Murray State coach pleased with how team competed against 'legitimately the top team in college baseball'

Murray State players celebrate a home run during a game against Arkansas on Saturday, March 6, 2021, in Fayetteville.

After getting to play just 16 games last season before the covid-19 pandemic shut down college baseball, Murray State coach Dan Skirka is thrilled his program has played eight games in the last two weeks.

Even though No. 1 Arkansas (10-0) completed a sweep of the Racers with a 6-0 victory Sunday, Skirka knows his team battled the Razorbacks tough in 7-6 and 11-6 losses the previous two days.

“It is just great to be out playing games consistently after being off and on the field since January,” said Skirka, whose team’s first four scheduled games this season were postponed due to weather. “I feel really good about the way our team competed this weekend against the No. 1 team in the country, legitimately the top team in college baseball. I was especially pleased with how we battled at the plate.”

Murray State (5-6) led 6-5 heading into the eighth inning Friday and 4-0 in the second inning Saturday.

“I’m just so proud of the way these guys came in here and didn’t flinch and just kept fighting,” Skirka said. “It was a tough one today, but I feel like we got after it those first two games and gave them all they wanted.”

Murray State center fielder Jake Slunder of Cabot improved his hitting streak to eight games during the weekend at Baum-Walker Stadium.

“The year after I graduated my high school went to the state tournament here, but I had never got the chance to play here on this field until this weekend,” Slunder said. “It’s for sure a big deal for the state and for somebody from the state just to be able to play there in front of a strong crowd and fan base.

“It was just a real pleasure to be able to play here.”

The Racers faced 15 different Arkansas pitchers in the three games. Skirka said all had "electric stuff."

“That’s pretty tough and that’s what we told our guys,” Skirka said. “I was real proud of them because that is not an easy thing to do. You never see the same guys twice. It’s a different breaking ball, different fastball, a different changeup every single time. And none of them were average. That is one of the best staffs in the country."

Slunder chased down several potential Razorback hits from his post in center field this weekend.

“Man, Jake is awesome,” Skirka said. “He is one of our captains and you can see what he did on the field this weekend, but he does just as much for us off the field. He is just a good human being, a good person and absolutely electric out in center field.”