HBP, his on base percentage is .636.
- Mercer was named Most Outstanding Player of the Oxford Regional and teammates Jonathan Hogart and Graham Kelham were also named to the team.