Red-Hot Racers to Face Top-Seeded Salukis

Dates (Times): April 26 (DH 12:00 p.m. CT), April 27 (12:00 p.m. CT)

Opponent: Southern Illinois Salukis

Location (Site): Carbondale, Ill. (Charlotte West Stadium)

Stats: GoRacers.com

Streaming: ESPN+

The Murray State Racers (19-23, 9-12 MVC) are set to face the Southern Illinois Salukis (27-17, 17-3) for a weekend series in Carbondale, Ill.

Saturday marks the 23rd all-time meeting between the Racers and Salukis. Southern Illinois holds a 5-16-1 series lead and has won six straight. Their most recent matchup was during the 2024 MVC Softball Championship on May 9, a game that saw the Salukis take a 2-1 win in 9 innings to eliminate the Racers. The Salukis sit atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings while the Racers are in eighth.

Winners of five straight, the Racers picked up their first weekend sweep of the 2025 season over the Evansville Purple Aces last weekend. Sophomore pitcher Raylee Roby stood out in the circle on the weekend, picking up two wins in the circle and not allowing a single earned run across 12.2 innings. Roby was named MVC Pitcher of the Week by the league office in St Louis, Mo. for this performance.

The Racers' hot streak has been powered by hot bats across their lineup. Murray State is currently third in the MVC with a team batting average of .283. Ailey Schyck features a .289 batting average and leads the team with eight home runs and 26 RBI. Freshman Kenley Minor leads the team with a .324 batting average, 46 hits, and eleven extra-base hits. Sophomore shortstop Parker Holcombe is second on the team with a .318 batting average. Holcombe features 42 hits and has posted multiple hits 12 times. She has reached base in 15 consecutive games and recorded a hit in nine straight. Freshman Katy Huels is third with a .309 batting average and has started all 42 games. She is third on the team with ten multiple-hit games and features three games with three hits.

After a 1-12 start to their season, Southern Illinois has caught fire in MVC play. Leading the league with a 17-3 record in conference play, the Salukis took their first series loss last weekend, losing two of three against the UNI Panthers. On Wednesday, April 23, they picked up a midweek win over UT Martin 5-0 as Emma Gipson and Kaytee Dahlstrom combined for a shutout. The Salukis feature the top batting average in the MVC at .29,7 and Anna Carder leads the team with a .379 batting average and 47 hits. Emily Williams features a .341 batting average and leads the team with 15 home runs and 46 RBI on the season. The Saluki pitching staff is second in the MVC with a combined ERA of 3.34. McKenzie Newcomb (16-5) features a team-low ERA of 2.06 across 112.1 innings and has 119 strikeouts on the year.

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).

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Players Mentioned

Parker Holcombe

Katy Huels

Kenley Minor

Raylee Roby

Ailey Schyck

Murray State University