Murray State will make its first appearance in the Men’s College World Series after defeating Duke 5-4 in a winner-take-all championship game at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Game Highlights
- The Racers (44-15) had bases loaded with no outs in the seventh inning after back-to-back walks.
- James Tallon struck out two batters and got a groundout to end the threat.
- An interference call initially appeared to secure the win for Tallon, but the play was overturned by officials, giving Duke another chance.
- Graham Kelham regrouped and threw a strikeout pitch before getting a groundout to end the game.
Key Performances
- Graham Kelham: Solid in long relief, pitched 11 innings over his last three appearances without allowing an earned run.
- Luke Mistone: Hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning, marking his fifth of the postseason and 14th of his career at Duke Stadium.
- Jonathan Hogart: Hit his second home run of the game and his 21st of the season, tying the game at three after seven innings.
- Dan Tauken: Tripled and scored Will Vierling from first for a five-three lead after the ball caromed off the wall towards center field.
Historical Significance
- This marks another milestone for Murray State as they become only the fourth No. 4 seed team ever to advance to the College World Series with an overall record of 44-15 this season.
- The Racers will face either Texas or TCU next week when they open play on June 16 at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha.
Coaching Notes
- Murray State is led by head coach Scott Hardin, who is just four wins shy of tying former head coach Johnny Ward’s school record for most wins by any head coach with more than two years of service.
- Hardin took over as interim head coach during spring training prior to last year’s season and assumed full-time duties following allegations against Johnny Ward involving recruiting violations.
- Last year, Hardin led Murray State through its deepest postseason run since winning back-to-back NCAA Tournament regional championships in 1994 and 1995.
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