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As the super regional round of the NCAA baseball tournament plays out across the country, seven unseeded teams look to continue causing havoc in the field by punching a ticket to the College World Series.
One of those teams is Murray State. The Racers, who defeated No. 10 national seed Ole Miss to win the Oxford Regional, are currently in a best-of-three Durham Super Regional against Duke.
Murray State is the 10th No. 4 seed to reach the super regional round of the NCAA baseball tournament, and the second in the last two years from the Missouri Valley Conference after Evansville made it to the Knoxville Super Regional last season.
A super regional win against Duke would add another piece of history to Murray State's season, as the Racers are looking to become the first MVC team to reach the College World Series in over two decades.
Here's what to know about Murray State:
Where is Murray State located?
- Location: Murray, Kentucky
- Student population: 8,111 (fall 2023)
Murray State is located in Murray, Kentucky, which is located in the western part of the Bluegrass State, and was founded in 1992. It is one of eight four-year public universities in the state of Kentucky.
According to U.S. News & World Report, Murray State had a total undergraduate enrollment of 8,111 in the fall 2023 semester. It was ranked eighth among top public universities in the South in 2025, according to U.S. News & World Report.
Murray State is located 118 miles away from Nashville, Tennessee and 227 miles from St. Louis.
What is Murray State's mascot?
Murray State is known as the Racers, and its mascot is named Dunker.
As noted on Murray State's website, the school was originally known as the Thoroughbreds, which came from the state of Kentucky's love for thoroughbred racing. However, that nickname was short-lived because it was too long a name for sports writers to use in headlines.
After versions of T-Breds, 'Breds, Race Horses and Racers were used, Racers became the official name for Murray State's athletic programs in the late 1950s.
What conference is Murray State baseball in?
The Racers compete in the Missouri Valley Conference, and have been an affiliated member of the MVC since 2022. Prior to joining Missouri Valley Conference, which is the second-oldest NCAA Division I conference in the country, Murray State competed in the Ohio Valley Conference.
Who is Murray State baseball's coach?
Dan Skirka is in his seventh season as the skipper of Murray State baseball. He was hired as the ninth head coach in program history ahead of the 2018 season. Before being hired at Murray State, Skirka spent four seasons at Walters State Community College at the NJCAA level of college baseball, where he served as the recruiting coordinator.
Being hired at Murray State was a reunion of sorts for Skirka, who served as assistant coach from 2009-14 under former Racers coach Rob McDonald. Outside of his first season at Murray State in 2019, the Racers have not had a losing season under Skirka.
Skirka has led the Racers on a historic run this season, as his squad secured the program's first trip to the NCAA baseball tournament since 2003 by winning their first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament title.
Here's a full year-by-year breakdown of Skirka's tenure at Murray State:
- Career: 207-149
- 2019: 24-30
- 2020: 10-7
- 2021: 33-25
- 2022: 30-25
- 2023: 31-28
- 2024: 37-20
- 2025: 42-14
Murray State baseball 2025 record
- 2025 record: 42-14 (17-8 in Missouri Valley Conference)
At 42-14 overall, the Racers are in the midst of one of the best seasons in program history. The Racers' 42 wins this season are a new single-season record for most wins in a season, and two more than their previous record of 40 wins in 1975.
Murray State took the MVC Tournament with victories against Belmont, Southern Illinois, UIC and Missouri State. The Racers then won their first NCAA regional title at the Oxford Regional, which included two wins against No. 10 Ole Miss and a win over Georgia Tech.
Murray State NCAA baseball history
The 2025 NCAA baseball tournament is the fourth trip to the postseason for Murray State in program history, and the first since 2003.
Here's a full list of when Murray State has appeared in the NCAA baseball tournament:
- 1975
- 1979
- 2003
- 2025
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where is Murray State? What to know of Racers baseball in NCAA super regionals
Reporting by John Leuzzi, USA TODAY NETWORK / USA TODAY
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