Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Nicholls
Racers to Kick off 2026 Campaign at Stinger Classic
2/5/2026 9:32:00 AM | Softball
Murray State to play five in opening tournament
Dates (Times): Friday, Feb. 6 (11:15 a.m. CT/3:45 p.m. CT), Saturday, Feb. 7 (9 a.m. CT), Sunday, Feb. 8 (9 a.m. CT, 11:15 a.m. CT)
Opponents: Nicholls, Northern Kentucky University, Lindenwood, University of Southern Indiana, Alabama State
Locations (Venues): Montgomery, Alabama (Barbra Williams Softball Complex)
Streaming: Hornets Sports Network / SWAC TV
Live Stats: GoRacers.com
Murray State softball will open its 2026 season this weekend at the Alabama State University Stinger Classic at Barbra Williams Softball Complex in Montgomery, Alabama.
The Racers will open things up at 11:15 a.m. CT on Friday against Nicholls, then face Northern Kentucky at 3:45 p.m. CT. Murray State will play a single game on Saturday at 9 a.m. CT against Lindenwood, then wrap up the weekend with a pair of Sunday games: the first at 9 a.m. CT against Southern Indiana, followed by an 11:15 a.m. CT matchup against host Alabama State.
The Racers enter the 2026 campaign after posting a 21-28 record in 2025 with an 11-16 record in Missouri Valley Conference play. They will look to replace outfielder Erin Lackey; however, they return the duo of Katy Huels and Kenley Minor, who were named to the All-MVC First and Second teams as freshmen, as well as junior Bailey Broemmer, who was named to the MVC All-Defensive team.
Huels was named to the preseason All-MVC First Team after hitting .333 across 162 at-bats as a freshman. The Carlyle, Illinois, native led the team with an on-base percentage of .380, along with 12 walks, five triples, and 29 runs. During the season, the outfielder racked up a 17-game hitting streak, second longest in program history. Minor put together a big freshman season of her own, hitting .333 on the season, and leading the team with 10 doubles. On the season, she totaled 52 hits, 20 RBI, and 11 stolen bases on 14 attempts. In addition to her offensive production, she became a staple in the infield, with 97 putouts and 67 assists on the year, and a fielding percentage of .937.
Broemmer was a consistent centerpiece to the Racers' outfield in 2025, starting 42 games in centerfield. The Wentzville, Mo., native finished with a .949 fielding percentage with 84 putouts and nine assists on the season to go with a deep highlight reel that featured several running, and diving catches. In addition to her stellar defensive play, Broemmer provided power at the plate with 25 hits, and three home runs, including one grand slam.
The Racers feature power at the plate in 2026, as Ailey Schyck returns for her senior season. The Winter Garden, Florida, native hit .289 in 2025 with team-highs of 29 RBI, and eight home runs. Parker Holcombe also returns to the infield after hitting .293 in 2025 with 46 hits, and 17 RBI.
In the circle, the Racers return senior Bre Haislip, who led the team with 121.1 innings pitched and 67 strikeouts, with an ERA of 3.81. Karlye Graber looks to build on a freshman season that saw her post a team-low 3.66 ERA and lead the team with eight wins, and Raylee Roby adds experience to the group as a junior after pitching 72.1 innings in 2025 with 23 strikeouts. Freshman Hailey Brereton and South Dakota State transfer Emily Siurek look to add even more depth to the Murray State pitching staff in 2026.
Scouting the Colonels
Nicholls is coming off a 2025 season that saw them finish with a 31-24 record and a 19-8 mark in the Southland Conference. The Colonels went 2-2 in the postseason, falling to Southeast Louisiana in the Southland semifinals. Ron Frost enters his second year at the helm of the Colonels after serving as an assistant for three years prior. The Racers are 4-1 all-time against the Colonels, as each team picked up a win in 2025 across a pair of matchups.
Scouting the NorseÂ
Northern Kentucky went 22-27 in 2025 and posted a 12-10 record in Horizon League play. The Norse finished fifth in the Horizon League standings, with a pair of losses in the conference tournament. Morgan Gerak enters her second year as head coach after two years as an assistant for the Norse. Prior to her coaching career, Gerak was a standout pitcher at Northwestern. The Racers and Norse have only faced off twice, with the Norse winning both games, most recently in 2022.
Scouting the Lions
Lindenwood posted a record of 24-25 in 2025 and went 14-12 in the Ohio Valley Conference. After getting a 5-0 win over UT Martin, the Lions suffered a pair of losses to end their season. Fifth-year head coach Erin Brown features a 100-95 record at Lindenwood with a 465-430 overall record across 19 years as a head coach. Saturday's contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs.
Scouting the Screaming Eagles
Southern Indiana finished the 2025 season with a record of 17-25 while going 13-11 in the OVC. The Screaming Eagles won their first OVC Tournament game against Lindenwood before falling to Eastern Illinois, and Tennessee Tech, and being eliminated. Head coach Sue Kunkle enters her 25th year leading the Screaming Eagles as the winningest coach in program history with a record of 691-490. Sunday will be the first time the programs meet on the field.
Scouting the Hornets
The tournament hosts enter 2026 following a 2025 season that saw them finish 18-36 with a 14-10 mark in the SWAC. The Hornets picked up a pair of wins in the SWAC Tournament before being eliminated by Florida A&M. Camise Patterson enters her second year at the helm in Montgomery after two years at Florida A&M. The Racers are 3-0 all-time against Alabama State, with the most recent matchup being a 6-2 Murray State win in 2014.
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