Racers Win First NCAA Game Since 1979

Friday, May 30

Oxford, Miss.

7 p.m.

Murray State

40-13

Ole Miss

40-20

Murray State

Ole Miss

Photo by: David Eaton-Murray State Athletics

5/31/2025 12:31:00 AM | Baseball

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Murray State advances in the Oxford Regional to face Georgia Tech

The Murray State Racers scored a 9-6 victory Friday over the Ole Miss Rebels Friday in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament Oxford Regional at Swayze Field in Mississippi.

The Racers (40-13) tied the 1979 team with their 40^th win in 2025 and MSU won a game in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1979.

Murray State advances to a Saturday 5 p.m. game against Georgia Tech as the two meet for the first time. The Yellow Jackets defeated Western Kentucky 9-2 earlier in the day.

The Racers got off to a 4-0 lead after their first two at bats on a Jonathan Hogart's fifth lead off home run this season and Dustin Mercer hit the second of his MSU record-tying four doubles in the second Inning.

Dom Decker's single in the top of the 8^th inning gave the Racers the lead for good and Mercer added two more RBIs in the ninth to cap the Racers' scoring.

From the mound, Nic Schutte battled the Rebels over 6.1 innings with six runs given on five hits with nine strikeouts and three walks. Jacob Hustedde got the win after getting two outs and Graham Kelham recorded his fifth save of the season by getting the last six outs on two hits and three strikeouts.

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Game Notes

The first hit by the Racers in their first NCAA game in 22 years was delivered by Jonathan Hogart on the first pitch of the game from Riley Maddox.
Hogart's homer was the first for Murray State in the NCAA Tournament since Greg Tooley homered in the 1979 Starkville Regional against Mississippi State.
Mercer's four doubles ties the MSU record for a single game that was set in 2016 by Tyler Dixon against Kentucky State.
Dom Decker extended his streak of reaching base to 36 games.
The announced attendance of 11,925 was the largest crowd to see a Murray State baseball game since the Racers played at Arkansas in 2024 in front of 11.048.
Racers are now 24-1 when leading after eight innings.
The Racers are 3-6 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.

First pitch. Mr. Hogart.#GoRacers 🏇 pic.twitter.com/fRdTkDq0Bq
— Murray State Baseball (@RacersBaseball) May 31, 2025

Dustin Mercer double plates the Racers' 3rd run.#GoRacers 🏇 pic.twitter.com/BkEOmHfDgr
— Murray State Baseball (@RacersBaseball) May 31, 2025

A dandy play by Luke Mistone.#GoRacers 🏇 pic.twitter.com/KVfKWw66xU
— Murray State Baseball (@RacersBaseball) May 31, 2025

Will Vierling's double ties it 5-5 in the 5th.#GoRacers 🏇 pic.twitter.com/aLjUSG0mY1
— Murray State Baseball (@RacersBaseball) May 31, 2025

Carson Garner makes it look easy#GoRacers 🏇 pic.twitter.com/PZXaqRUvI7
— Murray State Baseball (@RacersBaseball) May 31, 2025

Dustin Mercer's third 2B of the game leads to a retaking of the lead for the Racers.#GoRacers 🏇 pic.twitter.com/H3WmTxbujw
— Murray State Baseball (@RacersBaseball) May 31, 2025

Ole Miss ties it, but Jacob Hustedde gets the game to the 8th.#GoRacers 🏇 pic.twitter.com/Lnckd7pOLm
— Murray State Baseball (@RacersBaseball) May 31, 2025