JUCO transfer RF Brandon Gutzler was named the Sporting News National Player of the Week for NCAA Division 1 last week. His numbers were incredible, including 5 home runs, 22 rbi's and a 570 something BA. He is a great contact hitter with power. Yea, the wind was blowing out to left center all last weekend and that inflated the hitting for both teams. But a couple of Gutzler's homers would have been out if the wind had been blowing in! In addition to Gutzler, we have several other good hitters with power. More power, size, and speed on this team that we've seen in years. Look for this team to score a lot of runs. Let's just hope the pitching comes along and gets healthy. Two of our projected weekend starters have been injured. The weather is going to be nice this coming weekend and if we don't make the finals of the basketball tourney, come out to the renovated Reagan Field and enjoy a baseball game and watch a fun team as they take on Creighton for a three game series.
- Welcome to The Racer Nation.
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#2
Men's Sports / Beginning of New Era for Murray State Baseball
January 27, 2015, 04:02:45 PM
First of all for you basketball diehards, I am one of you although I don't post on the basketball page. I live and die by all Racer sports actually and haven't missed a home basketball game in years. But this post is about BASEBALL.
Our program has been down for a long time and there are a lot of reasons. Facilities, recruiting, coaching, you name it but we have only enjoyed something like three winning seasons in the past 25 years. But 2015 represents a new era, not just a new coaching staff but an entirely new perspective and new expectations on the part of the University, the Athletic Department, and the baseball program.
I've been one of the most vocal critics about our lack of facilities but with what's in the works now, we move from the bottom of the conference to the upper half and I don't think we are finished. A new 550 seat grandstand was installed last winter and improved the fan experience. If you haven't been by Reagan Field, you need to as new lights have been installed. At least the poles have and the contractor expects to have the lights wired and ready to use before the first home game. Currently the first actual night game will be on Thursday, April 2 against Jacksonville State although the lights might be used sooner if darkness becomes an issue in a game. Today, the press box was scheduled to be demolished with construction of a new modern facility to follow over the coming weeks. It might be toward the end of the season before it's ready to utilize but it will be a huge asset to the program. Other improvements are sure to follow.
Coach Moulder has inherited some talent with OVC Pitcher of the Year, Brock Downey, All-OVC second baseman Anthony Bayus, and Freshman All-American Tyler Lawrence among a group of at least six position starters returning. When they hit the field you will see an entirely new look also as the team will sport all new Under Armor uniforms with a number of different combinations that can be worn. Don't think for a second that prospective players don't pay attention to these things.
While I don't expect miracles, I believe this team has a chance to have a winning season and make the OVC tournament and with the new recruits the coaching staff has assembled for next year, it's only going to get better!
I was a 'Bred and will always be a 'Bred but all I can say now is I am proud to be a part of the new Racer Baseball tradition.
Our program has been down for a long time and there are a lot of reasons. Facilities, recruiting, coaching, you name it but we have only enjoyed something like three winning seasons in the past 25 years. But 2015 represents a new era, not just a new coaching staff but an entirely new perspective and new expectations on the part of the University, the Athletic Department, and the baseball program.
I've been one of the most vocal critics about our lack of facilities but with what's in the works now, we move from the bottom of the conference to the upper half and I don't think we are finished. A new 550 seat grandstand was installed last winter and improved the fan experience. If you haven't been by Reagan Field, you need to as new lights have been installed. At least the poles have and the contractor expects to have the lights wired and ready to use before the first home game. Currently the first actual night game will be on Thursday, April 2 against Jacksonville State although the lights might be used sooner if darkness becomes an issue in a game. Today, the press box was scheduled to be demolished with construction of a new modern facility to follow over the coming weeks. It might be toward the end of the season before it's ready to utilize but it will be a huge asset to the program. Other improvements are sure to follow.
Coach Moulder has inherited some talent with OVC Pitcher of the Year, Brock Downey, All-OVC second baseman Anthony Bayus, and Freshman All-American Tyler Lawrence among a group of at least six position starters returning. When they hit the field you will see an entirely new look also as the team will sport all new Under Armor uniforms with a number of different combinations that can be worn. Don't think for a second that prospective players don't pay attention to these things.
While I don't expect miracles, I believe this team has a chance to have a winning season and make the OVC tournament and with the new recruits the coaching staff has assembled for next year, it's only going to get better!
I was a 'Bred and will always be a 'Bred but all I can say now is I am proud to be a part of the new Racer Baseball tradition.
#3
Men's Sports / Reagan Field Renovations
February 07, 2014, 12:07:04 PM
The new grandstand for Reagan Field is coming along. To see pictures of the progress, go to GoRacers.com and click on the Racer Progress tab. The latest pictures were taken last weekend but the contractor hasn't been able to work this week because of the weather. The chair seats are sitting in place up side down and still need to be installed but if the weather improves next week should be ready for the home opener next Friday.
This is a great start to the improvements to Reagan Field and was completely funded by the Athletic Department. Thanks to AD Allen Ward for his commitment to the program. Hopefully, we will be adding a new modern press box in the next year and lights soon after. These projects will primarily be privately funded.
These current and future improvements have been a long time coming and should be a big boost to Murray State baseball over the next few years.
This is a great start to the improvements to Reagan Field and was completely funded by the Athletic Department. Thanks to AD Allen Ward for his commitment to the program. Hopefully, we will be adding a new modern press box in the next year and lights soon after. These projects will primarily be privately funded.
These current and future improvements have been a long time coming and should be a big boost to Murray State baseball over the next few years.
#4
Men's Sports / Tech beats Alabama in NCAA Regional
June 02, 2009, 01:57:25 PM
but loses 2 to Clemson to be eliminated. For the 5th seed in the conference tournament, they represented the OVC well. Two former OVC schools also played pretty well in the tournament. Middle Tennessee beat Vandy before being eliminated in the Louisville region and WKU won three games including beating Missouri twice and Ole Miss once before being eliminated last night by Ole Miss in a game where the winner moved on the the super regional.
MSU used to dominated those schools when they were in the OVC. A quick check of the record from 1958 (Reagan's first year) until they left the conference shows we were 56-24-1 against Western and 82-66 against MTSU. Since leaving the conference, we have played Western 8 times and are 1-7. We haven't played MT since they left the OVC. However, from 1988 until they left in 2000, our record against them was 17-34.
The point is that those two programs have improved significantly over the past twenty years or so while we have been declining. Both of those schools made major commitments to baseball including improving facilities, recruiting, and providing the funding necessary to compete in the Sun Belt Conference. Middle started pumping funds into their program in the mid 80's while Western's has been more recent. In fact, WKU put over 2 million in upgrading their facility in 2002 and are using a recent million dollar donation to make additional improvements now.
The downfall of the Breds can be traced almost directly to the move from the old field on 15th and Chestnut to the next location. In 1988 we played no home games on campus and have only had a couple of brief recoveries since then. Relocating Reagan Field would have been the perfect opportunity for the administration to have built a real ball park with seating, rest rooms, lights, and concessions. As I understand it, baseball had to fight just to get dugouts. The administration wanted to just put benches on the field. From 1989 until about 5 years ago, the team's lockers were in Carr Health and they had to walk or drive over to the field for practice and games. At least that problem has been solved.
Even though we had a great season this year and I am really proud of what the Breds accomplished, I don't think we can sustain that success unless a private donor or the University steps up and helps build the kind of facilities that our program deserves. Given the current state budget situation, I wouldn't hold my breath on the University stepping up. But, there's got to be someone out there with the kind of bucks to make it happen who needs a tax break and the University needs to agressively be looking for the money to build a facility that Breds players and fans can be proud of. Until then we will fall further and further behind not only our out of conference peers but also within the conference.
Go Breds!
MSU used to dominated those schools when they were in the OVC. A quick check of the record from 1958 (Reagan's first year) until they left the conference shows we were 56-24-1 against Western and 82-66 against MTSU. Since leaving the conference, we have played Western 8 times and are 1-7. We haven't played MT since they left the OVC. However, from 1988 until they left in 2000, our record against them was 17-34.
The point is that those two programs have improved significantly over the past twenty years or so while we have been declining. Both of those schools made major commitments to baseball including improving facilities, recruiting, and providing the funding necessary to compete in the Sun Belt Conference. Middle started pumping funds into their program in the mid 80's while Western's has been more recent. In fact, WKU put over 2 million in upgrading their facility in 2002 and are using a recent million dollar donation to make additional improvements now.
The downfall of the Breds can be traced almost directly to the move from the old field on 15th and Chestnut to the next location. In 1988 we played no home games on campus and have only had a couple of brief recoveries since then. Relocating Reagan Field would have been the perfect opportunity for the administration to have built a real ball park with seating, rest rooms, lights, and concessions. As I understand it, baseball had to fight just to get dugouts. The administration wanted to just put benches on the field. From 1989 until about 5 years ago, the team's lockers were in Carr Health and they had to walk or drive over to the field for practice and games. At least that problem has been solved.
Even though we had a great season this year and I am really proud of what the Breds accomplished, I don't think we can sustain that success unless a private donor or the University steps up and helps build the kind of facilities that our program deserves. Given the current state budget situation, I wouldn't hold my breath on the University stepping up. But, there's got to be someone out there with the kind of bucks to make it happen who needs a tax break and the University needs to agressively be looking for the money to build a facility that Breds players and fans can be proud of. Until then we will fall further and further behind not only our out of conference peers but also within the conference.
Go Breds!
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