Racers Journey to Oklahoma for Five Games at Mizuno Classic

Friday, March 6

Stillwater, Okla.

12 P.M.

Murray State

Missouri State

Photo by: Dan Hasko

Racers Journey to Oklahoma for Five Games at Mizuno Classic

3/5/2020 11:25:00 AM | Softball

Game Notes (PDF)

Dates: March 6^th (12 & 5 PM), March 7^th (12 & 2:30 PM), March 8^th (10 AM)
Site (Venue): Stillwater, Okla. (Cowgirl Stadium), Norman, Okla. (Marita Hynes Field)
Live Video: http://bit.ly/2wmchIZ (3/7 vs. Oklahoma)
Live Audio: mixlr.com/msuracers
Live Stats: Links on schedule page of goracers.com
MSU Record (Streak): 11-6 (Lost 1)
Racers All-Time vs. The Field: 3-0 (1-0 vs. Missouri State, 1-0 vs. Oklahoma State, 0-0 vs. Oklahoma, 1-0 vs. Mercer)
Missouri State Record (Streak): 6-8 (Won 1)
#14 Oklahoma State Record (Streak): 13-5 (Won 6)
#6 Oklahoma Record (Streak): 15-4 (Won 2)
Mercer Record (Streak): 9-12 (Won 1)
MSU Next Game: March 13-15 (Racer Classic)
MSU Next Home Game: Same

Murray State softball will compete in its final road tournament of the 2020 season when they play five games at the Mizuno Classic in Norman and Stillwater, Oklahoma this weekend. They will play Missouri State twice, #14 Oklahoma State, #6 Oklahoma, and Mercer in the three-day event with Saturday's game against Oklahoma streaming on Soonersports.tv. Other select games will have live audio coverage at mixlr.com/msuracers. Fans can find the most up-to-date coverage links on the softball schedule page of goracers.com. The weekend in Oklahoma will mark the end of 22-straight games on the road to open the year before Murray State hosts the Racer Classic on March 13-15 in their first home action of the season.

Last Time Out:
The Racers split four games at the Coach B Classic in Carbondale, Illinois last weekend, earning wins against Creighton and Purdue Fort Wayne while falling to Northern Kentucky and the host Salukis of Southern Illinois. The Racers outscored their opponents 22-15 on the weekend, while hitting .277 and reaching base at a .349 clip through the four games. Individually, Sierra Gilmore batted .462 with a home run, five RBI, and four runs scored, while Abby Shoulders posted a .444 average and a .615 on-base percentage through the four contests. Lexi Jones also hit her second grand slam of the season in the victory over Creighton.

In the circle, the Racers saw tremendous outings from the pitching staff as they turned in a 2.47 ERA and issued just five walks while striking out 27 batters on the weekend. Hannah James tossed 10 and two-thirds innings, highlighted by a complete game effort in the Racers' 10-2 win over Creighton where she fanned a career-high 11 Bluejay batters. Freshman Jenna Veber also made three appearances that included an outing against Purdue Fort Wayne where she tossed six and two-thirds innings while surrendering just one earned run and striking out five without issuing a single walk. Taylor Makowsky also earned the save in Sunday's victory over the Mastodons.

Entering the Weekend:
The Racers enter the weekend batting .273 while reaching base at a .381 clip in 2020. The Racers have drawn 74 walks at the dish offensively - a number that ranks 26th in the nation. Individually, Sierra Gilmore's bat has stood out in the Racer lineup as the junior shortstop leads the team in batting average (.412), on-base percentage (.500), slugging percentage (.804), RBI (22) and runs scored (13). The Racers have also seen consistent production from Logan Braundmeier as the Aviston, Illinois native is hitting .373 with a .484 on-base percentage, four stolen bases, and 12 runs scored.

In the circle, the pitching staff continues to shine as the Racers enter the weekend with a 2.39 ERA and a 3.70 strikeout-to-walk ratio that ranks 17^th in the country. Racer pitchers are also holding opponents to a .238 average at the dish in 2020. Individually, Jenna Veber leads the way with a 2.17 ERA through just over 38 innings, recording 24 strikeouts to just two walks as the Oswego, Illinois native ranks second in the country with a 12.0 K/BB ratio. Additionally, Hannah James (5-2, 2.21 ERA, 40 Ks) has tossed a team-high 44.1 innings while holding hitters to a .218 average in 2020.

All-Time Series:
Beginning with Missouri State, the two games against the Bears will mark the second and third all-time meetings, with Murray State prevailing in the only previous encounter – a 1-0 nine-inning game at the Holiday Inn Hilltopper Classic in Bowling Green, Kentucky during the 2016 season. As for Oklahoma State, the Racers are also 1-0 against the Cowgirls after Murray State won the only prior meeting 10-6 at the Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2014. While the Racers' Saturday meeting with the Sooners of Oklahoma will mark the first clash between the two sides, Murray State is also 1-0 against Mercer with the Racers claiming a 9-4 triumph at the Mercer Invitational in Macon, Georgia on opening day of the 2017 season.

Scouting Missouri State:
The Bears, out of the Missouri Valley Conference, enter the weekend with a 6-8 record after taking three of five in the Ole Miss Classic in Oxford, Mississippi in their most recent weekend of competition. As a team, they have struggled a bit offensively, batting .230 and averaging just 2.57 runs per contest. Individually, freshman Tess Weakly is leading the way at the plate, batting .441 with eight RBI and seven runs scored while reaching base at a .568 clip.

Missouri State has made up for a slow start at the dish with solid outings in the circle, however, as the Bears bring a 2.56 team ERA to the Mizuno Classic this weekend. The pitching staff does not issue many free passes, as they rank in the top third of programs across the country with a 2.63 K/BB ratio through 14 contests. Individually, they are led by Steffany Dickerson, an Oklahoma City, Oklahoma native who has tossed a team-high 40 innings in 2020. The 2019 All-MVC First Team selection is 3-3 with a 0.88 ERA and 34 strikeouts, while opponents are hitting just .234 against her on the year.

Scouting #14 Oklahoma State:
The Cowgirls are ranked 14th in the nation in the latest USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, and enter the weekend as winners of their last six after sweeping five games at the OSU/Tulsa Invitational last weekend. The Big 12 opponent is batting .272, while averaging five runs per outing offensively in 2020 after a 2019 season that saw a 45-17 record and a trip to the Women's College World Series. At the plate, they are guided by senior Alysen Febrey, who is hitting .365 with a team-high 22 RBI and 14 runs scored on the season. The two-time NFCA All-Region selection has also belted a team-leading seven home runs thus far.

In the circle, the Cowgirls feature one of the strongest pitching staffs in the country as they enter the weekend ranked second in ERA with a 1.26 mark through 18 outings. Led by Carrie Eberle (7-1, 0.48 ERA, 49 K) the senior has hurled a team-high 58 innings in 2020. A transfer from Virginia Tech, Eberle was named the 2019 ACC Pitcher of the Year during her junior season.

Scouting #6 Oklahoma:
The sixth-ranked Sooners cruise into the weekend at 16-4 after winning four of five at the Courtyard Marriott Tournament in Norman last weekend. Under head coach Patty Gasso, who has tallied 1,276 wins over 26 seasons at the helm of Sooner softball, Oklahoma is batting .313 while averaging 6.16 runs per contest on the year. After reaching the finals of the Women's College World Series a year ago, the Sooners are now led by two-time NFCA All-American Jocelyn Alo, who is hitting .459 with 18 RBI, 20 runs scored, and seven round-trippers on the season.

In the circle, Oklahoma carries a 2.73 ERA and are led by 2019 All-Big 12 selection Shannon Saile, who is worked a team-high 62 innings in 2020. The Land O' Lakes, Florida native is 6-3 with five saves, and has recorded 80 strikeouts entering the weekend.

Scouting Mercer:
The Bears bring a 9-12 record to Oklahoma this weekend after they went 1-4 at the Alabama State Tournament in Montgomery, Alabama in their last time out. Mercer has been solid at the plate in 2020, ranking in the top third among NCAA Division I programs in both batting average (.292) and scoring as they average 5.29 runs per game. Redshirt junior Danielle Castleberry has led the charge thus far, as the 2019 All-Southern Conference First Team selection is batting .415 with 12 RBI and a team-high 18 runs scored on the season. The Bears are also a threat on the base paths, ranking 34^th in the country with 1.71 stolen bases per outing.

In the circle, Mercer carries a 4.10 team ERA, while opponents are batting .283 against them on the season. The Bears have primarily utilized two pitchers, as Amber Byrd (4-3, 3.08 ERA, 22 K) and Bailey Pattison (5-3, 4.33 ERA, 26 K) have tossed 50 and 53.1 innings respectively.

Weather Forecast:
Friday in Stillwater is expected to be a sunny 64 degrees with winds blowing to the east/southeast at seven miles per hour. Chance of precipitation: 0%. Saturday in Norman looks to be a comfortable 65 degrees, with partly-cloudy skies and winds gusting to 18 miles per hour to the south. Chance of precipitation: 0%. Finally, Sunday back in Stillwater calls for a mostly-cloudy high of 67 degrees with strong winds to the south at approximately 20 miles per hour. Chance of precipitation: 20%