Simon Elfrink
Sports Editor
At long last, Racer baseball season is just around the corner as Head Coach Dan Skirka released the game schedule for the 2021 season on Friday, Feb. 5.
The Racers will play a total of 56 games with 25 of those scheduled to take place at Johnny Reagan Field.
“It was definitely a process putting this schedule together with a lot of outside factors coming into play,” Skirka said. “What we ended up with is probably the most challenging schedule in Murray State baseball history.”
Skirka said the three greatest reasons for the season’s challenges come in the form of high-quality competition, an abundance of road games and the fact that OVC play will consist of a doubleheader followed by a nine-inning game for each OVC matchup. The doubleheaders will also consist of nine-inning games.
“[It] will be tough mentally and physically on our guys but we are very excited to get going and feel our early schedule will prepare us for OVC play,” Skirka said.
The season will kick off with a four-game series at Lipscomb University from Feb. 19-21, followed by an isolated game at Middle Tennessee on Feb. 24.
The Racers will host the home opening series in the form of a pair of doubleheaders against Purdue University Fort Wayne on Feb. 26 and Feb. 27.
After the short homestand,Arkansas State will host a game on March 2. Shortly afterward, the Racers will take on the University of Arkansas, who made an appearance in the 2019 College World Series, from March 5-7 for a three-game series.
The University of Louisville, another College World Series 2019 contender, will host the Racers for a game on March 9.
The Racers will continue to travel for a trio of games against EIU on the weekend of March 12 before battling intrastate rival University of Kentucky on March 16.
Jacksonville State will come to Reagan Field for a three-game series on March 19-20 before Arkansas State finishes the second game of the home-and-home series on March 23.
The Racers will then head to the University of Memphis for a three-game series on March 26-28.
Tennessee Tech will host the Racers for April Fools’ Day baseball in a three-game series. Bellarmine University will share a field with Murray State for the first time at Reagan Field on April 6 for the first of two games between the teams this season.
SEMO will complete their OVC series at Murray State as well, taking on the Racers from April 9-10.
Kentucky State University will be the last team to round out that homestand, playing the Racers on April 13.
After their longest homestand of the season, the Racers are scheduled to face off against Belmont on the weekend of April 17 for a three-game series.
The Racers will finish the home-and-home series with an isolated game at Bellarmine University on April 21 before returning to Murray for a three-game OVC series against EKU from April 23-24.
Morehead State will host a three-game series with the Racers from April 30 to May 2. The Racers will get another chance to play the Bruins once again as Belmont comes to Murray on May 4 for a single game.
As students and faculty head home for the summer, the Racers will take on UT Martin on the weekend of May 7 for a three-game series. The location for this OVC matchup is currently not determined.
The Racers will host Southern Illinois for a single game on May 11 before heading to SIUE for a three-game series on May 14.
Middle Tennessee will show at Reagan field on May 18 before the Racers finish the season with a three-game series against Austin Peay University at a location that is yet to be determined.
The OVC Tournament is scheduled for May 25-30.
