Murray State
UIC
Racers Travel to Windy City to Face Flames
4/3/2025 1:57:00 PM | Softball
MSU Travels to UIC for MVC Series
Date (Time): April 4 (1 p.m. CT), April 5 (2 p.m. CT), April 6 (12 p.m. CT)
Opponent: Illinois-Chicago
Site: Flames Field
Stats: GoRacers.comÂ
Streaming: ESPN+
The Murray State Racers (11-21, 2-10 MVC) will face the UIC Flames (4-31, 0-10 MVC) in a three-game series in Chicago, Ill.
The Racers are 11th in the Missouri Valley Conference Standings while the Flames are one spot behind in 12th. Murray State is coming off of an 8-0 midweek loss to Belmont while UIC dropped a pair of games to Valparaiso in a midweek doubleheader. Â
Friday will mark the seventh all-time meeting between the Racers and Flames. Murray State holds a 4-2 edge in the all-time series and has won three straight over UIC. In their most recent matchup, the Racers won 10-2 at the 2024 MVC softball championship to advance to the quarterfinals.
Freshman Katy Huels currently leads the Racers with a .303 batting average and has started all 32 games this season. She is tied with Parker Holcombe and Ailey Schyck for the team lead in multiple-hit games at 7 and features three games with three hits. She is currently in the midst of the longest hitting streak of the season for the Racers, having recorded a hit in the last eight games. Previously, the freshman reached base in nine consecutive games and has currently reached in eight straight.
Senior Outfielder Erin Lackey has utilized her experience at the plate well this year. She leads the team in multiple RBI games with five on the season, including one 4 RBI performance.
As a team, the Racers have an ERA of 4.01 with four different pitchers having multiple starts. Bre Haislip (4-9) leads the team in innings pitched at 88 and a third and strikeouts with 48. The Petersburg, Tenn. native has the lowest ERA among Racer starters at 2.69. Freshman Karlye Graber (4-6) features an ERA of 3.14 across 20 appearances and eight starts. She features a team-low .248 opponent batting average on 62.1 innings pitched.
UIC has struggled in their first year under interim head coach Jamie Buksa. With a 4-31 (0-10 MVC) overall record, the Flames have lost 27 consecutive games, with their last win being over Colorado State on February 15. Since entering MVC play, they have been swept by Missouri State, UNI, Illinois State, and Valparaiso. Dee Dee Casky has been one of the Flames' most consistent threats at the plate, with a .337 batting average, 33 hits, 12 doubles, and 12 RBI. Halley Cowing and Sequia Sanchez also feature 12 RBI each as Cowling has 33 hits and Sanchez has 24 on the season.
The UIC pitching staff has the worst combined ERA in the MVC at 6.75. Alyssa McIntosh (5.52 ERA) and Jasmine Whorley (6.19) led the team with a pair of wins each while McIntosh leads the team with 42 strikeouts.
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).Â
Â
