Murray State Preview

• Senior closer Kyle Brennan became the program's all-time save leader by recording his 27th career save on Sunday against Austin Peay in a 6-4 series-clinching win. Brennan surpassed Jon Ivie (2008-11) for the most saves in Belmont history 

• Brennan, a native of Franklin, Tenn., leads the country in saves (10) and is 5th in pitching appearances (15) 

• Sophomore center fielder Guy Lipscomb missed his first two games of the season this past weekend, but is still 3rd in the country in stolen bases (21) 

• Lipscomb, a native of Franklin, Tenn., leads the team in batting average (.400), on-base (.485), slugging (.541), hits (34), and triples (3). 

• Sophomore first baseman Brodey Heaton has begun to heat up at the plate, going 9-for-23 (.391) with two home runs and 9 RBIs over his last six games 

• Belmont is 10th in the country in fielding percentage (.983) and turned a season-high three double plays in Sunday's series-clinching win over Austin Peay 

• Belmont's projected starting rotation this weekend will be: Joshua South (Friday), Andy Bean (Saturday), and Jalen Borders (Sunday) 

• Borders is coming off one of his best starts of the year. The sophomore left-hander from Alexandria, Ala., went six complete innings without giving up a run in Sunday's win over Austin Peay, scattering just three hits and recording three strikeouts while only throwing 77 pitches. 

• Belmont pitching is currently first in WHIP (walks plus hits per inning) in the OVC (1.38) 

• Three-time All-OVC selection Joshua South is currently 3-1 with a 4.83 ERA, totaling 32 strikeouts in 31 2/3 innings on the mound 

• Sophomore left-hander Andy Bean provided a quality start in Saturday's game against Austin Peay, allowing three earned runs in six innings on the hill with a pair of strikeouts. On the season, the Fisherville, Tenn., native and Preseason All-OVC pick is 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA in six starts, holding opponents to a .200 batting average  

• Sophomore left-hander Andy Bean provided a quality start in Saturday's game against Austin Peay, allowing three earned runs in six innings on the hill with a pair of strikeouts. On the season, the Fisherville, Tenn., native and Preseason All-OVC pick is 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA in six starts, holding opponents to a .200 batting average   

• Carson Shacklett and Brodey Heaton both ride 11-game on-base streaks into this weekend's series  

• Belmont has recorded double-digit hits in six of their last eight games  

• Head coach Dave Jarvis recorded his 1,000th career win with an 11-1 victory over Middle Tennessee on Feb. 23. Last season, Jarvis became the all-time winningest coach in program history with his 664th win at Belmont, a victory over Murray State at E.S. Rose Park on April 17  

About the Racers  

• Murray State dropped two of three games at Morehead State during the opening weekend of conference play 

• Murray State is 13-2 at home this year, but 2-6 on the road 

• The Racers hit 84 home runs last year, a program record, but have hit just 15 this season in 23 games 

• The Racers' bullpen has been excellent; Murray State is 13-1 when leading after six innings 

• Murray State won 33 games last year, the fifth-most in program history, and 18 OVC games, the most in program history, on their way to an appearance in the Championship Round of the OVC Tournament 

• Murray State was picked to finish 2nd in the 2022 OVC Preseason Predicted Order of Finish 

• Dan Skirka is in his fourth season as the Murray State head coach 

Series History  

• Belmont leads the all-time series 25-19 

• The two programs first met in 1998, Belmont's first year transitioning from NAIA to NCAA and their first year under head coach Dave Jarvis. The Racers won, 9-5, in Murray 

• Belmont had won seven in a row prior to Murray State taking the final game of the regular season series in Nashville last April.  

• The last meeting on May 5 of last year, a midweek 4-3 extra-innings Murray State win that counted as a non-conference tilt. The Racers won on a walk-off wild pitch. 

• Belmont has won 21 of 28 OVC contests between the two teams 

• Belmont last played an OVC series at Johnny Reagan Field in 2018, with the Racers winning two out of three games