Story by Gage Johnson
Senior writer
Spring slowly creeping up on us means one thing: it’s time for Murray State’s baseball team to take the field, this time with expectations much higher amongst the organization.
The Racers are coming off a year where they finished 27-29, continuing the trend of below .500 baseball teams at Murray State that has existed since 2010. The preseason OVC polls have the Racers projected to finish ninth, and no players were selected to All-OVC teams. However, with a plethora of personnel changes within the organization, the losing seasons could very well disappear.
The first major change came in the summer when Dan Skirka was hired as the new head coach to replace former Head Coach Kevin Moulder, after he compiled a career record of 99-128.
Obviously with a brand new coach at the helm of the organization, building team chemistry is crucial, and Skirka says the transition has been seamless.
“We’ve got a great group of kids that are hardworking, very coachable; they’re very hungry,” Skirka said. “It’s been a smooth transition I think. We came in with some things we wanted to do and it aligned with what they were looking for, so we’ve had a good relationship and had good energy all fall. I’m looking for that team chemistry to keep building in the spring.”
The roster will also be revamped, as the Racers lost four major offensive contributors from last season. Power-hitting first baseman Ramsey Scott graduated along with All-OVC member Brandon Guntzler, All-OVC third baseman Davis Sims transferred to Western Kentucky, and OVC Freshman of the Year Grant Wood transferred to Missouri State after a short stint at Jefferson College.
With a roster comprised of multiple transfers, a slew of upperclassmen and very few returning from last season, Skirka believes they have a lot of players that can fill the shoes of the players lost.
“We’re young as far as at-bats and innings, but we have a lot of juniors on this team and a lot of older guys, so there’s a lot of guys I look forward to stepping up,” Skirka said. “Then we have some newcomers that I think are going to step up and help those guys and give us some depth.”
Junior outfielder Ryan Perkins is a player Skirka thinks will bounce back from a sophomore slump. Perkins has been putting in the work to get back to the success of his freshman season when he was named a Freshman All-American by the Collegiate Baseball News.
“I’m just not putting as much pressure on myself,” Perkins said. “These guys have helped me with my swing a lot, and just trying to have my approach ready for the season. So just getting back to what I did in high school and just being relaxed and knowing it’s baseball and it’s fun.”
Pitching was a weak point for the Racers last season, as they placed second-to-last in the OVC in team pitching. Junior pitcher Trevor McMurray led the team in most of the pitching categories last season, but expects more arms in the Murray State bullpen to help the team this season.
“I think this year our depth through and through is way better,” McMurray said. “I think we have 16 or 15 pitchers and I believe one through 15 can all get the job done in a different way. I feel like this year it was a lot more competitive in the fall, which fostered a lot more development. I think we’ll definitely have one of the best pitching staffs we’ve had at Murray State in the last five or six years.”
While most may see this season as a rebuilding year, Perkins and company have high expectations for the season ahead.
“My expectation is to make a regional this year,” Perkins said. “I know the OVC polls probably came out already and we’re probably at the bottom as usual, but this year we definitely have a shot to win the OVC and take our talents to a regional.”
The Racers will step between the lines for the first time this season when they hit the road to take on Oral Roberts University. First pitch is set at 3 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 15, at J. L. Johnson Stadium.
